Shake or Vibration Issues

pm26 · May 2, 2014

Just by a RAM. They have better suspension and cost less. and come with 20's standard.

And what's so great about 20" tires?

SLESierra · May 2, 2014

And what's so great about 20" tires?

PRICE!!!!! vs 18s and depending on use some awesome choices in tires

HDNitehawk · May 2, 2014

Just by a RAM. They have better suspension and cost less. and come with 20's standard.

To many memories growing up of dodges just falling apart after a few years.

Before I would go that route I would put a 6" lift on the truck and run Nitto Mud Grapplers. Then I would just embrace the vibration in my big bad truck.

glcbn · May 2, 2014

Well, your toe setting could be excessive, although equal on both front wheels and you will get straight tracking but excessive tire feathering on the edges.

Thanks for that bit of info. I'll have to keep an eye on them. Only 4,000 mile, but they look good so far.

Aboothlsu · May 2, 2014

Well finally my rear end assembly came in after 2 weeks. Installed and the techs said there was no change to the vibration and they are back at square 1.

This coming Tuesday makes 30 days in the shop. Next they plan to put to use some sort of vibration tool and see if its possibly in the torque converter or transmission.

At this point I believe its something inherent in the design of the truck and its components, maybe even the frame itself. The new frame design or perhaps another major component may have a natural frequency that is too close to the vibrations caused by the engine at certain speeds/rpm combinations causing small vibrations by the motor to be amplified into something more noticeable.

They can continue replacing parts and may reduce it somewhat but wont correct it. No 2 trucks will be exactly identical and It may be minimized from one truck to another depending on the tolerances, assembly methods, batches of parts etc but it will still be there and over time potentially get worse as parts wear down, temps and fit of parts slightly change.

It will take a design change to truly correct it.

pm26 · May 2, 2014

Thanks for that bit of info. I'll have to keep an eye on them. Only 4,000 mile, but they look good so far.

If they look good after 4k miles, your alignment is most likely within spec. My experience has been that you will see some severe scrubbing on tire edges with bad toe settings within 3k miles.

pm26 · May 2, 2014

Next they plan to put to use some sort of vibration tool.....

Like what?

Edited May 2, 2014 by pm26

2strokesmoke · May 2, 2014

Well finally my rear end assembly came in after 2 weeks. Installed and the techs said there was no change to the vibration and they are back at square 1.

This coming Tuesday makes 30 days in the shop. Next they plan to put to use some sort of vibration tool and see if its possibly in the torque converter or transmission.

At this point I believe its something inherent in the design of the truck and its components, maybe even the frame itself. The new frame design or perhaps another major component may have a natural frequency that is too close to the vibrations caused by the engine at certain speeds/rpm combinations causing small vibrations by the motor to be amplified into something more noticeable.

This

They can continue replacing parts and may reduce it somewhat but wont correct it. No 2 trucks will be exactly identical and It may be minimized from one truck to another depending on the tolerances, assembly methods, batches of parts etc but it will still be there and over time potentially get worse as parts wear down, temps and fit of parts slightly change.

It will take a design change to truly correct it.

I stand by my earlier post this is a torque converter issue.

I think having the transmission lock up at very low speeds, and being in such a high gear is lugging the torque converter and causing vibration at said speeds. If you are getting vibration at higher speeds and tires have been ruled out, I bet the trannys torque converter is damaged already.

we need to find part numbers for these items,

Edited May 2, 2014 by 2strokesmoke

20L8TSierra24 · May 2, 2014

So here's where I am right now... Dealer and GM worked together on buying(trading my LT Crew 4x4 in) because it had been in the shop for 26 days total or something for the same vibration reason. Dealer gave me 35 and GM another 4k trade in assistance. I didn't want a vehicle that has been nothing but a science project for almost a month anymore..

Here's what was done:

-2 new tires

-tried a set of wheels off another truck

-balanced probably 6+ times

-3 different drive shafts

-complete rear end

-shimmed mount

And vibration was always exactly the same...

I ended up driving a total of 6 new Crew cab 4x4's and every one of them had the exact vibration as mine between 72/73-78 mph... some were far worse than others however. I've come to a conclusion that this is normal and I ended up picking another truck out that felt the best out of all of them which is a blue granite LTZ Z71. I love the newer truck and it rides much better than mine ever did. I can live with it but as others mentioned, I think its frame beaming 100%. I NEVER had this vibration with my bass boat hooked up and comes back when there isn't any weight on the rear end or in the bed. I'm going to play with payload now and just leave the new truck alone lol.

New truck build date : 03/14

Radio knobs work/light up.

Tailgate cables even.

Better radio reception.

No moisture in headlights.

Frame is now coated with some clear like substance and wax don't peel like my old truck.

I'm MUCH happier now and my dealer is amazing.

Edited May 2, 2014 by 20Bowtie14

Silverado-Hareek · May 2, 2014

So here's where I am right now... Dealer and GM worked together on buying(trading my LT Crew 4x4 in) because it had been in the shop for 26 days total or something for the same vibration reason. Dealer gave me 35 and GM another 4k trade in assistance. I didn't want a vehicle that has been nothing but a science project for almost a month anymore..

Here's what was done:

-2 new tires

-tried a set of wheels off another truck

-balanced probably 6+ times

-3 different drive shafts

-complete rear end

-shimmed mount

And vibration was always exactly the same...

I ended up driving a total of 6 new Crew cab 4x4's and every one of them had the exact vibration as mine between 72/73-78 mph... some were far worse than others however. I've come to a conclusion that this is normal and I ended up picking another truck out that felt the best out of all of them which is a blue granite LTZ Z71. I love the newer truck and it rides much better than mine ever did. I can live with it but as others mentioned, I think its frame beaming 100%. I NEVER had this vibration with my bass boat hooked up and comes back when there isn't any weight on the rear end or in the bed. I'm going to play with payload now and just leave the new truck alone lol.

Yeah my 2007 always road noticeably better with some weight in the back. I just assumed it was a "truck thing." I think it's amplified a little more on these trucks since they have the stiffer suspension than the previous body style. Glad you found one you are happy with. Z71 looks cooler anyway!

FL335i · May 2, 2014

Frame beaming in a 2014 new 1500. Wow. That's a tough pill to swallow when Ram and Ford's ride silky smooth. I really want a new Silverado b/c it's got the better interior, quiet cab and highest safety ratings and good brakes. But Jeez.

Edited May 2, 2014 by FL335i

Silverado-Hareek · May 2, 2014

Frame beaming in a 2014 new 1500. Wow. That's a tough pill to swallow when Ram and Ford's ride silky smooth. I really want a new Silverado b/c it's got the better interior, quiet cab and highest safety ratings and good brakes. But Jeez.

Test drive one and see what you think first. Not everyone has this issue. Also keep in mind both the F150 and Ram weigh more than the silverado, and the Ram shouldn't even be considered a truck anymore with that coil spring rear suspension. It's more of an SUV with a bed.

Silverado-Hareek · May 2, 2014

Here's a video destroying the Ram rear suspension design. Although this video now kind of makes me want an F150 haha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMDQ8Yl7Ndk

FL335i · May 2, 2014

^ So I guess all the rock buggies I used to wheel with in the rock pits running 44" tires with coil overs and Dana 60's front and rear with Lockers were SUV's with no bed. I'll test drive the Sily and Ram. Make my own decision. I'm not paying top dollar for a 1st off F150 either. and the current F150 is pretty outdated. So that leaves Ram and Silverado.

Silverado-Hareek · May 2, 2014

^ So I guess all the rock buggies I used to wheel with in the rock pits running 44" tires with coil overs and Dana 60's front and rear with Lockers were SUV's with no bed. I'll test drive the Sily and Ram. Make my own decision. I'm not paying top dollar for a 1st off F150 either. and the current F150 is pretty outdated. So that leaves Ram and Silverado.

And you should test drive both. Chances are you're like most truck owners and use a truck mostly for commuting around and the occasional "truck duty" on the weekend. The Ram is plenty capable for that. If I was consistently towing trailers and hauling loads and using a truck for more daily work, I personally wouldn't want one. Just my opinion. As for the "rock buggies", that's not the same as hauling and towing heavy loads which is the issue here with Ram's rear suspension and whether it's a good design for that or not. I'd argue it isn't a good design for that. I don't think Dodge knows something that all other truck manufacturers don't know here. But again, for a daily driver and occasional "truck" use, I'm sure it will never be an issue with the Ram. My original point was just understand the Ram has a completely different suspension system that is more like a car than a truck, thus it won't necessarily ride like a truck.

Edited May 2, 2014 by Silverado-Hareek