driveline vibration

[charlestown]

hello i have a 2005 26ft rv on a e450 chassie . i notice a vibration after 30mph and much more noticeable at 50 and 60 mph. i,ve balanced all 6 tires twice they aren,t the problem . im thinking more in the line of the univerals or the center carrier bearings . i bought it this way so i wasnt sure if this was normal considering the size and weight . has anybody experienced a similiar problem with their e 450 chassie and if so what steps were taken to correct this issue . thanks mark from charles town wv

[Harvey51]

I had a vibration on a Sienna minivan. When changing to winter tires I happened to notice a balancing weight had fallen off a rear brake drum. Not much luck welding a weight on but a new drum sure ended the vibration.

[prowler2567]

I own a 2005 coachman class c 29 ft e450 v10 48,000 miles I took ownership of it sept 17 here we are at almost to dec 17 it has been in the shop getting the drive line taken care of. i believe it is 2 separate issues but i could be wrong. 1st issue front vibration at 28-33 mph then goes away. feels like it wants to stall out or something... 2nd issue was bad vibration and humming coming from the rear. so far I have the u joints replaced , tires balanced, and a new driveshaft put in. they said it was done test drove it still the same i think its the rear end. someone told me the previous owners might have drove it and ran out the gear oil burned up the rear end and traded it in. likey for me ... but i did catch it under the warranty so this is on the dealer thank goodness. i must say I really would like to get it out of the shop any help would be greatly appreciated .. Christine

[SoCalDesertRid1]

This is a really old thread that keeps popping back up..

Anyhow, if one suspects a problem with their driveline, one can always remove the driveline and take it to a driveline service shop to have it inspected for bad u-joints, carrier bearings, slip yokes, bent or dinged tubes or missing balance weights, as well as have the balanced checked. The shop can also rebuild any part of the driveline with a problem, including re-tubing a bent one.

[ron_dittmer]

On a brand-specific forum, one single owner had a vibration that after many visits to tire shops, suspension shops, and dealer shops, it turned out to be an out-of-balance 2-piece drive shaft. The original Ford shaft was replaced with a longer one to accommodate a stretched frame for a longer wheel base. Taking the shafts in for balancing didn't solve the problem. They had to get balanced together on the vehicle. It got complicated but finally did get resolved.

Just keep that in-mind as you march down your own road to resolve.

[MidwestKen]

I own a 2003 Bigfoot Industries Class C motor home Model 30MH27DSL built on a Ford E450 chassis with 7.3 L Powerstroke Diesel. It only has 24k miles on it. It had a vibration mostly felt in the driver seat and most predominant above 60 MPH.

After getting driveshaft hanger bearing replaced and all tires balanced (twice), my vibration problem was isolated to a bent driveshaft. Driveshaft was straightened and rebalanced. This fixed the vibration problem. Hope this helps any others out there experiencing similar problems.

[meeder]

Sorry tot hijack this thread but I am experiencing a similar issue.
We are driving a 24ft class C unit based on the Ford E450 chassis with the Triton V10. Between 30 and 35 MPH and between 50 and 55 MPH there is a vibration felt through the vehicle but not in the steering wheel.
The strange thing is that this vibration is not always there but it mostly is.

[snowdance]

I agree about checking the drive line. Mark the two pieces before taking it apart. If any part except the center bearing is replaced take it to a drive line shop and have it balanced. Drive lines out of balance are common and do just what you say you have. When you replace a U-joint it may center the drive line different. They have to be balanced as one piece. So needs a shop that can do that.

[carringb]

Vibration at 30 MPH definitely sounds like driveline (at that speed, tires are spinning very fast, so balance/roundness issues feel like a shimmy at slower speeds).

Double check the center driveline carrier bearing. Very common for those to wear out. Even with low miles age can make the rubber crack. Crawl underneath and give the driveline a good firm shake. If it moves, you need a new carrier.

And as mentioned.... check the U-joints too for play, and make sure they are lubed. Dry u-joints also cause vibration. If yours still has the factory "sealed" U-joints, they are probably due for replacement, at which time you can upgrade to grease-able ones.

[2doghome]

We are having a very similar experience. Tires are about a year old, but the vehicle did sit the last 5 months. The strange thing is the intermittent part of it. Did not have this happen before, now we are on a trip, and notice a severe vibration from the front end, coming up through the steering, starting at about 45 mph. Did not start until about 10 mile from the house. stopped and it cleared, but started back up again several times over the next 100 miles. Visual inspection during rocking the steering show maybe a very little play in the upper right rod joint. removed wheel covers and inspected tires, and found nothing.
Did research on line, and it does seem to be an issue with ford front ends, but suggestions are anything from a sticking park brake, brake caliper, wheel bearings, or tire separation. I am thinking it would not be tire, front end, or wheel bearings, and leaning toward a brake issue because of the intermittent nature of the problem?

[Terryallan]

NormK. you've really never had a out of line front end vibrate?? They use to all the time, and in fact did on our 06 Taraus, which in turn caused the front tires to dip out, and vibrate even more.

[Normk]

A tire with carcus separation beginning can produce symptoms of this sort but front end alignment will not. Incorrect alignment angles produce pull, tire wear, over correction type symptoms but not vibration. This was one of the most common education issues with customers who would come in requesting an alignment due to tire problems, mud in wheels and that sort of thing.

Driveline vibrations are usually not that difficult to separate from front end vibration so let's assume that your analysis is correct, and that the issue is in the drive line.

Transmission problems such as output bushing can create vibrations which are quite speed specific so this check is always part of the diagnosis. Place the vehicle one level surface with appropriate means of preventing it from rolling for obvious reasons.

Engine not running and transmission in neutral to unload the driveline. Try pushing the driveshaft to the side in each direction at the front and watch/feel for movement. There should be only a few thousandths of an inch of clearance in that bushing.

A common driveline vibration is caused by a universal joint which is failing or has been improperly installed. These can be difficult to identify with the driveshaft in place but an initial inspection for rust spreading from any of the universal joint spider boots (the little rubber donuts around each of the four legs of the Cardin type universal). Grasp the ends of the shaft and attempt to twist across each universal joint to detect any movement/slack. There should be none. One can hook a tool through the yolks in order to increase twisting force so long as one does not damage the boots.

Can't recall for sure but think that vehicle has a centre support bearing which is composed of a mount, rubber cushion ring, and bearing. There should be almost no movement, side to side, when trying to deflect the shaft by hand.

Jacking the rear wheels off the ground can allow the driveshaft to be rotated in an attempt to feel a difference in rotational effort or binding but it will likely be easier for you to remove the driveshaft in order to flex the universal joints. Take care when withdrawing the shaft from the transmission that the end of the shaft does not damage the transmission seal. Not difficult but simply needs to be supported.

The driveshaft is hollow so look for any dents or bending and be aware when removing that the length and mechanical advantage can make the shaft surprisingly heavy.

If not sure, the cost of having the universal joints and support bearing replaced are not that great so, depending on age, condition and mileage, I might simply do them. If the driveshaft has a slip spline and yolk which allow two sections of the driveshaft to slide in and out, take care to mark the phasing of the two ends so they go back in the same relation.

Jacking the vehicle to allow it to be run in gear with wheels off the ground can assist in locating the source of the vibration but has some huge risks for the unwary!

An out of balance driveshaft can be rebalanced by adding weights such as placing hose clamps so that the screw is oriented to the light side. In heavier imbalance weights are sometimes welded into place but the weight amount is often determined by clamping lead stock under hose clamps.

One can run the vehicle and use chalk to mark the heavy side since this side will run eccentrically and so chalk moved into close proximity will leave marks on the heavy side. This may be best left to a professional but simply requires time and thought.

I'm assuming that the vibration is a new event so likely an imbalance accented by worn support bearing or universal joint, if driveshaft related.

Typically differential issues which cause vibration also show other symptoms such as seal leaks and noise.

[Terryallan]

charlestown wrote:
hello i have a 2005 26ft rv on a e450 chassie . i notice a vibration after 30mph and much more noticeable at 50 and 60 mph. i,ve balanced all 6 tires twice they aren,t the problem . im thinking more in the line of the univerals or the center carrier bearings . i bought it this way so i wasnt sure if this was normal considering the size and weight . has anybody experienced a similiar problem with their e 450 chassie and if so what steps were taken to correct this issue . thanks mark from charles town wv

Prolly a flat spotted tire, OR a front end out of line

[charlestown]

i dont think a motor mount will cause this vibration , i could tell if i had a broken motor mount , the reason i posted this twice i thought i was in the wrong forum i didnt want it in dingy towing i meant to put it in class c,s im sorry i mad a mistake . i thought maybe somebody has a class c with a similiar problem

[SWD]

You got a pretty good answer from donn0128 on your previous post. Why post again?