Shake or Vibration Issues

[Silverado-Hareek]

The putting in neutral doesn't necessarily rule out the tranny because there are still parts rotating.

 

True there are still parts rotating but the transmission isn't applying any torque/load to the drive train it's just rotating. So I'd argue you are correct from the standpoint of an imbalanced transmission still rotating and thus causing a vibration, but if it's a pressure issue in the transmission with the leaking seals people have referred to, wouldn't dropping it in neutral rule that out if the vibration continues?

[MJFlores]

Here's my thoughts as I dig even further. To catch people up, GM installed a new drive shaft in my truck, and all 4 tires with the same GY SRA's I originally had. The shaft change made a huge difference, as did the tires. Right now what I'm feeling is "tire jiggle" on rough road surfaces. Unfortunately, the HW I drive to and from the office is the worst, but other HWs I drive when on the road or on weekends give me a pretty decent ride. I'm 50/50 on deciding if my isssue is intermittent, or if it's road surface dependent which I'm thinking more and more that it is. One observation I had is, this is the lightest Silverado GM has ever made, and the Rancho shocks they used this year are extremely stiff. Try this sometime...push hard on the side of your bed a few times and then let go and watch...the only thing that flexes is the tire sidewalls...causing the truck to "wag" back and forth a few cycles. The far side shock never moves or absorbs any of the motion. Now do the same thing with your shoulder and then stop pushing by leave your shoulder lightly pressing on the bed panel to feel whats happening there. I distinctly feel the same wiggle feeling I get throughout the truck when driving over 70 on a rough highway. I believe most of us are feeling tire sidewall jiggle, mixed in with that V4 rough feeling it produces. Some may or may not have bad tires, unbalanced drive shafts (which I had), or other issues. I notice my jiggle feeling on rough pavement is much worse if I have an empty gas tank vs a full tank. Ultimately, I don't think there's a mechanical problem with these trucks, but I believe the design is poor...too light a frame and too stiff a shock. I don't know what would happen if we switched to a more plush shock, or tires with a stiffer sidewall. I would image an LT rated tire would make a difference but that may just stiffen things up even more and cause a bumpy ride. Anyway, try that push test in the rear and compare to what happens in the front of the truck when you do it. Try leaving your shoulder in contact with the bed and see if what you feel mimics what you feel when driving on the highway.

[hotrodz37]

Here's my thoughts as I dig even further. To catch people up, GM installed a new drive shaft in my truck, and all 4 tires with the same GY SRA's I originally had. The shaft change made a huge difference, as did the tires. Right now what I'm feeling is "tire jiggle" on rough road surfaces. Unfortunately, the HW I drive to and from the office is the worst, but other HWs I drive when on the road or on weekends give me a pretty decent ride. I'm 50/50 on deciding if my isssue is intermittent, or if it's road surface dependent which I'm thinking more and more that it is. One observation I had is, this is the lightest Silverado GM has ever made, and the Rancho shocks they used this year are extremely stiff. Try this sometime...push hard on the side of your bed a few times and then let go and watch...the only thing that flexes is the tire sidewalls...causing the truck to "wag" back and forth a few cycles. The far side shock never moves or absorbs any of the motion. Now do the same thing with your shoulder and then stop pushing by leave your shoulder lightly pressing on the bed panel to feel whats happening there. I distinctly feel the same wiggle feeling I get throughout the truck when driving over 70 on a rough highway. I believe most of us are feeling tire sidewall jiggle, mixed in with that V4 rough feeling it produces. Some may or may not have bad tires, unbalanced drive shafts (which I had), or other issues. I notice my jiggle feeling on rough pavement is much worse if I have an empty gas tank vs a full tank. Ultimately, I don't think there's a mechanical problem with these trucks, but I believe the design is poor...too light a frame and too stiff a shock. I don't know what would happen if we switched to a more plush shock, or tires with a stiffer sidewall. I would image an LT rated tire would make a difference but that may just stiffen things up even more and cause a bumpy ride. Anyway, try that push test in the rear and compare to what happens in the front of the truck when you do it. Try leaving your shoulder in contact with the bed and see if what you feel mimics what you feel when driving on the highway.

 

Agreed, I think a lot of it is road surface and the combo of stiff frame and suspension. I too am thinking the tire sidewall has something to do with it. I know one member 20Bowtie14 replaced the goodyears with LT Nitto Terra Grapplers and he said that took care of his vibration. The only thing I am having trouble figure out is why some people's do it and why the majority of them do not. Maybe roads traveled, tires with less defects etc? I know if a tire is a tiny bit out of round, you might not feel it on previous trucks but you will on the 2014's. Grated some are having other issues (driveshaft etc) but that can happen with any mass produced product. I just wish we could find a common denominator as to why some do it and others don't (which I'm sure all of us would like to know as well)

[ssv1761982]

Seems like people with 18's and 20's are having the same issues. I have 18's, they swapped out rims and tires form another truck, that helped. They just roatated and rebalenced the tires again. I'll see this weekend if it made a difference. Vibration starts at 45 and never goes away. It is not 'bad' but it should not be there at all.

[MJFlores]

 

Agreed, I think a lot of it is road surface and the combo of stiff frame and suspension. I too am thinking the tire sidewall has something to do with it. I know one member 20Bowtie14 replaced the goodyears with LT Nitto Terra Grapplers and he said that took care of his vibration. The only thing I am having trouble figure out is why some people's do it and why the majority of them do not. Maybe roads traveled, tires with less defects etc? I know if a tire is a tiny bit out of round, you might not feel it on previous trucks but you will on the 2014's. Grated some are having other issues (driveshaft etc) but that can happen with any mass produced product. I just wish we could find a common denominator as to why some do it and others don't (which I'm sure all of us would like to know as well)

 

 

Agreed, I think a lot of it is road surface and the combo of stiff frame and suspension. I too am thinking the tire sidewall has something to do with it. I know one member 20Bowtie14 replaced the goodyears with LT Nitto Terra Grapplers and he said that took care of his vibration. The only thing I am having trouble figure out is why some people's do it and why the majority of them do not. Maybe roads traveled, tires with less defects etc? I know if a tire is a tiny bit out of round, you might not feel it on previous trucks but you will on the 2014's. Grated some are having other issues (driveshaft etc) but that can happen with any mass produced product. I just wish we could find a common denominator as to why some do it and others don't (which I'm sure all of us would like to know as well)

I think of that myself but have concluded that if I didn't travel that highway I drive back and forth to work, and worked in the opposite direction I would have never noticed the tire jiggle piece of it. The past two days I drove the opposite direction and got a really nice ride. One of those days I monitored the transmission temperature and couldn't detect and difference from 100 up to almost 190 degrees. I bet some people just have better highways than others, or their truck came with different tires (non GY). I've been through so much with this truck that honestly, even the jiggle I get on the way home which is the worst stretch of HW I experience it on...I may not have noticed it or considered it "crappy road". We're all WAY hyper sensitive at this point....but for good reason.

[MikeySierra]

Seems like people with 18's and 20's are having the same issues. I have 18's, they swapped out rims and tires form another truck, that helped. They just roatated and rebalenced the tires again. I'll see this weekend if it made a difference. Vibration starts at 45 and never goes away. It is not 'bad' but it should not be there at all.

My old truck had 18's with GoodYears SRA's and they replaced all 4 of them with Bridgestone's, then they replaced all 4 rims and the vibration changed but never went away. You are right it shouldn't be there and don't put up with it. GM did a trade assist to get me out of that truck and the one I have now is such a much better ride with NO annoying vibration. Not all trucks are doing it.

Edited September 11, 2014 by MikeySierra

[wagattack]

My tire pressure sensors don't appear to be working right. Also, the new tire the dealer installed holds air better than the rest. Before I went on a short road trip last weekend, I decided to inflate my tire to 37 all around to see if my gas milage improves and improve the wobble as my tires always look like they never have enough air in them. 2 days after the road trip, my tires are back to 32 again. Does anyone else have a issue with their tires loosing air pressure? Also, when I use a handheld tire gauge, the pressure is 2-3lbs different than the Truck tire sensors!!!

[keakar]

My tire pressure sensors don't appear to be working right. Also, the new tire the dealer installed holds air better than the rest. Before I went on a short road trip last weekend, I decided to inflate my tire to 37 all around to see if my gas milage improves and improve the wobble as my tires always look like they never have enough air in them. 2 days after the road trip, my tires are back to 32 again. Does anyone else have a issue with their tires loosing air pressure? Also, when I use a handheld tire gauge, the pressure is 2-3lbs different than the Truck tire sensors!!!

those sensors are just ball park numbers to tell if you have a problem with a tire and they are not at all accurate, turn your key on and off a few times and they might change.

 

dealer told me the nitrogen they put in tires keeps even pressures so it doesn't change as much as with air and he said nitrogen doesn't leak out like air does???? not sure what he means by that because I never had any air leaking out of any of my tires unless there was a problem with them.

[wagattack]

So when I am adding air to my tires that already have Nitrogen from the dealer/factory, am I changing the chemistry therefore affecting tire pressure changes with temperature changes?

[keakar]

So when I am adding air to my tires that already have Nitrogen from the dealer/factory, am I changing the chemistry therefore affecting tire pressure changes with temperature changes?

yes but to what extent is hard to say.

 

regular air contains moisture so it changes things like for instance regular air allows tires to age faster and dry out sooner but nitrogen doesn't. cant explain why but im told the moisture breaks down the rubber over time.

 

what extent this difference really is or the extended life of the tires who knows for sure, it may be a tiny minor difference ort maybe its worth keeping nitrogen in it for the added benefit.

 

adding regular air and nitrogen together just adds moisture with the air but I don't think anything bad to the point you should let all the nitrogen out and start over or vice-versa would be something I would bother doing myself but when my tires were changed in an attempt to find the vibration issues they drained out all the air the tire shop added when they put em on and balanced them and the dealership service dept refilled them all with nitrogen but from experience I can tell you its impossible to get it all out so there will always be some air mixed with the nitrogen

Edited September 11, 2014 by keakar

[tbarn]

So when I am adding air to my tires that already have Nitrogen from the dealer/factory, am I changing the chemistry therefore affecting tire pressure changes with temperature changes?

 

If your tires have nitrogen in them then it was put there by the dealer. GM never uses nitrogen. GM has studied it and says it's benefit is very negligable. Nitrogen molecules are larger so they seep out at a slower rate. Probably an OK idea to use it but not worth paying for in my opinion. Besides, the outside of the tire is exposed to moisture, sun and everythig the road can throw at them anyway so I'm not buyin' the moisture/oxidation problems nitrogen sellers will tell you. Edited September 12, 2014 by tbarn

[Silverado-Hareek]

Nitrogen is a scam don't pay for it. These tires fluctuate in pressure just as much as every other tire I've ever owned in life that was filled with regular air. Keep in mind the composition of regular air is 78% Nitrogen anyway, so if you pay to have your tires filled with pure nitrogen you're paying to take that amount from 78%Nitrogen/22% Oxygen and other gases to 100% nitrogen. That seems like a total waste of money to me and the world has gone on just fine for years with regular air in the tires. That's my $0.02 on this issue.

[iLlama]

Add me to the list that is having this same issue. I did not notice it until I hit about 1k miles, but very noticable now especially going 65+mph plus and the worst being around 75pmh. I take my truck in next Wednesday to try and figure it out.

 

2014 Sierra 5.3L 4x5 Double cab manufactured on 7/14 in Fort Wayne, IN

 

Also, the truck has Bridgestone tires on it from the factory.

Edited September 12, 2014 by iLlama

[Strykers_Inc]

Whether you believe/use or disbelieve/don't use nitrogen in your tires that is completely up to you. But don't sit there and tell people in your own scientific belief that it's a waste of money. There are purposes that nitrogen is used in tires. It's an upgrade just like an upgrade in anything else you might want to add to your truck.

 

By reducing the percentage of oxygen, water vapor and other gases in your tires from 22% to 7% or lower, your tires will maintain proper pressure longer than if you use plain old air. For example, with 95% nitrogen in your tires, they retain optimal pressure three to four times longer. (Scientific)

 

More Predictable Pressure Fluctuation. NASCAR teams use nitrogen so they can more accurately predict tire pressure fluctuation. Regular compressed air can fluctuate considerably when water vapor is present. TPMS Sensors have improved performance when nitrogen is used. The temp fluctuations are minimized.

 

The bottom line point I am trying to make is the fact that it has it's benefits and of course cost....and so does every other upgrade.

 

...and oh by the way....if you have "nitrogen" in your tires and they have a noticeable fluctuation from driving to the corner market and back....guess what...you don't have the correct amount of nitrogen in your tires.....the process of eliminating/replacing oxygen did not work correctly.......unless you drove there like driving at Bristol Motor Speedway, then by all means there should be a fluctuation.

Edited September 12, 2014 by Strykers_Inc

[leobowski]

I just bought a 2014 GMC Sierra 1500, 2wd, Crew Cab, SLE, Standard Bed, last week. It has the 5.3L V8, 20" wheels with Goodyear Eagle LS-2's. When I found this truck at the dealership I took it for a test drive. The dealership had installed aftermarket 22' wheels on it. I didn't like the wheels, and when I was driving the truck I felt vibrations. Thinking that it was the performance tires causing that, I did not care for them. I asked for the original 20" wheels to be installed back on the truck and I bought it. I noticed the vibrations were still there. The very next day after buying the truck I took it to a local Discount Tire store to have the tires balanced, thinking the dealership probably didn't have it done. 1 tire, the driver front, was off ever so slightly and was balanced correctly. I'm still feeling the vibrations in the steering wheel at 35mph and 55mph. It's a constant vibration that drives me nuts! Driving through roads that have speed limits of either 35mph or 55mph really aggravate me.

I spent about 4 hours reading posts on here last night and decided to add my 2 cents.

I am gonna contact the dealership today and ask if they are aware of this issue and if there is a fix for it. I don't believe it's a tire issue as far as my truck is concerned. I have owned many Goodyear Eagle LS-2 tires on my 2009 GMC Sierra 1500 without there ever being an issue. It's something much more. I myself was even thinking that it could be the driveshaft, but after hours of reading posts here last night, I'm not really convinced it would be that either.

Edited September 12, 2014 by leobowski