Shake or Vibration Issues

Silvernadont · May 9, 2014

My 2014 1500 Silverado LTZ (sticker over 48k) is having a vibration issue as well. Starts at around 45mph and gets worse at higher speeds especially after 65mph. I have had it to 2 different dealers a total of 3 times and no resolve. They have road forced balanced and told me all checks out fine but still vibration. I am considering using the Lemon Law. I have seen posts stating to take in and have the tires true balanced and have an independent shop check the balance of the drive shaft but at my cost. I really don't feel there should be any cost to me on an issue that GM has to be aware of with the number of people posting here. I am waiting to see if anyone ever comes out with a positive result from their visits to the dealer. Very disappointed.

Silverado 6.2 · May 9, 2014

Mine is the 6.2 373gear 6.5box and a big aluminum drive shaft. I also think it could be the drive shaft, although mine does not vibrate while driving at any speed. What mine does is on a hard take off i will feel a vibration in the floor, seats, and center console but goes away as the rpms start getting toward 5000, if i stay into it with the peddle to the floor all the way up to 80 i can hear and feel a vibration coming from the rear of the cab as i start coming up on 70mph but only while its floored if i lift off the peddle a little it goes away. So what im wondering is if its drive shaft deflection causing a slight vibration on my hard takeoffs and the same when its loaded hard wide open throttle at 70mph.

Silverado 6.2 · May 9, 2014

One other thing that is interesting is my boss just got a new crew cab 5.3 with 5.8ft box and his has a small diameter steel drive shaft on it where as most on here say they have an aluminum shaft. Any thoughts?

jcastyo · May 9, 2014

Im curious to see what the fix was as well. Just about every part in the driveline of mine has been replaced. It has been 30+ days in the shop so I opened a case with GM Tuesday to get my ducks in a row to fight for a buy back. The same day the GM field engineer told them to lock open the flapper in the exhaust due to it causing vibration in a few other cases.

GM contacted the dealership Wednesday about my complaint and the sales manager called me. I told him we were getting into lemon law territory and I was tired of the tinkering on my truck and didnt even want it back at this point. Coincidentally later that day the service manager calls me and says locking the flapper open fixed the issue and they are ordering me a new exhaust system now with a redesigned flapper. Should be in today or tomorrow.

I am very skeptical if this fixed it or now they feel a sense of urgency to get my truck out of there before they are forced to buy it back.

Don't think its the flapper either, I have a cat-back on mine and it still shakes. Didn't buy the cat-back to see if it would solve it though, just bought it for the sound

Edited May 9, 2014 by jcastyo

Silverado-Hareek · May 9, 2014

One other thing that is interesting is my boss just got a new crew cab 5.3 with 5.8ft box and his has a small diameter steel drive shaft on it where as most on here say they have an aluminum shaft. Any thoughts?

I have the same basic truck as your boss and I noticed my drive shaft was light colored aluminum looking metal. I didn't touch it verify the material, I just remember thinking the drive shaft on my 2007 was darker metal with maybe some surface rust. What is the diameter that you say is small? Mine looks pretty stout but it is aluminum I'm sure as I doubt it would be stainless steel and that's the only other metal that would look like what I'm seeing.

Also drive shaft deflection is an interesting theory. But still I come back to the same original question which is why do some have the vibration and not others? It has to either be a bad batch of parts or a bad batch of assembled trucks because a lot of people have no problem at all and components like the drive shaft and transmission are the same on all of these trucks. We've also determined that it's not limited to specific body style or axle ratio. So it has to be parts and labor related, not overall truck design in my opinion.

2strokesmoke · May 9, 2014

One other thing that is interesting is my boss just got a new crew cab 5.3 with 5.8ft box and his has a small diameter steel drive shaft on it where as most on here say they have an aluminum shaft. Any thoughts?

Ok that is weird, I thought all the driveshafts for crew cab were aluminum!

Is this the fix? Steel drive shafts now. This would explain the part number change, and my thoughts to date about the driveshaft being the culprit.

Silverado 6.2 · May 9, 2014

I have the same basic truck as your boss and I noticed my drive shaft was light colored aluminum looking metal. I didn't touch it verify the material, I just remember thinking the drive shaft on my 2007 was darker metal with maybe some surface rust. What is the diameter that you say is small? Mine looks pretty stout but it is aluminum I'm sure as I doubt it would be stainless steel and that's the only other metal that would look like what I'm seeing.

Also drive shaft deflection is an interesting theory. But still I come back to the same original question which is why do some have the vibration and not others? It has to either be a bad batch of parts or a bad batch of assembled trucks because a lot of people have no problem at all and components like the drive shaft and transmission are the same on all of these trucks. We've also determined that it's not limited to specific body style or axle ratio. So it has to be parts and labor related, not overall truck design in my opinion.

My bosses drive shaft is a blackish color and only the size of the yoke the entire length im guessing 4in. Mine is 6in aluminum and it necks down twice to get to 4.5in at the yoke on both sides

I have the same basic truck as your boss and I noticed my drive shaft was light colored aluminum looking metal. I didn't touch it verify the material, I just remember thinking the drive shaft on my 2007 was darker metal with maybe some surface rust. What is the diameter that you say is small? Mine looks pretty stout but it is aluminum I'm sure as I doubt it would be stainless steel and that's the only other metal that would look like what I'm seeing.

Also drive shaft deflection is an interesting theory. But still I come back to the same original question which is why do some have the vibration and not others? It has to either be a bad batch of parts or a bad batch of assembled trucks because a lot of people have no problem at all and components like the drive shaft and transmission are the same on all of these trucks. We've also determined that it's not limited to specific body style or axle ratio. So it has to be parts and labor related, not overall truck design in my opinion.

My bosses drive shaft is a blackish color and only the size of the yoke the entire length im guessing 4in. Mine is 6in aluminum and it necks down twice to get to 4.5in at the yoke on both sides

Edited May 9, 2014 by Silverado 6.2

20L8TSierra24 · May 9, 2014

One other thing that is interesting is my boss just got a new crew cab 5.3 with 5.8ft box and his has a small diameter steel drive shaft on it where as most on here say they have an aluminum shaft. Any thoughts?

Hmmm....

Boughtalemon · May 9, 2014

I picked my truck up today. The Servive Manager tells me what the engineer did.

He used some device to read the vibration on his test drive. He replaced the following parts,

1) Exhaust System

2) Placed 2 clamps on the driveshaft

3) Replaced the coupler connecting the upper and lower steering shaft

4) checked the driveline angle(within specs)

He tells me the engineer says there is a 50% improvement in the vibration.

We go for a test drive. I accelerate up to the target speed zone (41-45). Absolutely no change, maybe a bit worse.

While the truck is vibrating, I tell the SM to put his hand on the steering wheel and airbag. He says, "I feel the road coming through the tires." I say but it is a constant vibration and not just bumps. He would never admit to feeling the vibration. The truck would even start a low pitched hum when it was vibrating and he never heard it. GM can't deny that there is a problem because the engineer threw all kinds of parts at it. I guess I'll take it to the next level.

2strokesmoke · May 9, 2014

I picked my truck up today. The Servive Manager tells me what the engineer did.

He used some device to read the vibration on his test drive. He replaced the following parts,

1) Exhaust System

2) Placed 2 clamps on the driveshaft

3) Replaced the coupler connecting the upper and lower steering shaft

4) checked the driveline angle(within specs)

He tells me the engineer says there is a 50% improvement in the vibration.

We go for a test drive. I accelerate up to the target speed zone (41-45). Absolutely no change, maybe a bit worse.

While the truck is vibrating, I tell the SM to put his hand on the steering wheel and airbag. He says, "I feel the road coming through the tires." I say but it is a constant vibration and not just bumps. He would never admit to feeling the vibration. The truck would even start a low pitched hum when it was vibrating and he never heard it. GM can't deny that there is a problem because the engineer threw all kinds of parts at it. I guess I'll take it to the next level.

key word here sm saysit is 50% better. However not fixed!

I am sorry for you/us, as we are all stuck in this mess together.

Clamps on the driveshaft again, too bad they did not get it checked properly by a trained driveline shop.

2strokesmoke · May 9, 2014

If only they balanced the driveshaft, the out come here might have been different.

Just sayin

Aboothlsu · May 9, 2014

Ok that is weird, I thought all the driveshafts for crew cab were aluminum!

Is this the fix? Steel drive shafts now. This would explain the part number change, and my thoughts to date about the driveshaft being the culprit.

Ive had 3 different drive shafts on mine, 2 different designs with no change. Both the original smaller design and the more stout design Im guessing aluminum.

Edited May 9, 2014 by Aboothlsu

2strokesmoke · May 9, 2014

One other thing that is interesting is my boss just got a new crew cab 5.3 with 5.8ft box and his has a small diameter steel drive shaft on it where as most on here say they have an aluminum shaft. Any thoughts?

can you ask him what his trucks build date on the sticker reads?

Also does he have the tow package, more info please?

Thxs

Aboothlsu · May 9, 2014

I picked my truck up today. The Servive Manager tells me what the engineer did.

He used some device to read the vibration on his test drive. He replaced the following parts,

1) Exhaust System

2) Placed 2 clamps on the driveshaft

3) Replaced the coupler connecting the upper and lower steering shaft

4) checked the driveline angle(within specs)

He tells me the engineer says there is a 50% improvement in the vibration.

We go for a test drive. I accelerate up to the target speed zone (41-45). Absolutely no change, maybe a bit worse.

While the truck is vibrating, I tell the SM to put his hand on the steering wheel and airbag. He says, "I feel the road coming through the tires." I say but it is a constant vibration and not just bumps. He would never admit to feeling the vibration. The truck would even start a low pitched hum when it was vibrating and he never heard it. GM can't deny that there is a problem because the engineer threw all kinds of parts at it. I guess I'll take it to the next level.

Did he say why he replaced the exhaust, and if it was a different design?

Boughtalemon · May 9, 2014

Did he say why he replaced the exhaust, and if it was a different design?

He did say it was a different design. I asked if the exhaust change had anything to do with the flapper that has been talked about but he said it did not. He just said the old design was causing a vibration. Obviously, the exhaust had nothing to do with the vibration.