What are the different signs on what is breaking on my truck? - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

GRMhick · 02-17-2003, 07:39 PM

Ok, so i have some bad vibrations comming from my ram, but i want to know what would i feel when i am driving.
What woudl i feel if the track bar were going out?
Wheel bearings?
driveshaft out of balance?
driveshaft u joints?
wheels out of balance?
anything else driveline related?

Garrett

Hef · 02-17-2003, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hick
Ok, so i have some bad vibrations comming from my ram, but i want to know what would i feel when i am driving.
What woudl i feel if the track bar were going out?
Wheel bearings?
driveshaft out of balance?
driveshaft u joints?
wheels out of balance?
anything else driveline related?

Garrett

track bar - I don't know

wheel bearings - vibration from one particular corner? pitch changes consistent with vehicle speed?

DS out of balance - vibration consistent with vehicle speed, coming from under the cab (area of DS...duh)

U-joints - clunks when you first apply throttle in gear, some vibration during driving (like DS out of balance).

wheels out of balance - vibration in steering wheel, consistent with vehicle speed. Uneven wear pattern on tires.

Hef

Mo · 02-17-2003, 08:10 PM

Suspect a wheelbearing?

jack that tire off the ground, put your hands at 12 and 6, and try to move it. motion means you need wheelbearings

Put your hands at 3 and 9, motion means either you're moving the steering linkages or you need tie rod ends (watch the ends to determine which it is)

Suspect a driveshaft?

climb under the rig and try to move the driveshaft (both ends, one at a time). Try both rotating the shaft, and moving it side to side at the joint. Try to find level ground, leave the rig out of gear, and chock the wheels.

GRMhick · 02-17-2003, 09:22 PM

moved the driveshaft, seems pretty much in tact, pulled it out and had the slip shaft replaced oct of 01, 20k miles ago, and the joints were fine. Thing is, i get vibrations on the highway over about 65.. over 75 and they get alot worse. But then, it has been 45k miles since I had the bfg muds balanced. But then about a month ago, 4 lug nuts on the front left were on the last thread (basically off) and the 5th had 4 threads left.. so the wheel was slapping on the hub for probabally over 100 miles going 80 mph... So that makes me thing that wheel bearing is now shot. I get vibes, i think mainly from the rear, but I also get some through the steering wheel. Have to say, since that wheel almost fell off, the vibrations that i was getting from the wheel being loose have almost completely not gone way, (they are 90% the same as with the wheel loose).

Anyway, any help is appreciated.. oh, and i cant work on my truck in this parking lot, so i have to drive it 350 miles home without it being looked at.

Garrett

rusted · 02-18-2003, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hick
But then about a month ago, 4 lug nuts on the front left were on the last thread (basically off) and the 5th had 4 threads left.. so the wheel was slapping on the hub for probabally over 100 miles going 80 mph... So that makes me thing that wheel bearing is now shot. I get vibes, i think mainly from the rear, but I also get some through the steering wheel. Have to say, since that wheel almost fell off, the vibrations that i was getting from the wheel being loose have almost completely not gone way, (they are 90% the same as with the wheel loose).

Garrett

I know you says it's from the rear, but that could be deceiving.

With what you just described, I'd be more interested in the ball joints, TREs and such. Have you done the basic alignment checks? (you said any help, not trying to patronize here....)

GRMhick · 02-18-2003, 11:02 AM

Last had an alignment when i snapped the alignment adjustment link right by the steering box. Also managed to tweak/bend the steering arms at the same time. But i had it replaced and the alignment done. This was probabally the begining of august.

Garrett

flaash · 02-18-2003, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hick
Ok, so i have some bad vibrations comming from my ram, but i want to know what would i feel when i am driving.
What woudl i feel if the track bar were going out?
Wheel bearings?
driveshaft out of balance?
driveshaft u joints?
wheels out of balance?
anything else driveline related?

Garrett

track bar clunk
wheel bearings turn corners does it get worse one way or the other
any driveshaft problems feel it in the seat of your pants and clunks on accel or decel if u-joints

GRMhick · 02-19-2003, 01:11 AM

No clunk ever, turns the same in both directions, and both directions are real solid (minus the small amount of slop in the steering box).

The more i look at it, the more i think it just is the wheels being out of balance.

Hef · 02-19-2003, 06:37 AM

If you have a 2-piece rear driveshaft, check the carrier bearing for wear. Too much play will allow the shaft to vibrate bad and make the "clunk" when you hit the gas. It feels just like bad U-joints.

I just replaced the bearing, U-joints, and had the DS balanced by CT Driveshaft for $365. Worth every penny of it.

Hef

GRMhick · 02-19-2003, 08:47 AM

no bearing. Just a solid shaft with a slip at the end.

Just am wondering why it is so noticable now after the wheel was banging on the hub for 100 miles... and they are 15x8 eagle 589's.

Garrett

WireGeek · 02-19-2003, 09:27 AM

Could be the wheel is now bent as well as being out of balance.
Anywhere you can take it to have balance and straightness checked (look for runout of the rim).
Good Luck!

YellowSub1962 · 02-25-2003, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hick
no bearing. Just a solid shaft with a slip at the end.

Just am wondering why it is so noticable now after the wheel was banging on the hub for 100 miles... and they are 15x8 eagle 589's.

Garrett

could be bent like suggested , or i'm betting it "threw" a weight or all of them when it was thrashing round for all those miles... have a tire shop check out the balance on the tires, but Be forewarned to check the condition of the rim FIRST as most tire shops can not legally put a tire/wheel back on that is "questionable"....ie - hole egged out from the loose lug nuts

and try your best to get it fixed before driving all those miles on it, as it will just trash more parts along the way, besides being a total safety risk to you and everyone else on the road if a complete failure occurs....

GRMhick · 02-25-2003, 11:58 AM

Yeah, no time to get the tire looked at before i run up to san jose (did i mention, there is also a hole in the tire, where it looks like a nail went into the tread sideways, so it is about 1/8"x.5".. and only goes to the carcass, and now the tread is starting to seperate around the hole... fun huh?).

I think my spare with rock rash will end up doing the job for a few k more.

Garrett

Pazuzu · 02-25-2003, 12:32 PM

Bad tire/rim is the easiest to check, rotate things around, see if the vibration ends/moves. If so, you got a bad tire.

GRMhick · 02-25-2003, 12:55 PM

prob woudl help if i didnt feel vibration from every corner of the truck.. 45k miles and never balanced.. and on top of that all the brakes are warped...

Garrett

Pazuzu · 02-25-2003, 06:24 PM

Did you at least try it???

You got many problems here. Possible bent rim. Possible mis-balance. Possibly mis-alignment. Possible warped hub assembly. Blown bearings. Bent axle. When are you gonna start the somewhat long process of figuring this out?

GRMhick · 02-25-2003, 10:02 PM

Or a very short time to figure it out. Went ot go put my spare on, and 2 studs broke off, right next to each other. Very much makes sence why i was having problems. That and i believe my rotors are warped too.. I will change out the studs, rotors, and pads, then go from there...

Garrett

GRMhick · 03-18-2003, 05:41 PM

Well, now I am feeling something again, a clunk when I turn at low speeds.. if i crank it hard back and forth when i am sitting still, it also makes a sharp clunk.. I am assuming that is the U joint in the dana 44 tho.. but am not sure.

The clunk i can only hear and feel (at the same time, i can feel it through the steering wheel) at speeds under 15 mph...

I am hoping i am not going to have any troubled driving it 350 miles thursday.. then friday it gets a new set of tires..

Would the front end feel kind of light, like it feels like it is slightly wandering, but tracking straight down the road, if the track bar were going out? That is my #1 idea right now, but dont exactally know.. I get more and more tired of this truck every time it breaks...

Garrett

02-17-2003, 07:39 PM	#1 (permalink)
GRMhick Pirate4x4 Addict! Join Date: Feb 2000 Member # 87 Location: I live in hotels tear out the walls I have accountants pay for it all Posts: 7,207	What are the different signs on what is breaking on my truck? Ok, so i have some bad vibrations comming from my ram, but i want to know what would i feel when i am driving. What woudl i feel if the track bar were going out? Wheel bearings? driveshaft out of balance? driveshaft u joints? wheels out of balance? anything else driveline related? Garrett

02-19-2003, 06:37 AM	#9 (permalink)
Hef Registered User Join Date: May 2002 Member # 11907 Location: Hilton Head, SC Posts: 2,037 Blog Entries: 1	If you have a 2-piece rear driveshaft, check the carrier bearing for wear. Too much play will allow the shaft to vibrate bad and make the "clunk" when you hit the gas. It feels just like bad U-joints. I just replaced the bearing, U-joints, and had the DS balanced by CT Driveshaft for $365. Worth every penny of it. Hef __________________ State schooling is not about education, but about the state. Gun control is not about guns, it’s about control. A citizen who can fend for himself when the predators come or the schools fail is less inclined to look to the state for sustenance and oversight in other areas of life.

02-19-2003, 09:27 AM	#11 (permalink)
WireGeek Registered User Join Date: Dec 2002 Member # 15728 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 387	Could be the wheel is now bent as well as being out of balance. Anywhere you can take it to have balance and straightness checked (look for runout of the rim). Good Luck! __________________ A mind is a terrible thing....... '77 IH SOA needs a lot of parts!

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

02-17-2003, 08:10 PM	#3 (permalink)
Mo Everyday is Tuesday. Join Date: Feb 2000 Member # 47 Location: Lizzy, CO Posts: 15,668	Suspect a wheelbearing? jack that tire off the ground, put your hands at 12 and 6, and try to move it. motion means you need wheelbearings Put your hands at 3 and 9, motion means either you're moving the steering linkages or you need tie rod ends (watch the ends to determine which it is) Suspect a driveshaft? climb under the rig and try to move the driveshaft (both ends, one at a time). Try both rotating the shaft, and moving it side to side at the joint. Try to find level ground, leave the rig out of gear, and chock the wheels.

02-17-2003, 09:22 PM	#4 (permalink)
GRMhick Pirate4x4 Addict! Join Date: Feb 2000 Member # 87 Location: I live in hotels tear out the walls I have accountants pay for it all Posts: 7,207	moved the driveshaft, seems pretty much in tact, pulled it out and had the slip shaft replaced oct of 01, 20k miles ago, and the joints were fine. Thing is, i get vibrations on the highway over about 65.. over 75 and they get alot worse. But then, it has been 45k miles since I had the bfg muds balanced. But then about a month ago, 4 lug nuts on the front left were on the last thread (basically off) and the 5th had 4 threads left.. so the wheel was slapping on the hub for probabally over 100 miles going 80 mph... So that makes me thing that wheel bearing is now shot. I get vibes, i think mainly from the rear, but I also get some through the steering wheel. Have to say, since that wheel almost fell off, the vibrations that i was getting from the wheel being loose have almost completely not gone way, (they are 90% the same as with the wheel loose). Anyway, any help is appreciated.. oh, and i cant work on my truck in this parking lot, so i have to drive it 350 miles home without it being looked at. Garrett

02-18-2003, 11:02 AM	#6 (permalink)
GRMhick Pirate4x4 Addict! Join Date: Feb 2000 Member # 87 Location: I live in hotels tear out the walls I have accountants pay for it all Posts: 7,207	Last had an alignment when i snapped the alignment adjustment link right by the steering box. Also managed to tweak/bend the steering arms at the same time. But i had it replaced and the alignment done. This was probabally the begining of august. Garrett

02-19-2003, 01:11 AM	#8 (permalink)
GRMhick Pirate4x4 Addict! Join Date: Feb 2000 Member # 87 Location: I live in hotels tear out the walls I have accountants pay for it all Posts: 7,207	No clunk ever, turns the same in both directions, and both directions are real solid (minus the small amount of slop in the steering box). The more i look at it, the more i think it just is the wheels being out of balance.

02-19-2003, 08:47 AM	#10 (permalink)
GRMhick Pirate4x4 Addict! Join Date: Feb 2000 Member # 87 Location: I live in hotels tear out the walls I have accountants pay for it all Posts: 7,207	no bearing. Just a solid shaft with a slip at the end. Just am wondering why it is so noticable now after the wheel was banging on the hub for 100 miles... and they are 15x8 eagle 589's. Garrett

02-25-2003, 11:58 AM	#13 (permalink)
GRMhick Pirate4x4 Addict! Join Date: Feb 2000 Member # 87 Location: I live in hotels tear out the walls I have accountants pay for it all Posts: 7,207	Yeah, no time to get the tire looked at before i run up to san jose (did i mention, there is also a hole in the tire, where it looks like a nail went into the tread sideways, so it is about 1/8"x.5".. and only goes to the carcass, and now the tread is starting to seperate around the hole... fun huh?). I think my spare with rock rash will end up doing the job for a few k more. Garrett

02-25-2003, 12:32 PM	#14 (permalink)
Pazuzu Registered User Join Date: Feb 2000 Member # 54 Posts: 4,853	Bad tire/rim is the easiest to check, rotate things around, see if the vibration ends/moves. If so, you got a bad tire.

02-25-2003, 12:55 PM	#15 (permalink)
GRMhick Pirate4x4 Addict! Join Date: Feb 2000 Member # 87 Location: I live in hotels tear out the walls I have accountants pay for it all Posts: 7,207	prob woudl help if i didnt feel vibration from every corner of the truck.. 45k miles and never balanced.. and on top of that all the brakes are warped... Garrett

02-25-2003, 06:24 PM	#16 (permalink)
Pazuzu Registered User Join Date: Feb 2000 Member # 54 Posts: 4,853	Did you at least try it??? You got many problems here. Possible bent rim. Possible mis-balance. Possibly mis-alignment. Possible warped hub assembly. Blown bearings. Bent axle. When are you gonna start the somewhat long process of figuring this out?

02-25-2003, 10:02 PM	#17 (permalink)
GRMhick Pirate4x4 Addict! Join Date: Feb 2000 Member # 87 Location: I live in hotels tear out the walls I have accountants pay for it all Posts: 7,207	Or a very short time to figure it out. Went ot go put my spare on, and 2 studs broke off, right next to each other. Very much makes sence why i was having problems. That and i believe my rotors are warped too.. I will change out the studs, rotors, and pads, then go from there... Garrett

03-18-2003, 05:41 PM	#18 (permalink)
GRMhick Pirate4x4 Addict! Join Date: Feb 2000 Member # 87 Location: I live in hotels tear out the walls I have accountants pay for it all Posts: 7,207	Well, now I am feeling something again, a clunk when I turn at low speeds.. if i crank it hard back and forth when i am sitting still, it also makes a sharp clunk.. I am assuming that is the U joint in the dana 44 tho.. but am not sure. The clunk i can only hear and feel (at the same time, i can feel it through the steering wheel) at speeds under 15 mph... I am hoping i am not going to have any troubled driving it 350 miles thursday.. then friday it gets a new set of tires.. Would the front end feel kind of light, like it feels like it is slightly wandering, but tracking straight down the road, if the track bar were going out? That is my #1 idea right now, but dont exactally know.. I get more and more tired of this truck every time it breaks... Garrett