Anyone have any input?

 

First question: do you have aftermarket wheels? Second question: are they hubcentric or lug centric? Since you only have it at highway speeds, your wheels being lug centric rather than hubcentric would be my first guess.

Post a picture up of your CV shaft angles so we can see how they look. With only lifting it 1.5" you shouldn't have a problem with those at all. Especially since you aren't using 4wd at 65 mph.... I'm pretty much going to rule those out.

I wouldn't rule out tire balance though.... it's possible for a tire to be slightly out and that you're noticing it more and certain speeds. It might be worth getting those checked but first lets see if it's your wheels.

 

I do have aftermarket wheels. They are American Racing but im not sure what kind. They are hub-centric though.

Here are some pics of the CV Joints


IMG_1308 by zxsix, on Flickr


IMG_1306 by zxsix, on Flickr

 

Also take a look at the power steering unit as it appears to be leaking which can cause a shake as well.:smileup:

 

Those don't look terrible.... The passenger side looks steeper than the drivers side though. Are you sure you lifted both side exactly the same? What are your fender heights on each side of the truck?

 

I should have mentioned... I'm parked on an angle in that picture. I should have taken the pic on a flat surface. When I leveled it I measured the height from floor to fender and hub to fender and they were both completely even.

In your opinion they are okay? I guess I should schedule to have my wheels balanced then.

 

Thats interesting. I do have a small power steering leak. In the last year and a half Ive had to fill it once so its very small but it is leaking.

How would that cause it to shake?

 

If you have ever replaced a power steering reservoir, the process of bleeding most of the air out of the system is important. If not bled properly, a soft then stiff system is intermittent while driving. With a leak, the pressure in the system is what I call a lazy condition. At low speeds you probably wouldn't notice the soft then firm transition but at highway speeds, that lazy steering response can fight itself and in turn transfer that input to the steering wheel. I just suggested that as the last thing to consider checking once you've ruled out all the obvious culprits. Great luck in your repairs bud.

 

Thanks thats good to know. Ill check the lug nuts, then the tire balance. If that fails ill look into the power steering pump. I should probably replace it anyway before the leak gets worse.

 

When I cranked the bars on my 04 I got a slight shudder type vibe on heavy acceleration from a stop or low speeds. Never encountered anything at highway speeds or when holding any constant speed. That doesn't mean it isn't causing you problems....just my experience I had with my own truck. My guess is that the root problem is somewhere else and the level has simply elevated it to the point where you have noticed. I personally would start by having them balanced.

Also, just FYI, that appears to be your steering rack leaking rather than your pump/reservoir. Unless it's leaking from the bottom of the pump down onto the rack. Mine was actually leaking where the hoses connect to the bottom of the pump/reservoir unit when I bought it. I had to replace the hoses and also replaced the factory squeeze clamps with worm gear clamps....problem solved for me. Good luck!!

 

Thanks for the info. When I took my truck for inspection last time they did tell me the bottom of the pump was leaking but they said it was so slight they wouldn't recommend changing it yet. So, thankfully I'm pretty sure the rack is good still.