Horrible vibration over 60 MPH

octanejunkie

octanejunkie

Elite Member
Happy New Years, fellas.

My daughter and were driving home from Nevada and had to turn around to get chains and noticed a horrible vibration out of the blue.I feel it in both the seat and the steering wheel.

Coasted downhill with the engine off, same thing.

Went to Pep Boys to get chains and had their shop look at it; they were sure it was a wheel balance issue and promised to work us into a busy schedule. Most other places were closed. Put it up in the air and everything looked correct. Driveshaft was tight. Nothing obvious.

Hours later we go to pick up the 4runner, all wheels rebalanced, and the vibration is still there.

We're stranded here until I can fix this - I can't drive 500 miles with this vibration.

Anyone have any ideas?
 
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I'm not at all the guy to be answering there's many more knowledgeable forum members on here that can answer and actually stand behind it but just get under it check your sway bar, and end links, steering rack, whatever involves your front 2 tires...warped brakes even, maybe out of alignment...hope I gave you a little insight...good luck!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk
 
I agree. My slip yolk on my drive shaft seized up and caused some nasty vibrations on the freeway. If grease doesn't help, you can get a junk yard rear drive shaft between $100-150. You can even replace it yourself with two large 14mm offset wrench and 25 minutes.
 
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When I OVERgreased my slip yolk on my driveshaft I had an issue much like that which you describe. However, after re-reading your post, I see that's irrelevant to you. Maybe it'll help someone else.

You could try removing the rear driveshaft and driving in 4wd to see if the issue goes away.

Are the weights still on it?
 
This could be irrelevant but when I had a rear drivers side wheel bearing start to go bad I felt vibration in my seat and steering wheel when I drove over 70 mph. It wasn't bad enough that I wouldn't drive it, but there's always the chance that could be your problem too.
 
I'm thinking it has something to do with the front lower control arms. Maybe one is loose, or a bushing finally gave up. You could also check to see how loose your steering rack bushings are too. Get the wheels off the ground and check for a loose wheel bearing, or a bad tie rod.
 
The fact you feel it in the steering wheel leads me to believe it has something to do with the front end. Like other's have said already, I'd take a close look at the upper and lower control arm bushings, upper and lower ball joints, outer tie rods, steering rack bushings, etc. I thought maybe you could have lost some wheel balancing weights and the wheel balancing could be the cause but you've already ruled that out. Maybe have another shop with good Yelp reviews take a better look at the front end of the vehicle for you.
 
Check for worn out wheel bearings or worn out tie rods/steering rack.

Jack a single front tire off the ground. Take your hands and check for any play.

Top and Bottom (back and forth motion) = Bearing
Side to side (back and forth motion) = Steering rack or play in the tie rods.
 
I spy 2WD in the signature...

No grease zerks on the 2WD shaft unless the u-joints have been replaced with aftermarket.

~60mph is where the vibrations started on on my 4Runner when it was still 2WD and had the original driveshaft. The problem is a rubber isolator between an inner and outer shaft that deteriorates with time.

I have a near brand-new solid 2WD shaft in the Los Angeles area if you can make it back here... 55mph, slow and steady wins the race style?

-Charlie
 
I had the exact same issue. It was preceded by a ratcheting noise for months prior in 1st and 2nd gears between 19k and 23k rpm's.
The culprit was a mangled double cardan joint on the rear drive shaft. Not a replaceable part. I had to find one at a pick and pull and have it cut and welded to my driveshaft.
 
I had the same issue with mine. The driveshaft felt tight, but it ended up being bad u-joints. I wasn't smart like you though and didn't stop. The rear U-joint snapped at 75mph, broke my rear yoke and caused the teeth in the transmission to get screwed up. $450, a new yoke, u-joints, driveshaft re-balancing, and some filing on the teeth later its back to normal...
 
Wow, I really wish I had been getting notifications from the forum but that was not the case.

Both U-Joints on the drive shaft were bad. The one behind the slip yoke knocked to one direction and the one at the rear diff was totally frozen.

Jeff at Tires Plus in Sparks, NV diagnosed it correctly after a road test and inspection of the entire front end working his way backwards. Tom and the gang at Drive Line & Gear Service in Sparks-Reno got me fixed up in an hour. Total experience cost me less than $200 all tolled not counting the balance an rotate Pep Boys did the day before.

The new U-Joints are greasable, the old ones were not, and everyone was surprised they lasted over 224K miles from the factory. Now to be proactive and look at the wheel bearings before something else strands me.

My daughter and I made it home safely, through a snow storm on 395, without incident, and at full speed as weather permitted.


Thanks to all you awesome guys for sharing your experiences and taking the time to reply. Sorry for not checking back here sooner.
 
phattyduck said:
I spy 2WD in the signature...

No grease zerks on the 2WD shaft unless the u-joints have been replaced with aftermarket.

~60mph is where the vibrations started on on my 4Runner when it was still 2WD and had the original driveshaft. The problem is a rubber isolator between an inner and outer shaft that deteriorates with time.

I have a near brand-new solid 2WD shaft in the Los Angeles area if you can make it back here... 55mph, slow and steady wins the race style?

-Charlie
Click to expand...

Yep. 2wd here. Had ujoints replaced, vibrations started immediately right over 60mph. They ended up having to replace the driveshaft because the rubber part in the middle had deteriorated due to age. Drives smooth as can be now.
 
JoshKY said:
I had the exact same issue. It was preceded by a ratcheting noise for months prior in 1st and 2nd gears between 19k and 23k rpm's.
The culprit was a mangled double cardan joint on the rear drive shaft. Not a replaceable part. I had to find one at a pick and pull and have it cut and welded to my driveshaft.
Click to expand...
The 2WD shaft is totally different than the 4WD shaft. No double cardan, no center slip yoke. Single front and rear u-joints, and a slip yoke at the transmission output.

The 2WD shaft on mine lasted about 210k miles before the u-joints went. The rubber coupler lasted a bit longer, about 240k. I replaced it about 5k before doing the 4WD swap and now have a near brand-new shaft sitting in the garage... yee haw.

-Charlie
 
alumarine said:
Glad it worked out.
That price seems more than fair.
Click to expand...

I got lucky I had a local contact with a pickup truck that I could run the drive shaft over to the driveline shop myself. The tire shop quoted me $250 on the driveshaft repair not including their labor to R&R it - so yeah, fair af
 
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