need12v

Truck has had a vibration about 35 MPH for at least a year. Started about the time it left dealer #1 for a U-joint repair. I thought it got better so I kept driving it. Then I moved away from that dealer. Last week I took it to dealer #2 and they replaced the turbo. Also did the steering recall while it was there. Talking with service manager and I mentioned the vibration got better but never went away. He says I see you've been to dealer #1 a few times for U-joints (which was true) so let me look into it a little deeper. He calls me today and says the right rear hub is bent and is causing my vibration. I'm completely baffled, but what he tells me makes sense. Brake rotor is moving the same time the wheel is. Its not constantly out of alignment like a bent spindle would be, it just kind of wobbles back and forth. Tech says about 3/8" wobble. Tire hasnt been wearing funny though. Anyone else seen or heard of anything like this? I did a search and nothing...

Busboy

If you had a 1/2 ton I would say bent axle shaft but the 2500 like the 3500 is a different story, the hub is attached to the axle itself. If it's wobbling like you say it has to be a bad bearing or race. My son destroyed the front axle on his 2011 3500, bent it pretty bad, I checked all the off road places and even the big truck places, no one would touch it, all said it was too weak to play with and said a new axle was required, he traded the truck. I would pull it apart and check the bearings and races.

BigIron70

Sure it's not the rim? Sometimes hitting or jumping curb you can bend pretty easy. I've seen axle housing also bend by jumping off a curb. If hub is bent I would expect rim to be bent also.

need12v

Well got everything swapped over to new stuff today and its still wobbling! I didnt have my dial indicator but it moves the brake caliper about 1/16" side to side as the rotor turns. Took the wheel off the other side and its steady as a rock. So I got the idea to swap rotors and the problem didnt change, it stayed with the right rear.
I'm really lost now. Unless the bearings find more center after I drive a few miles would be the only way it would change. Or if the new hub is bent as well. The axle shaft is square to the drive flange as well. Even if it wasnt I dont see how it could make the hub move that much since its on 2 bearings and preloaded. At this point the worst thing I can see happening is it will wear through brake pads faster on that side. Probably will just run it unless someone has an idea. Might tear it back down and measure when I get my indicator back.

Mechanos

Sounds to me like the axle housing is bent. That's a significant amount of runout. All kinds of accelerated wear and bad stuff can happen if you run it.

Busboy

I tried to look up the bearing pre-load figures but came up with a few different numbers, are you sure you used the correct pre-load? The bearing races being correctly seated is all that makes the hub run true, a bent axle will put it out of alignment but the hub if correctly seated should rotate without wobbling. I think I saw Max 45 thou run out somewhere.

Raspy

Seems like it can't be anything other than a bad hub or a bearing race that is not concentric. Might as well just replace the hub and be done with it.

Dieselbuilder

It sounds more like the hub is not true to the axle.not bent not machined square to center of the bearing. It is still under warranty take it back to the dealer and get them to order another hub