Shake or Vibration Issues

MJFlores · September 1, 2014

My update: 2014 Silverado double cab, Z71 5.3 liter. I had a bad shake on the highway...been through rebalancing, etc. The dealer swapped all 4 tires to the same but new GY SRA (18"). New driveshaft, this time aluminum shaft. The trucks drives much better than it did....but I still get a tiny bit of wiggle sensation on SOME higway stretches. Some highways (this is new england...are roads arent the best) the truck drives real good on, others I feel a wiggle..that I think is normal road imperfection coming up through the body. It's not in the wheel, or seat, or door...just all over and it's slight. After being through all this you sort of go looking for shakes that if I hadn't been through all the troubleshooting maybe I'd be able to write it off as normal. On a stretch that I get a wiggle/ road feel from...I can drop the truck in neutral and it still does it, if I change lanes or hit a new patch of road thats been redone the ride gets way better. Help a paranoid guy out here Are these trucks just VERY sensitive to road input and imperfections? I definately had an issue with tires of driveshaft but now I have the same wiggle feel somtimes..that I feel at slower speeds on bumpy back roads. Maybe these Rancho shocks are just the wrong shock for these frames? The dealer has offered to swap my shocks but for a new pair of Ranchos so I'll probably do that. I'm tempted to offer to pay the difference for a better shock, Bilstein of something. So what do you think...am I being overly critical at this point? I think my expectations might be out of wack now on what to expect from this truck on the highway. My wife thinks it drives great now compared to what it did. Your opinions are appreciated on my individual situation.

14SLTZ71 · September 1, 2014

My update: 2014 Silverado double cab, Z71 5.3 liter. I had a bad shake on the highway...been through rebalancing, etc. The dealer swapped all 4 tires to the same but new GY SRA (18"). New driveshaft, this time aluminum shaft. The trucks drives much better than it did....but I still get a tiny bit of wiggle sensation on SOME higway stretches. Some highways (this is new england...are roads arent the best) the truck drives real good on, others I feel a wiggle..that I think is normal road imperfection coming up through the body. It's not in the wheel, or seat, or door...just all over and it's slight. After being through all this you sort of go looking for shakes that if I hadn't been through all the troubleshooting maybe I'd be able to write it off as normal. On a stretch that I get a wiggle/ road feel from...I can drop the truck in neutral and it still does it, if I change lanes or hit a new patch of road thats been redone the ride gets way better. Help a paranoid guy out here Are these trucks just VERY sensitive to road input and imperfections? I definately had an issue with tires of driveshaft but now I have the same wiggle feel somtimes..that I feel at slower speeds on bumpy back roads. Maybe these Rancho shocks are just the wrong shock for these frames? The dealer has offered to swap my shocks but for a new pair of Ranchos so I'll probably do that. I'm tempted to offer to pay the difference for a better shock, Bilstein of something. So what do you think...am I being overly critical at this point? I think my expectations might be out of wack now on what to expect from this truck on the highway. My wife thinks it drives great now compared to what it did. Your opinions are appreciated on my individual situation.

I can tell you this, it shouldn't be shaking on any highway road surface. Now if they made it better for you then enjoy it. Don't go looking for things to be worse than they are because it will drive you nuts. You have to decide whether or not you are satisfied with the repair. Nobody else will be able to do that for you.

Edit: if they want to put new shocks on let them, why not, I would, they will probably never offer that again.

Edited September 1, 2014 by 14LTZZ71

JC84 · September 1, 2014

I have a 14 sierra crew cab z71 short bed 5.3 (build date 2/14) with Goodyear rsa 20s. I have a little wiggle (vibration) In my seat randomly at 75mph on all road at all conditions from 8v to 4v. I can be traveling at 75mph and feel the wiggle and I'll back down to 70 then speed back up to 75 and it's gone and sometimes it stays and I have to do it again. The wiggle feels like a weak message chair low on batteries. Had all tires fb and rotated no change. So I don't believe it's the tires, rims, or driveshaft because it would do it all the time not randomly.

MJFlores · September 1, 2014

I have a 14 sierra crew cab z71 short bed 5.3 (build date 2/14) with Goodyear rsa 20s. I have a little wiggle (vibration) In my seat randomly at 75mph on all road at all conditions from 8v to 4v. I can be traveling at 75mph and feel the wiggle and I'll back down to 70 then speed back up to 75 and it's gone and sometimes it stays and I have to do it again. The wiggle feels like a weak message chair low on batteries. Had all tires fb and rotated no change. So I don't believe it's the tires, rims, or driveshaft because it would do it all the time not randomly.

Maybe it's road input? Im starting to think these trucks are very sensitive to road. Too light a frame, stiff shocks, etc. It shouldn't be like that but I believe they are. I think my wiggle is road sensation that the truck is telegraphing up to the drivers compartment rather than be able to dampen out. I'd really like to know how many other people think this is happening also. Mine is slight, and come and goes according to which stretch of road I'm on. Often times I cans ee the cracks and stuff on the highway and feel the truck doing it....new pavement thats really flat and the truck seems smooth.

tbarn · September 1, 2014

Maybe it's road input? Im starting to think these trucks are very sensitive to road. Too light a frame, stiff shocks, etc. It shouldn't be like that but I believe they are. I think my wiggle is road sensation that the truck is telegraphing up to the drivers compartment rather than be able to dampen out. I'd really like to know how many other people think this is happening also. Mine is slight, and come and goes according to which stretch of road I'm on. Often times I cans ee the cracks and stuff on the highway and feel the truck doing it....new pavement thats really flat and the truck seems smooth.

I'm beginning to believe the same way. There are surely some tires that are out of spec. But remember the GM service info states that truck RF max is 24#. Even for the 14 model year. GM tech assistance says they need to be 14# or less. I'm thinking that these trucks are just more sensitive than the older models. Things that had vibrations/shakes on the older ones just weren't felt. So what's the fix? I have no idea, but other than strategically placed weights or new body mounts, I don't think these will ever be fixed.

14SLTZ71 · September 1, 2014

I'm beginning to believe the same way. There are surely some tires that are out of spec. But remember the GM service info states that truck RF max is 24#. Even for the 14 model year. GM tech assistance says they need to be 14# or less. I'm thinking that these trucks are just more sensitive than the older models. Things that had vibrations/shakes on the older ones just weren't felt. So what's the fix? I have no idea, but other than strategically placed weights or new body mounts, I don't think these will ever be fixed.

A lot of people don't have it so there must be something common with all the trucks that shake, what it is, who knows?

Hopefully this doesn't turn into another Toyota Tundra bed bounce, once the bed started bouncing it didn't want to stop, made you feel like a bobble head driving around. It took them 6 years to figure it out.

MJFlores · September 2, 2014

I'm betting they all do it, but in some areas the highways are better and the issue isn't felt, or people do feel it and assume it's normal, which it sort of is. I'll admit that if I hadn't had issues already with the tires, and drive shaft and started with what I feel now I dont think I would even bring it in and have looked at. Right now I'm ultra sensitive to any little wobble so I feel it but it's easier and easier for me to write it off as road surface. I mean, no truck rolls down a highway without the driver feeling "something". I know others are still having trouble with issues that are drive line related, and I'm not discounting that at all (I went through all that trouble shooting too). I just think that this design is extremely sensitive, or unable to dampen normal road vibration from the driver to begin with...throw in the rear end and drive shaft issues, bad tires, and the owner is in for a terrible ride. We can all feel what the truck drives like when in V4 mode even at average speeds...imagine that "rough" feeling and and add to it road imperfections being telegraphed through the body...these trucks just are not well driving trucks. Not overly bad mind you, but not the perfection we all want in a new ride. I'm really wondering is a better shock would be a big fix for the issue. Lets face it, Rancho shocks are cheap and not what you put in if you're looking for a nice highway ride. Ford switched to Rancho a few years back and had all sorts of ride complaints...I believe they switched and no longer use Rancho.

chevy2tuff2006 · September 2, 2014

Just remember these rancho shocks are not the same as the one you by from rancho it's self they are just painted like them and uses there name. They are built by the same company who owns rancho Tennico I believe but are not from the rancho division but the Monroe division instead. Correct me if I'm wrong but I have owned rancho shocks in the past are much different looking..

JC84 · September 2, 2014

I wonder if the folks that don't feel it are in the older generation and don't feel it at all. Also Aren't some of the guys with lifted or lowered trucks that swapped out the factory or rancho shocks having the same issue?

2strokesmoke · September 2, 2014

Some people installed lift kits with different shocks, and still had this shaking issue.

I still think the transmission somehow is the culprit for many issues with shifting shuddering and this shaking stuff. Some of these trucks preform differently according to transmission temperature, as well as outside temp to.

just my opinion...

20L8TSierra24 · September 2, 2014

Some people installed lift kits with different shocks, and still had this shaking issue.

I still think the transmission somehow is the culprit for many issues with shifting shuddering and this shaking stuff. Some of these trucks preform differently according to transmission temperature, as well as outside temp to.

just my opinion...

My first truck vibrated 72+ and had a LOUD torque converter whine. I took it to the dealer because of it, another truck in the shop did the same thing so I thought it was normal. I remember asking my dad if it sounded loud and he said something was wrong the day i drove it home. My second, same noise but %90 quieter and 0 vibration. I'm almost sure its the converter. My first truck had a complete rear end, 3 drive shafts, 2 new tires, engine shim, a complete set of tires to test off another, and balanced about a 1/2 dozen times... And none of which made the vibration any better... I have 7000 miles on it now and still riding smooth. Edited September 2, 2014 by 20Bowtie14

2strokesmoke · September 2, 2014

My first truck vibrated 72+ and had a LOUD torque converter whine. I took it to the dealer because of it, another truck in the shop did the same thing so I thought it was normal. I remember asking my dad if it sounded loud and he said something was wrong the day i drove it home. My second, same noise but %90 quieter and 0 vibration. I'm almost sure its the converter. My first truck had a complete rear end, 3 drive shafts, 2 new tires, engine shim, a complete set of tires to test off another, and balanced about a 1/2 dozen times... And none of which made the vibration any better... I have 7000 miles on it now and still riding smooth.

So they replaced your truck, or did they replace the ransmission. What speed did you notice your vibration starting at? My truck is scheduled for more attempts to fix this vibration today, nothing to date has worked!

I have been saying right from the start that there is something weird and not right with this transmission as it preforms differently according to temperature, and that is a tell tale sign of expansion issues and or seal leaking issues.

I will learn soon enough what is wrong, as they are running out of things to change out.

Nothing has worked to date that helped, in fact it got worse with different driveshaft.

Edited September 2, 2014 by 2strokesmoke

20L8TSierra24 · September 2, 2014

GM gave me trade in assistance cash to offset the negative equity on the truck and I traded it for another. First truck was an LT 4x4 crew with leather. Pretty plain truck, bench seat ect... It was built 06/13. My newer truck is an LTZ Z71, everything but a sunroof and collision package built 03/14 0 issues. Both crew cabs, same engine, wheel base and rear end. I don't think its the tranny as much as I do the converter... Good luck, I had enough with the vibration but I loved the way the new trucks looked so I gave GM another shot. They really did take care of me. The vibration came in at 72~83 on the highway only.

MJFlores · September 2, 2014

The little wiggle I feel is there even if I put the truck in neutral and coast a bit. A tourque converter issue would change depending on how much throttle you're applying, or what gear you're in. I think a lot of people are having all sorts of different issues, on a truck design that is very sensitive to begin with. This makes it very hard to nail down across the board. At the shop I take my truck, they did a complete transmission tear down on another truck and couldnt find anything wrong with it. They're pretty certain it's not a trans issue...but I wouldn't be surprised if someone did have an issue with their trans. Lots of different problems lumped into "it vibrates on highway" theme. This is why there's no one fix avialble to to solve everyone's problems. They're sort of forced to tackle them on an individual basis.

BR-TEXAS · September 2, 2014

I have a 14 sierra crew cab z71 short bed 5.3 (build date 2/14) with Goodyear rsa 20s. I have a little wiggle (vibration) In my seat randomly at 75mph on all road at all conditions from 8v to 4v. I can be traveling at 75mph and feel the wiggle and I'll back down to 70 then speed back up to 75 and it's gone and sometimes it stays and I have to do it again. The wiggle feels like a weak message chair low on batteries. Had all tires fb and rotated no change. So I don't believe it's the tires, rims, or driveshaft because it would do it all the time not randomly.

The same here, randomly vibration. 90% improved with new and better tires.