Just a note to the doubters out there. I also had the "takeoff shudder" and the 72mph vibration that alot of us Gen3 owners complain about. I am happy to report that I solved the problem. I whole-heartedly recommend replacing your two-piece rear driveshaft with a one piece aluminum unit. I used the factory part # 52123220AD on my '06 3500, CTD, 4x4, QC, LB, SRW and it cured all my ills. If at all possible, it is worth the $669 it cost me to do so. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

 

Congrats.

But those things aren't exactly restricted to the 2-piece drive shaft. Lots of guys with short beds have the vibes too.

 

exactly, but a trip to a driveline shop with my rear shaft fixed that.. i put new spicer joints in and still had the vibes, so i took the shaft to a good shop, he spent some time with it, removed all the factory weights and added a couple and its smooth as silk.. not sure why a factory driveshaft with no damage can be out of balance the way so many seem to be........

 

I did too. And I just recently replaced the front DS. The vibration remains after hundreds upon hundreds of dollars spent replacing u-joints, balancing drive shafts, etc. It's still there...no better, no worse than the day I brought it home.

 

Have you read the description of the truck in question?? In no way am I referring to the STUBBY trucks. Next time,
I'll just keep my happiness to myself.

 

Don't be like that. No one's being like that with you. And yes, I did read.

My point was simply that a new drive shaft isn't the Holy Grail for all 3rd gen vibrations, and sometimes it's important to differentiate that what works for one, doesn't work for all.

While some have fixed it, I have been unable to. But while others have DW, I have never had a hint of it, ever. This is particularly interesting since I have every condition known to man with my truck that supposedly "causes" DW.

Please have a Merry Christmas.

 

I’m interested in this thread as the vibes have been getting worse with my truck. I've replaced the all the u-joints in the front and rear shafts within the year which cleared some of the vibes. But for the last few months my vibes have been getting worse, takeoff shudder as well as a 32-36 mph vibe/shudder. It smoothes out quickly after that and isn’t real noticeable at highway speeds. Everything seems tight in the driveline, so I am hesitant to drop the $$ to go to a 1 piece shaft, but I keep seeing posts that recommend that is the answer. Not sure if I should just order a 1 piece, go to a driveshaft shop, or is there something else causing this. Any help is appreciated. TIA

 

May want to check the steady/support bearing on the rear. Mine the bearing was good but rubber portion was sagging and getting soft. Changed it and cut start out vibe with trailer huge. It used to vibrate so bad almost couldn't use side mirrors and now just a hint of vibe when pulling trailers and nothing running empty.