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Vibration help

2K views 13 replies 4 participants last post by  texaspike 
#1 ·
So a couple of months ago I got a front end replacement and a set of 2" spacers to help level out the front of my 2011 1/2 ton. Driving through the city was fine, but on the highway I started to notice vibration starting at around 65 mph while I was in 2WD. Yesterday, I embarked on a 900 mile road trip from SC to TX and while I was driving, the vibration got so bad that I had to stop and take it into a shop for fear that the whole damn thing was gonna come apart on the highway.

After a whole bunch of wasted time, the shop determined the ball joints and control arms were fine, the alignment and wheel balance were non issues, and the leveling kit was not the cause of the problem. So now I have no leveling kit, and still have vibration.

Has anyone ever experienced this kind of problem? Any suggestions on getting it resolved? I'm taking it back to the dealer on Monday to see what they say. The only suggestion the shop I took it to had was that the weight of the bumper was throwing off the front suspension. Help is much appreciated.
 
#2 · (Edited)
Get the tires & wheels ROAD FORCE BALANCED, it can only be done properly with a
Hunter Road Force GSP9700 Wheel Balancer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efhgM2TcQpI

What i did instead was possibly a mistake, my steering wheel shook so bad that my arms would get tired on a longer trip
the dealership didn't do a balance correctly, they made all kinds of excuses
finally i had to tell them to STRIP ALL of the WEIGHTS & start from scratch
because i insisted on them doing it that way, i had to pay for the new weights
My Ram has driven vibration free ever since then
 
#3 ·
Get the tires & wheels ROAD FORCE BALANCED, it can only be done properly with a
Hunter Road Force GSP9700 Wheel Balancer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efhgM2TcQpI

What i did instead was possibly a mistake, my steering wheel shook so bad that my arms would get tired on a longer trip
the dealership didn't do a balance correctly, they made all kinds of excuses
finally i had to tell them to STRIP ALL of the WEIGHTS & start from scratch
because i insisted on them doing it that way, i had to pay for the new weights
My Ram has driven vibration free ever since then
that worked like a charm, thanks!
 
#8 ·
i must report there is a significant variance in the price for a 4 wheel balance with this machine...oddly enough, my dealer will do it for 49.99...

ive been quoted at other local shops 20-25 dollars a wheel! thats a little rich for my blood...they are claiming a three hour job!
 
#9 · (Edited)
One other thing to consider, is the tire rotation pattern

The Dealership & many other Tire stores are using the incorrect tire rotation pattern, possibly because it is the easiest for them.
They are using a pattern that is for tires with an ARROW on them, it indicates the way the tire should rotate. It is only a front to rear pattern. Left side tires always stay on the left side, right tires always stay on the right side.

The correct tire pattern for the tires without the Arrow is in a X pattern.
On most of our Rams, the spare is not used in the rotation, because it is a TEMPORARY TIRE, not a DONUT type thankfully

Pattern A or B should be used on our Rams, as noted here
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=43

my spare tire reads Temporary right on it, my dealership never checked the tire pressure of my spare, it was down to 18 PSI, glad that i didn't have a flat

 
#10 ·
good point GTYankee.

i know mine have been done using the X pattern since i took ownership of her, and it was new rubber at the time of purchase...

i honestly dont think my slight vibration is tires in as much as i believeit is driveline related(tranny /diff/torque converter shutter).
 
#14 ·
my problem was similar to yours, which is why we thought it was an issue related to the leveling kit, but you could feel it significantly more on the passenger side and it was the seat shaking more than the steering wheel. Either way I had the spacers taken off and have bilsteins being put on next week.

A word of caution though, NEVER trust a tire kingdom to do decent work
 
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