4x4 vibration?

[Brady]

When I get to third gear at around 50 km in high 4 my truck starts to vibrate slightly. In two wheel drive it doesn't. Is this normal or do I have a problem? If I do, how do I go about fixing it? ty.

[Sean]

First place to look would be the driveshaft U-joints. Check to make sure they are tight. When you hold one yolk and try and turn the shaft there should be no play in the yoke and relatively no play in the slip joint.

[Brady]

Yea there is no play at all anywhere. The whole driveshaft moves about a quarter of a centimeter, but other than that it is fine.

[Sean]

Its pretty hard to say without looking at it. Could be anything from the front driveshaft being out of phase or balance, a bad output bearing on the transfercase, a bad cv joint, pinion bearing, case bearings ect ect.

Does it make noise going around a corner in 4wd?
Is this a stock truck or is it lifted?
Where does the sound seem to be coming from?

[Brady]

No noises that I have detected so far, either going to straight or around a corner. But I feel the vibration on the steering wheel and the stick. It doesnt shake when im in a foot of snow, although i am not going as fast, the rpm's are the same.
No lift, only larger tires, 31 by 10.5. Rest is stock.

[DeadlyPeace]

Did you check for play in the pinion and output shaft by trying to move the driveshaft up and down? If so and it's tight then I'd say start with getting your front driveshaft re-balanced.

[norcalyota]

what kind of driveshaft do you have? Could be your driveshaft is out of balance. Also, maybe your wheels out of balance.

[Brady]

ummmm, good question, how would I find out. I know that it is stock, and that the differential gears are 4.10 or 4.11

[norcalyota]

I say get ur wheels balanced. When they are out of balance, it can cause vibrations, and they wouldn't show up in a foot of snow or at slow speeds.

[DeadlyPeace]

What year is your truck?

You said when you get into third gear at around 50 km in high 4 your truck starts to vibrate slightly.
Does this only happen in third gear or does it still do it in fourth and fifth gear too?
Does this happen only around 50 km or does it continue at higher speeds above 50 km?

If it does in all gear at 50 km and above then it probably an output bearing in the t-case, pinion bearing, a bad cv joint (if IFS), ect. or your driveshaft out of balance or bent.

Also when you checked for play in the DS did you have it out of gear? Sometimes when in gear the truck will rest with the gears pushing together and make things seem tight or tighter then they really are.

If it doesn't do it in 2WD then it probably not the tires.

[82yota]

Well I know you said that the DS felt really good and all but did you really closely feel that middle joint in it? There are 5 grease points on that front DS and I've seen quite a few of them that have only been greased in the 4 spots and missed the middle grease point in that big joint. Happened on my old 82 as my grandpa never greased that middle joint and neither had the previous owner and when driving on the highway it gave a good vibration as well from that joint. Thats been a big one with our trucks up here and is easily missed by some people. Just another possible problem area.

[Brady]

well ty for info, ill see if I can locate the problem. If it is out of balance, is that really bad, and how much does it cost to fix?

[DeadlyPeace]

Other then the shake it's not too bad, but depending on how bad it is or gets it could start to wear the pinion or t-case bearings. It's about $40 to balance a DS.

[Brady]

K thx, i'll look into that.