Shake or Vibration Issues

Barak · October 18, 2018

Lol good one! Well from begging I have been saying how I wasn’t impressed with these technicians to start with. So I will let them do the PICO test amd after that I will go to independent tire shop to have them do road force balancing which I will pay for $100 but ok just to see. So more to come!

Bart’s Silverado · October 19, 2018

Cheaply sourced aluminum driveshafts made in Mexico. I replaced mine with a steel one and wa-la, no more vibration. My truck has been vibration free for 15,000 miles! GM knows but with millions of units sold it would break GM to fix them.

Barak · October 19, 2018

Thanks Bart. I actually speculated driveshaft at first but after reading many posts it lead me to other things like tires and such. However, I am leaning more towards driveshaft. Would this be something dealer can determine via PICO test or how did you figure it out? Where did you get a steel one? I am assuming this could be under warranty part so dealer can replace if that’s what is needed. Thanks!

Bart’s Silverado · October 19, 2018

GM will only replace it with another aluminum shaft. They did that for me and determined that the replacement shaft was only half as out of round as my original one. However that amount was within GM specs so no replacement of the Second shaft. Mind you they had already done tires, torque converter, etc with no success. I had less than 1000 miles on it. I could not afford to trade (8000 bucks for a 2018) so I set about determining what part could be causing different vibrations at varying speeds. The driveshaft! So I contacted Performance Drivelines in Barstow CA and they made me a custom two piece steel driveshaft with a custom center support and bearing. They made it to 3/4 ton specs for my 1500. It cost me $800 shipped to my door. Took me about 90 minutes to install in my driveway laying on my back! One test drive and I had a smooth as silk truck. It now has 15,000 miles more and still no vibrations. GM knows they have driveshaft problems but to recall would cost billions. They are content paying dealer to perform their slight of hand to appease customers and buy back a few here and there. I lost my warranty on the driveshaft thru GM but at least I now have a truck I can enjoy for many more thousands of miles. I took it in for an oil change the other day and every tech came over to look at my solution. I noticed that my truck traveled 30 miles during that oil change! They drove it just to verify I was right!!!

Barak · October 19, 2018

I see. What an idiots. Why replace with another aluminum if it’s a cause knowing steel one would cure the issue. Well I guess my next step is PICO and hopefully that’s a test of driveshaft. I wonder what it would cost for my diesel denali HD. Thanks!

Max Nettö · October 19, 2018

I bought a 2018 Silverado 1500 custom and I’m driving a t low speed 20-30 mph I feel like the front wheels are bumping a little no smooth drive I took it to service because it has only 1109 miles and they found that front wheels are defective from factory... hummm very extrange but they replaced them for new ones .... thinking that problem solve ...... but I’m still feeling the sensation

any advice?

Barak · October 20, 2018

I am on par with rest of guys saying it’s driveshaft and I can actually relate my concern a lot to driveshaft so I will be exploring the idea of ensuring driveshaft is what needs to be cured. Just not sure GM will opt for replacing it with steel one otherwise if aluminum it won’t fix it. I do believe GM knows of this to be driveshaft but wouldn’t admit due to so many needing to be fixed at thier expense. More to come. Thanks!

GMCJOE17 · October 25, 2018

After a week of radio silence I got a text from the dealer. Said they went back and forth with GM and GM is sending an engineer to the dealer to troubleshoot the vibration. My text back said "I bet its the driveshaft". More hurry up and wait.

Barak · October 25, 2018

LoL what a process. Well interesting enough I have to say that I have not been noticing vibration at 72-75 speeds anymore. It’s strange but it’s no longer apparent like before. I did sort of feel it at higher speeds like 85-95 but that could be due to cross winds etc especially going that speed. However, the dealer should be reaching out back to me to work on service bulletins once they have PICO tool in thier hands. So we will see what that comes to. I do feel that a real shake/vibration is at driveshaft area. And it’s not uncommon for engineers to come out and enage. Hopefully by having engineers due this maybe GM will come out with a fix and recall. Let see what happens. Keep posting please. Thanks!

GMCJOE17 · October 25, 2018

I did see this while searching, don't know how many are involved but still interesting:

http://www.classlawdc.com/2018/02/01/chevy-shake-class-action-investigation/

Barak · October 25, 2018

Great so something is in works. I feel that’s a normal way of doing, first the bulletins than recall etc. Speaking of bulletins, I think these are the two: 16-NA-339 and PIT5451B. I told my dealership to have my truck gone through both of these to check but my understanding is that these bulletins have nothing to do with Sierra 2500HDs or Denali HDs. They are more specific to 1500s and other GMC models excluding heavy duty pickups. I am also starting to feel maybe some of it could just be me or the fact I am now driving diesel beast compared to gas engine. Have to hang tight and see but I don’t want anything wrong with my truck after so much time of waiting to get into one!

Rolling Thunder · October 25, 2018

Guys,

Some of you have not been here long enough to read some of the hundreds of other posts regarding 'vibrations' and no one expects you to start at the beginning of this thread either.

1. There are many, many examples of driveshafts being replaced with another GM driveshaft that have not cured the problem so don't be disappointed if that's not your fix or they tell you "The driveshaft runout is withing tolerance."

2. There are many, many examples of engineers coming to the dealership to pay lip service and state '"It's within GM specs."

3. There are many, many examples of the dealer performing the PICO tests and stating "It's within specs."

4. What cures another owner's trruck will not necessarily cure your truck with the same fix. It might but don't be disappointed if it doesn't.

5. There are many, many guys who bought quality aftermarket parts including driveshafts, rear axles, etc. Some had their problem fixed that way and some didn't.

So to summarize, what fixes one owner's truck may not fix yours so be prepared to either be very disappointed or very satisfied. Being disappointed has been in the vast majority of GM dealer fixes. GM knows what the problem is but they won't admit to it.

Barak · October 25, 2018

Excellent summary thank you totally agree with rolling thunder. I am expecting them to say PICO is within specs just like they did road forced balancing and said within GM specs. After I asked them to provide in writing, they said machine doesn’t print such information. Is it really true? I don’t believe anything they’re saying, always need to validate.

Rolling Thunder · October 25, 2018

PICO tests provide valid legal and diagnostic summaries and can be used in related or unrelated court cases. Not able to print a summary is pure bullshit so you're already being lied to. Perhaps the PICO tester they borrowed conveniently can't print.....

GMCJOE17 · October 25, 2018

1 hour ago, Rolling Thunder said:

Guys,

Some of you have not been here long enough to read some of the hundreds of other posts regarding 'vibrations' and no one expects you to start at the beginning of this thread either.

1. There are many, many examples of driveshafts being replaced with another GM driveshaft that have not cured the problem so don't be disappointed if that's not your fix or they tell you "The driveshaft runout is withing tolerance."

2. There are many, many examples of engineers coming to the dealership to pay lip service and state '"It's within GM specs."

3. There are many, many examples of the dealer performing the PICO tests and stating "It's within specs."

4. What cures another owner's trruck will not necessarily cure your truck with the same fix. It might but don't be disappointed if it doesn't.

5. There are many, many guys who bought quality aftermarket parts including driveshafts, rear axles, etc. Some had their problem fixed that way and some didn't.

So to summarize, what fixes one owner's truck may not fix yours so be prepared to either be very disappointed or very satisfied. Being disappointed has been in the vast majority of GM dealer fixes. GM knows what the problem is but they won't admit to it.

Its true that I am a newer member to this forum but that does not mean that I have not spent Months searching the web and reading complaints, fixes, trials, band aids, MacGyver's, Duct Tapes, and Bubble gum fixes. We have to do the same dog and pony show that everyone else has been through as we are all at the mercy of the dealers and evil corporation. I chose (like others have) to do updates to the forum on my quest for a smooth ride at 70. So I understand those who have been through it, lived it, and posted it already may expect us to just throw the white flag up. I however just cant give up without a fight no matter the outcome.

I do believe that my Service Manager is doing everything in his power to repair my truck and at the same time I understand that he is at the mercy of the evil corporation in giving him approval in warranty items and labor. I also know that at some point if they can not correct it (Like others) they will pull the plug and fall back on the BS line of preforming by specs. And by preforming by specs means they engineered a 2 ton vibrator and any trucks that DONT shake at 70 are NOT preforming by specs.

Others are in a worse position than I am as my truck is a little more basic, little less money, and has 16K miles on it compared to most of the complaints being new $40-$60K trucks with 1 or 2K miles on them. I am optimistic still in the chance that they may replace something else and find that it cures the issue and time will tell if I would be so lucky. But just as you all posted for the next guy, I felt the need to do the same. That's the glory of the forums, they empower people with information.

On top of all that I don't feel like just laying down and letting GM get away with a crap design, even if I am 1 voice that means the problem is still out there and that the next guy who buys one that has the problem can read another story and it adds another check mark to the evil corporations failure. I have won a Lemon law suit, I have also been in and won class actions suits against automobile corporations. The lemon law was a wash and the class action didn't cover all the BS that it was worth but they did have to pay and got the black eyes for their failures even if they did force a gag to complete them.

Joes 2 Cents.....