The "curse" has struck my '03!! The vibration is really bad and actually numbs my hands. I am supposed to leave for Colorado this Sunday. The dealer from which I bought the truck tells me that there is nothing on the dealer network "fixit" computer. Another dealer drove with me and said there is definitely something there. I pull a 16 thous. pound fiver and want to know if I am taking a big chance by going or not? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. (44,000 miles, HO,6sp.,4x4 3500 srw). Thanks.

 

Could be a bad u joint since it seams you didn't have it before.

 

Picked up my new 04 2500 4x4 on May 30 (dealer found what I wanted in North Carolina). I noticed a slight vibration over the weekend and returned to the dealer the next week. Not having a turbo before I thought it was the turbo. I drove another new truck and it had the same slight vibration. I now have over 2000 miles on it and the vibration/gear noise has gotten worse. I went to Pittsburgh last week and checked it several times on the trip, which was over 600 miles total (16.3mpg). I discovered several things, one that has not been reported here.

On a smooth section of road I set the cruse at 60mph and started bringing it up slow with the increase button. At 1900+rpm and 68mph the vibration/gear noise started. As the speed increased the vibration/gear noise would get worse. It could be felt in the steering wheel, peddle, floor, and seat. At 75mph I put the truck in neutral and the vibration/gear noise was gone, when put back in gear it was back. This leads me to think that the problem is in the drive train while under power not the exhaust. I talked to the dealer and “this is the first they have heard of it” but they seemed interested in the problem. This is the 6th vehicle I have purchased from them but the first Dodge, the others were Chryslers. They will be servicing and checking on the vibration/gear noise this week before I leave for a trip to Texas.
I will keep searching for the problem.

 

Pull the front shaft. Bet you don't have it. Come winter, ...put it back in.

 

A new front driveshaft has cured my vibrations at 65-70 completely.

Actualy the first replacement shaft the dealer instaled didn't do anything to help, until they relized that they reinstalled the one that came with the truck in the first place.

 

I must be missing something.

It sounds to me like no one has heard of the fix using the weight on the power steering lines and tying them together. Sure fixed mine, and that was many months ago. What's going on? IS there more than one cause. I would start by having them do the fix that DC already has out there and go from there.

 

We aren't talking about the power steering hose vibe. This is a more serious vibe.

 

This is really becoming a joke!!

There are alot of people with this vibration and there doesnt seem to be a solid fix for it.

I am looking at getting a new truck but being a spend 90% of my time on the highway I am starting to shy away from the Dodge.

I wish they would put some unlocking hubs on them or something to that effect, it would probably get rid of alot of the vibration issues and increase fuel mileage too but I guess that would cost DC an extra 100 bucks a truck.


Jason

 

I or anyone else could possibly give you is drive it, drive it and drive it some more before you buy it. Also be sure you lock it in numerous times and unlock it. If you have it there will be no doubt. Again, don't sign on the dotted line until you drive the **** thing. Not all of them have this just be cautious.

 

That's probably good advice if you are taking one off the lot. If you've just waited 3 months for your custom-ordered toy to arrive, you have to think twice. I took delivery WITH the vibe and the (probably misguided) faith that DC would figure this out. It is sounding more and more like drive shafts (front or rear) which is something that can be done outside of DC if need be. Mine is actually getting better over time (2k mi so far).


BTW, I observed just the opposite when putting the truck into neutral while vibrating. Mine kept vibrating.

Neil

 

Mine was exactly the same circumstance. I ordered my truck exactly like I wanted it and that was my undoing as I felt compelled to take it. If I had it to do over,...after driving it and feeling the vibration droan I should not have signed the paperwork until they had it fixed because if they could fix it at all they sure would have done it right then with the $$$ waiting in the wings for that truck being a special order. They would have been more compelled to pull out all the stops to get it fixed. As far as the shafts,...I've had a total of 5 shafts in my truck. Three in the rear and two in the front. Yes it is better but not fixed and these shafts were sent out and rebalanced. To me it still comes back to one primary thing,...no 2wd have this. 2wd have the 48re which kind of eliminates the transmission TQ converter. What's left?? To me the transfercase is most probably the culprit. I'll push till I get one. If that doesn't do it I'll shut up.

 

I'm happy with mine now.... since the larger tires and reprogram... it's so far up 75-80 mph now and very mild, that I consider it gone. On my drive out to Muncie.... 600 miles each way... it was never a hinderance.

 

OT,

You shouldn't shut up until it's fixed. You paid a lot of $$$$ for your truck and spent a lot of time and effort trying to get them to fix it. Keep after them until they do or make them buy it back and then select one carefully that doesn't do it. Oddly enough, mine seems to be getting better or I'm just growing more tolerant. There are many causes for vehicle vibration and just as many cures. I think we are mistakenly believing that everyone has the same problem. That's why we hear of so many different fixes (front DS, rear DS, TC, exhaust, programming, tire balancing, etc.). I'm sure each one of these has worked for the people that reported it. But it will only work for you or me if we have the same CAUSE.

 

I found this while studying another thread yesterday...
http://www.balancemasters.com/driveshaft.html
Anyone ever heard of these things? Think they'd be worth trying?

 

Sounds interesting. We'll see if anyone has tried these guys??? What size is the shaft?