NEED HELP Violent vibration at 55+ occasionally

DodgeTransmissionsGoBoom

Original poster
Member
Dec 15, 2020
23
North Carolina
08 tb 4wd 4.2l Well I think I finally got the brake drag issue fixed but now I'm having what appears to be the death wobble. When I was heading to the interstate and hit 55+ the steering wheel began to shake and as I got closer to 70 getting on the interstate the entire truck began to vibrate so bad I couldn't take it anymore and got off the interstate and hit the brakes and it was even worse vibration when braking but when I almost came to a stop on the exit ramp and turned onto another road going 45 the vibration is completely gone and I got on a different road doing 60 on the way back home and it never happened. It drove perfectly fine. I've replaced the front brakes. The booster. Resurfaced the rotors. And replaced the right front hub assembly due to the bearing being completely shot. Everything has been torqued to spec using a torque wrench from the hub assembly to the brake bolts to the lug nuts. When I got home I checked all the tire pressures and each were pretty off from each other so I evened out all the air pressure to factory spec. Maybe I have a bad tire or out of balance wheel?
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,224
Ottawa, ON
Check the front axle shafts going into the disconnect and diff. Also check the u-joints.
 
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gmcman

Member
Dec 12, 2011
4,656
Couple suggestions, re-check your lug nut torque. Two occasions.....I once had a front wheel work about 3 lugs loose and I swear I torqued them down after I replaced a front hub.

The 2nd time was when the dealer replaced a hub, that's a long story and was their fault the hub was damaged, but the lugs worked themselves loose....was also the only time they worked on it outside of warranty.

Check your tie rods.
 

TollKeeper

Supporting Donor
Member
Dec 3, 2011
8,039
Brighton, CO
What condition are your shocks/Struts and tires in? Sounds like tire hop from worn shocks and struts.
 

DodgeTransmissionsGoBoom

Original poster
Member
Dec 15, 2020
23
North Carolina
What condition are your shocks/Struts and tires in? Sounds like tire hop from worn shocks and struts.

Shocks are def stock and all tires are used so that probably has something to do with it. I used an skf hub since it was the only name brand I could find on the shelf at a parts store. The steering wheel vibrates almost to the point to where you can't hold on to it anymore but once I slowed down enough it basically reset itself and was perfectly smooth. I think I do remember seeing some ripped boots on ball joints and a tie rod but nothing was loose when I did the tire wiggle test on both front tires from 9 to 3 and 12 to 6. I'll be having the tires rebalanced and wheels checked for warping asap but knowing my luck that won't do it. If you stay 50 mph and below it doesn't ever seem to happen.
 

TollKeeper

Supporting Donor
Member
Dec 3, 2011
8,039
Brighton, CO
That would make me think its the shocks and struts to be honest.
 
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TollKeeper

Supporting Donor
Member
Dec 3, 2011
8,039
Brighton, CO
There used to be a jounce test. But with the double valving that modern struts and shocks have, not sure that is relevant anymore.
 

TollKeeper

Supporting Donor
Member
Dec 3, 2011
8,039
Brighton, CO
I didn't completely answer your question.. sorry.

It's common in higher mileage trucks. Shocks and struts are wear items. Some OEMs recommend 50k miles, others 75k miles. All depends on the manufacturer. I got 90k out of my first set of Bilstiens, and 107k out of my second of KYB. I put on a new set of KYB. What GM recommends? No idea.

Most people don't even know they are bad until tire wear, or vibrations, start annoying them.

But don't forget, it can be bad tires too. A bad belt can do all the same things a bad shock strut can, because they are directly connected
 

Redbeard

Member
Jan 26, 2013
3,465
It might just have been the road you were on. About six months ago I was driving on the local highway and the steering wheel started shaking hard left and right. Enough so that I thought I had thrown a weight from the tire. This drive was in our 4runner with less than 5k miles. When I got back home I asked the mrs. if this had happened to her and she said no. So we went for a drive on another section of the interstate and no shaking, but returned to where the incident occurred to me and the shaking came back above 55 mph! I took my ram on the same road and it rode smooth. I don't have a good answer, but the problem was the road and not the vehicle. And the section of interstate that was causing the shaking was resurfaced about a year prior. Go figure. So maybe try driving another section of highway then return to the suspect road and see if it returns.
 

DodgeTransmissionsGoBoom

Original poster
Member
Dec 15, 2020
23
North Carolina
It might just have been the road you were on. About six months ago I was driving on the local highway and the steering wheel started shaking hard left and right. Enough so that I thought I had thrown a weight from the tire. This drive was in our 4runner with less than 5k miles. When I got back home I asked the mrs. if this had happened to her and she said no. So we went for a drive on another section of the interstate and no shaking, but returned to where the incident occurred to me and the shaking came back above 55 mph! I took my ram on the same road and it rode smooth. I don't have a good answer, but the problem was the road and not the vehicle. And the section of interstate that was causing the shaking was resurfaced about a year prior. Go figure. So maybe try driving another section of highway then return to the suspect road and see if it returns.

It's definitely the vehicle it's happened multiple times now on different roads. A bump seems to start it then coming to a complete stop fixes it. And when it starts happening you can feel it coming on after hitting enough of a bump like it starts off like warped rotors then it progresses to feeling like out of balance tires then it feels like your hitting the emergency lane then it just gets so bad I get off at the closest exit and come to a stop then it's perfectly normal again as long as I don't hit any bumps going over 60.

I'm kind of suspecting tires since they are used and were put on 6 months ago but never fully interstate tested until now because of a really bad wheel bearing kept it well below 60 mph. Fixed the bearing and many other things now this issue has revealed itself. Could be old shocks like someone else mentioned but personally I've never seen old shocks do that and this isn't showing low speed strut failure. The gas brake gas brake test. Could be the other hub failing maybe since it is stock but doesn't make any noise or have any play with the 9-3 12-6 wiggle test. Also no vibrating felt in the spring when rotating the wheel by hand. If I can get ahold of some gopro's or knockoffs I could rig them up in various angles and see exactly what's acting up more than likely. But I don't have any of those yet sadly.
 
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Redbeard

Member
Jan 26, 2013
3,465
Question: are you feeling any vibrations in your seat? If the vibration is limited to either the steering wheel or the seat of your pants it is easier feel it the problem is in the front end or rear. If it is the tires, rotating the front tires to the rear and rear to the front should change the vibration from either the steering wheel to the seat of your pants. Vibrations in the front are often through the steering wheel while off balance or problem tires in the rear are felt through your seat. It doesn't quite sound like this is the problem but rotating the tires it is a quick check. Although the problem going away after coming to a stop confuses the issue.
 
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DodgeTransmissionsGoBoom

Original poster
Member
Dec 15, 2020
23
North Carolina
Question: are you feeling any vibrations in your seat? If the vibration is limited to either the steering wheel or the seat of your pants it is easier feel it the problem is in the front end or rear. If it is the tires, rotating the front tires to the rear and rear to the front should change the vibration from either the steering wheel to the seat of your pants. Vibrations in the front are often through the steering wheel while off balance or problem tires in the rear are felt through your seat. It doesn't quite sound like this is the problem but rotating the tires it is a quick check. Although the problem going away after coming to a stop confuses the issue.

It starts in the steering wheel but eventually it spreads to the entire vehicle and you can really feel it in the steering wheel and also feel it in the seat but not as bad. And yes as soon as I come to a complete stop it's gone lmao ik it's crazy.
 

gmcman

Member
Dec 12, 2011
4,656
I believe blown shocks have been mentioned, but have someone drive next to you and see if the tire bounces up and down after a bump. More of a prolonged oscillation. That would surely point to a shock.

Another possibility is a broken front sway bar link. Shouldn't keep the tire from bouncing up-and-down, but if your shocks are blown out it's something that could help keep it from bouncing if it was attached.
 

Mektek

Member
May 2, 2017
656
FL
I've had similar symptoms several times before. It always came to bad tires. A belt can break without any warning and cause a small area of the tire to be out of round. At low speeds the tire will still typically flex enough to absorb the irregularity, but at higher speeds there is insufficient time for that and you'll feel the "thump" each time it rolls over the area of the failed belt.
The problem always happened in older, used tires. It frustrated me enough that I finally sprung for a new tires and now I have peace of mind. Well, sort of - with a old high mileage vehicle I know trouble is always just around the corner...:satan:
 
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