Pulsing/droning vibration at highway speeds (3 Viewers)

[abuck99]

This diff bushing won't cure driveline vibes. Even brand new the bushing flex's quite a bit. Replacing that may help cure a portion of the D-N-R clunk but thats about it.

Driveline vibes are hard to isolate with out removing prop shafts one at a time and test driving with CDL locked. Once you can isolate if the driveline vibe is from front or rear, then you can start narrowing in on the problem.

Lifted rigs: with rear springs different than OEM will effectively create new driveline operating angles- this can cause vibes if the operating angles are too far out of range and this also depends on how worn your control link bushings are. You can pinpoint the over/under by determining acceleration vibe or deceleration vibe to know, but best to always measure to know exactly your operating angles and make necessary pinion angle adjustments with adj. link arms.

Stock rigs: worn ujoints, improperly installed ujoints, non-oem joint, worn yokes, worn slip joint, imbalanced prop shaft, failing pinion bearing 3rd or TC output.

In my experience, just replacing ujoints on these 100's can be hit or miss. If the yokes are worn a little, or they do a poor job installing the bearing caps on the spiders and into the yoke, you can get vibes. Having the propshaft high speed balanced when replacing the ujoints is also a good idea.



Here is "general" reference I pulled from another site on Vehicle Vibration Analysis: Descriptions and Chart


Vehicle vibration can be caused by:
Tire/wheel unbalance or excessive run out
Defective tires with extreme tread wear
Nylon overlay flat spots (performance tires only)
Incorrect wheel bearing adjustment (if applicable)
Loose or worn suspension/steering components
Certain tire tread patterns
Incorrect drive shaft angles or excessive driveshaft/yoke run out
Defective or worn U-joints
Excessive brake rotor or drum run out
Loose engine or transmission supports/mounts
And by engine operated accessories
Refer to the appropriate Groups in this manual for additional information.

VIBRATION TYPES
There are two types of vehicle vibration:
Mechanical
Audible.
Mechanical vehicle vibration can be felt through the seats, floor pan and/or steering wheel.
Audible vehicle vibration is heard above normal background noise. The sound can be a droning or drumming noise.
Vibrations are sensitive to change in engine torque, vehicle speed or engine speed.

ENGINE TORQUE SENSITIVE VIBRATION
This vibration can be increased or decreased by:
Accelerating
Decelerating
Coasting
Maintaining a constant vehicle speed

VEHICLE SPEED SENSITIVE VIBRATION
This vibration condition always occurs at the same vehicle speed regardless of engine torque or engine speed.

ENGINE SPEED (RPM) SENSITIVE VIBRATION
This vibration occurs at varying engine speeds. It can be isolated by increasing or decreasing the engine
speed with the transmission in NEUTRAL position.

VIBRATION DIAGNOSIS
A vibration diagnosis should always begin with a 10 mile (16 km) trip (to warm the vehicle and tires).
Then a road test to identify the vibration. Corrective action should not be attempted until the vibration
type has been identified via a road test. During the road test, drive the vehicle on a smooth surface. If vibration exists, note and record the following information:
Identify the vehicle speed range when the vibration occurs
Identify the type of vibration
Identify the vibration sensitivity
Determine if the vibration is affected by changes in vehicle speed, engine speed and engine torque.
When the vibration has been identified, refer to the Vibration Diagnosis chart for causes. (see below)Consider correcting
only those causes coded in the chart that are related to the vibration condition. Refer to the following cause codes and descriptions for explanations when referring to the chart.

TRR—Tire and Wheel Radial Run out: Vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical vibration. The run out will not cause vibration below 20 mph (32 km/h).

WH—Wheel Hop: Vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical vibration. The wheel hop generates rapid up-down movement in the steering wheel. The vibration is most noticeable in the 20 - 40 mph (32 - 64km/h) range. The wheel hop will not cause vibration below 20 mph (32 km/h). Wheel hop is caused by a tire/wheel that has a radial run out of more than
0.045 of-an-inch (1.14 mm). If wheel run out is acceptable and combined run out cannot be reduced by repositioning
the tire on wheel, replace tire.

TB—Tire/Wheel Balance: Vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical vibration. Static tire/wheel unbalance will not cause vibration below 30 mph (46 km/h). Dynamic tire/wheel unbalance will not cause vibration below 40 mph (64 km/h).

TLR—Tire/Wheel Lateral run out: Vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical vibration. The run out will not cause vibration below 50 - 55 mph (80 - 88 km/h). Excessive lateral run out will also cause front-end shimmy.

TW—Tire Wear: Vehicle speed sensitive, audible vibration. Abnormal tire wear causes small vibration in the 30 - 55 mph (88 km/h) range. This will produce a whine noise at high speed. The whine will change to a growl noise when the speed is reduced.

W—Tire Waddle: Vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical vibration. Irregular tire uniformity can cause side-to-side motion during speeds up to 15 mph (24km/h). If the motion is excessive, identify the defective tire and replace it.

UAJ—Universal Joint (Drive Shaft) Angles: Torque/vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical/audible vibration.
Incorrect drive shaft angles cause mechanical vibration below 20 mph (32 km/h) and in the 70 mph (112 km/h) range. The incorrect angles can also produce an audible vibration in the 20 - 50 mph (32 -80 km/h) range. Caster adjustment could be required to correct the angles.

UJ—Universal Joints: Engine torque/vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical/audible vibration. If the U-joint is worn it will cause vibration with almost any vehicle speed/engine torque condition.

DSY—Drive Shaft and Yokes: Vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical/audible vibration. The condition will not cause vibration below 35 mph (56 km/h). Excessive run out, unbalance or dents and bends in the shaft will cause the vibration. Identify the actual cause and repair/replace as necessary.

WB—Wheel Bearings: Vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical/audible vibration. Loose wheel bearings cause shimmy-like vibration at 35 mph (56 km/h) and above. Worn bearings will also produce a growl noise at low vehicle speed and a whine noise at high vehicle speed. The wheel bearings must be adjusted or replaced, as applicable.

AN—Axle Noise: Engine torque/vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical/audible vibration. The axle will not cause mechanical vibration unless the axle shaft is bent. Worn or damaged axle pinion shaft or differential gears and bearings will cause noise. Replace the defective component(s) as necessary.

SSC—Suspension and Steering Components:
Vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical vibration. Worn suspension/steering components can cause mechanical vibration at speeds above 20 mph (32 km/h). Identify and repair or replace the defective component(s).

EA—Engine Driven Accessories: Engine speed sensitive, mechanical/audible vibration. Vibration can be caused by loose or broken A/C compressor, PS pump, water pump, generator or brackets, etc. Usually more noticeable when the transmission is shifted into the NEUTRAL position and the engine speed (rpm) increased. Inspect the engine driven accessories in the engine compartment. Repair/replace as necessary.

ADB—Accessory Drive Belts: Engine speed sensitive, audible vibration. Worn drive belts can cause a vibration that produces either a droning, fluttering or rumbling noise. Inspect the drive belt(s) and tighten/replace as necessary.

DEM—Damaged Engine or Transmission Support Mounts: Engine speed sensitive, mechanical/audible vibration. If a support mount is worn, noise or vibration will occur. Inspect the support mounts and repair/replace as necessary.

ES—Exhaust System: Engine speed sensitive, mechanical/audible vibration. If loose exhaust components contact the vehicle body they will cause noise and vibration. Inspect the exhaust system for loose, broken and mis-aligned components and repair/replace as necessary.

 

[KINGER]

Wow. Thank you for this information.

 

[oaxaca100]

Anybody tried fixing driveline vibes by replacing the front differential control arm that attaches to the cross member?

The bushing inside mine looks worn so that the diff sits at a different angle than it would be with a new bushing. Maybe they all sit like this new? Thinking of replacing to see if it helps cure my driveline vibration that starts at 60-65 under low loads and disappears under hard acceleration.

View attachment 1548388

I've been chasing this same vibration without success. I replaced every bushing on the diff and mine was in worse condition than the one pictured. It made no difference. Next up I'll be pulling my driveshafts one by one to see if that makes any difference.

 

[Flyfire58]

New ‘05 LX with 125 on it. Have the same issue with some droning and vibration like tires are out of balance. New tires and still there around 70 mph and up. Anyone have issues with the stock wheels going out of true? Reminds me of of my old bronco that had a bent rim.

 

[SWUtah]

New ‘05 LX with 125 on it. Have the same issue with some droning and vibration like tires are out of balance. New tires and still there around 70 mph and up. Anyone have issues with the stock wheels going out of true? Reminds me of of my old bronco that had a bent rim.

Take it in and have it road force balance on your vehicle they’ll determine if there’s a bad wheel or a bad tire

 

[Flyfire58]

Thanks for the advice! Road force balance did the trick as the fronts were out an ounce or two even after the initial spin. Maybe they half assed it the first time. Think I might have a little droning as others have mentioned but I’m still getting to know this thing.

 

[krispykritter]

Thread resurrection. I've got an annoying vibration in the 60-80 mph range (yeah, exactly where I cruise on the highway). Below that it's not noticeable, and it goes back to smooth above 80, but I rarely go that fast. I plan to pull the front shaft, then rear shaft this weekend to see if i can narrow the problem again. I haven't tried that since I replaced both shafts but didn't banish this problem. I haven't looked for the weight thingy to be honest, but his isn't really an audible issue, but it's definitely felt. So far I've:

* Pulled both front and rear shafts multiple times to determine where the vibration was coming from. Originally, the truck drove completely smooth with the rear shaft removed, so I concluded that my rear joints were the issue.
* Replaced rear shaft ujoints; terrible idea. Was the most difficult ujoint replacement I've ever done and it made everything worse.
* Replaced the rear shaft with new oem. Large improvement over the shaft I replaced the joints in, but still there
* Replaced the front shaft with new oem. No change.
* Had the new OEM rear shaft re-balanced by a local shop. No change.
* Had wheels re-balanced multiple times - rims are straight and wheels balance out fine on a roadforce machine. Fixed balance issues but not driveline vibration.

The vibration isn't terrible, but it is annoying. I've kinda learned to live with it, but it still frustrates me. Those of you who went through this same sort of narrowing down the problem: did you ever work it out? Is there 'one neat trick' that hasn't been talked about in this thread already?

Other possibly pertinent info: running 33" all terrains, 1-1.5" AHC lift, no armor, roughly OEM weight. Issue was present before new tires and lift. Tires are in near perfect condition, alignment was done after lift. New CV axles went in about a year ago - A1 Cardone Select axles. Problem definitely appears to be from the rear end but you never know.

 

[marcfj60]

Thread resurrection. I've got an annoying vibration in the 60-80 mph range (yeah, exactly where I cruise on the highway). Below that it's not noticeable, and it goes back to smooth above 80, but I rarely go that fast. I plan to pull the front shaft, then rear shaft this weekend to see if i can narrow the problem again. I haven't tried that since I replaced both shafts but didn't banish this problem. I haven't looked for the weight thingy to be honest, but his isn't really an audible issue, but it's definitely felt. So far I've:

* Pulled both front and rear shafts multiple times to determine where the vibration was coming from. Originally, the truck drove completely smooth with the rear shaft removed, so I concluded that my rear joints were the issue.
* Replaced rear shaft ujoints; terrible idea. Was the most difficult ujoint replacement I've ever done and it made everything worse.
* Replaced the rear shaft with new oem. Large improvement over the shaft I replaced the joints in, but still there
* Replaced the front shaft with new oem. No change.
* Had the new OEM rear shaft re-balanced by a local shop. No change.
* Had wheels re-balanced multiple times - rims are straight and wheels balance out fine on a roadforce machine. Fixed balance issues but not driveline vibration.

The vibration isn't terrible, but it is annoying. I've kinda learned to live with it, but it still frustrates me. Those of you who went through this same sort of narrowing down the problem: did you ever work it out? Is there 'one neat trick' that hasn't been talked about in this thread already?

Other possibly pertinent info: running 33" all terrains, 1-1.5" AHC lift, no armor, roughly OEM weight. Issue was present before new tires and lift. Tires are in near perfect condition, alignment was done after lift. New CV axles went in about a year ago - A1 Cardone Select axles. Problem definitely appears to be from the rear end but you never know.

How old/warn are the tires? I had the same vibration and did tire balancing without fixing it. I replaced the tires a year ago because it was time and the vibration went away.

 

[trdcorolla]

Thread resurrection. I've got an annoying vibration in the 60-80 mph range (yeah, exactly where I cruise on the highway). Below that it's not noticeable, and it goes back to smooth above 80, but I rarely go that fast. I plan to pull the front shaft, then rear shaft this weekend to see if i can narrow the problem again. I haven't tried that since I replaced both shafts but didn't banish this problem. I haven't looked for the weight thingy to be honest, but his isn't really an audible issue, but it's definitely felt. So far I've:

* Pulled both front and rear shafts multiple times to determine where the vibration was coming from. Originally, the truck drove completely smooth with the rear shaft removed, so I concluded that my rear joints were the issue.
* Replaced rear shaft ujoints; terrible idea. Was the most difficult ujoint replacement I've ever done and it made everything worse.
* Replaced the rear shaft with new oem. Large improvement over the shaft I replaced the joints in, but still there
* Replaced the front shaft with new oem. No change.
* Had the new OEM rear shaft re-balanced by a local shop. No change.
* Had wheels re-balanced multiple times - rims are straight and wheels balance out fine on a roadforce machine. Fixed balance issues but not driveline vibration.

The vibration isn't terrible, but it is annoying. I've kinda learned to live with it, but it still frustrates me. Those of you who went through this same sort of narrowing down the problem: did you ever work it out? Is there 'one neat trick' that hasn't been talked about in this thread already?

Other possibly pertinent info: running 33" all terrains, 1-1.5" AHC lift, no armor, roughly OEM weight. Issue was present before new tires and lift. Tires are in near perfect condition, alignment was done after lift. New CV axles went in about a year ago - A1 Cardone Select axles. Problem definitely appears to be from the rear end but you never know.

Two questions, did you have sliders and did you remove the frame weight aka flux capacitor? If you have sliders you might have to loosen them and bring them down a little. The top of the bracket might be touching the body. If you removed the frame weight, put it back on and see if the problem goes away.

 

[krispykritter]

Tires are about a year old, probably 8k miles on them. No sliders. Did not remove frame weight, although I'm not sure if it's there or not.

 

[RootMeanSqr]

You've said you have a 1-1.5" lift. I have the same symptoms after putting in OME 865 springs, getting about the same lift. Lifting the rear changes the propeller (aka drive) shaft pinion angles. This means the drive flange into the rear diff is no longer parallel to the drive flange at the rear of the transfer case. By extending the lower arms, the rear diff should be able to be brought back in to parallel with the transfer case drive flange.

Replacing with adjustable arms is my next step to hopefully eliminate the drone/vibration at highway speeds. I've had two sets of tires with same symptoms, so I know it's not the tires.

 

[krispykritter]

You've said you have a 1-1.5" lift. I have the same symptoms after putting in OME 865 springs, getting about the same lift. Lifting the rear changes the propeller (aka drive) shaft pinion angles. This means the drive flange into the rear diff is no longer parallel to the drive flange at the rear of the transfer case. By extending the lower arms, the rear diff should be able to be brought back in to parallel with the transfer case drive flange.

Replacing with adjustable arms is my next step to hopefully eliminate the drone/vibration at highway speeds. I've had two sets of tires with same symptoms, so I know it's not the tires.

You're correct about the lift but I was under the impression/hoping the low amount of lift would avoid the pinion angle problems. I imagine new lower links aren't cheap.

Wouldn't longer lower links fix the angle as opposed to shorter? Trying to work that out in my head and failing...

 

[RootMeanSqr]

You're correct about the lift but I was under the impression/hoping the low amount of lift would avoid the pinion angle problems. I imagine new lower links aren't cheap.

Wouldn't longer lower links fix the angle as opposed to shorter? Trying to work that out in my head and failing...

I too, was hopeful that 1.5" lift wouldn't cause an issue, but vibration started after the lift, so it'll be where I look next to get rid of it. When did yours start? Soon after the lift? Yes, extending the lower links would correct the pinion angle. Pretty sure this is what I said, maybe I wasn't clear.

 

[krispykritter]

I too, was hopeful that 1.5" lift wouldn't cause an issue, but vibration started after the lift, so it'll be where I look next to get rid of it. When did yours start? Soon after the lift? Yes, extending the lower links would correct the pinion angle. Pretty sure this is what I said, maybe I wasn't clear.

No, appears clear enough... Not sure what I saw before. Must've had four too many beers.

At this point I honestly can't say where the vibe came from since I replaced u joints, lifted it, and replaced both drive shafts since it started. Best bet seems like replace upper arms and get the pinion angle fixed then reevaluate.

 

[RootMeanSqr]

You might look at posts #22 and #26 by Trail Tailor on the Trail Tailor Rear Control Arms Installed thread.
He suggests starting with lower arms before upper. He also sells both the upper and the lower (I haven't purchased, just full disclosure...)

Trail Tailor rear control arms installed

I just got mine today. Can someone explain the adjustment part of the installation? Thank you!

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[2KLX]

Have you checked your differential bushings?

 

[128keaton]

I'm still battling this issue--even after replacing the whole rear driveshaft unit with a new OEM unit. Toyota dealership thinks its the tires "the Lexus suspension isn't suited for ATs that large" but my tire size is only one size up. They aren't load range 'E' rated either, just extra loads. I replaced the front u-joints 6 months ago, but I might drop the front shaft completely. Same with the rear shaft. I have the parts to replace the transfer case output shaft bearing, just haven't done it yet. I'm not even sure if it is bad.

I do have new front diff bushings as well as new PS rack bushings. New sway bar end links. The only original rubber mounts on the truck are trailing arm bushings, control arm bushings, motor mounts, and body mounts. I replaced my DS OEM CV axle with a NAPA gold CV with no real difference, just to eliminate CVs. It definitely feels like its coming from the rear. Tire rotation does nothing. Tire balance does nothing.

 

[krispykritter]

I've ordered the Trail Tailor lower arms; they should be here next Wednesday. I'll let y'all know if it is fixed. I definitely know it's coming from the rear shaft since I can remove that one and the vibration goes away.

Have you checked your differential bushings?

I did check the diff bushings, they look fine. I'm honestly surprised at how good a condition all the bushings look on this truck. It's not rust-free, but it's not really rusty either, but all the rubber seems to be in good condition. Hoping the rear arms fix this - if not, maybe on to the transfer case bearings?

 

[krispykritter]

I've ordered the Trail Tailor lower arms; they should be here next Wednesday. I'll let y'all know if it is fixed. I definitely know it's coming from the rear shaft since I can remove that one and the vibration goes away.

No luck, sadly. I've adjusted the arms a few times to get the angle right - first I had too much length and it made for an interesting vibration around 35 and 75+ mph. Shortened them by one rotation, and now it's basically the same sort of droning noise from 70 mph up as before the new links =( I suppose I can keep messing with the lower links and see what I find, doesn't cost me anything but time now that I've bought them.

There is no weight thing on my frame rail. I can try and add something heavy there as an experiment. Adding rock sliders and adjusting the suspension made no difference. I am running the larger load range E tires but they drive completely smooth. I know all about tire balance, and these are perfectly balanced (though it did take a few tries to get there).

Though I've put in a new rear drive shaft AND had it balanced, I'm sorely tempted to try buying ANOTHER new shaft and seeing if that fixes the problem. Very frustrating.

 

[abuck99]

Adjustable lower arms won't really change the diff angle much; not enough to effectively correct the pinion angle: the adjustable RLCA are mainly for positioning the axle forward or rearward. The adjustable upper rear control arms will have the greatest impact on pointing the diff up or down and require much less adjustment range to achieve measurable pinion movement. Your goal is 1~ 3 degrees of offset between the output flange and the diff flange ( like this /---/ ) . Ideally 1 degree is optimal; that is 1 degree difference: for example if output flange at TC is 1.5 degrees down, then the diff flange should be pointing UP 2.5 degrees (2.5-1.5 = difference of 1 degree)- this would require lengthening the rear upper control arms to achieve getting the pinion to point upward. Anything more or less than 1~degrees puts more stress & wear on the ujoints and will present vibes at various speeds.

Having adjustable upper & lower arms together is best option to dial in your driveline. As you lift the rear end the axle can shift where one wheel is slightly more forward than the other and also lifting the rear will point the pinion downward. (The axle also shifts to one side affecting thrust angle but thats another mod with rear adjustable panhard).Anyway, if both the TC output flange and the pinion flange are pointing downward ( /----\ ) then you'll start getting a growl, vibration etc. The Toyota ujoints are pretty forgiving, but on older drivelines you'll notice the misalignment is more pronounced. I'd recommend the "on vehicle" adjustable uppers that TT makes which are adjustable while connected to the truck, vs. the remove, adjust and reinstall type. It's much easier to adjust them while connected to the driveline- no removal required.