04 Dodge Ram 1500 Drivetrain Vibrations

cspriggscspriggs Member Posts: 1
edited November 2015 in Dodge
I have a vibration coming from my drive train and I'm trying to fault find it. The vibration is at defined Road Speeds and is un-related to RPM, ie if turn O/D on or off while the problem is present the frequency of the vibration does not change. The problem is only present when accelerating or maintaining speed, better explained as when engine is driving the wheels there is a problem but as soon as the car is free wheeling the vibration stops. The speeds at which the problem is noticed is 20-30mph (low frequency vibration) 50-65mph (higher frequency vibration).

I was reading on this forum where someone recommended taking off the rear drive shaft and driving in 4x4 there by only using the front axle I can help isolate the problem. I cannot see a reason for this causing damage to the drive train, has anyone else done this/have an opinion on this technique?

Comments

  • hyperbolicxhyperbolicx Member Posts: 2
    I used to be a District Service and Parts Manager for Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge. Several things come to mind. First and foremost, RAM has always experienced a 'hopping' condition (not to be confused with 'vibration') on "CEMENT" freeways at speeds of 45 mph to around 70. The hopping is EXTREMELY obnoxious and at least one of Chryslers solutions was to simply add weight (sand bags or other) to the bed of the truck. In that respect, the issue is much less pronounced on blacktop roads and of course they claim no responsibility for the behavior of the product due to the construct of the driving surface. That's ONE issue.

    Another issue is: "Do you have stock wheels and tires or aftermarket?.....I have personal experience with another customer. The customer had aftermarket wheels and tires installed and tried to convince me that no matter what those were not the source of the issue. So, finally, in the interest of proving my point, I had the Service Manager remove the customers wheels and tires and install a stock set off of a dealer unit. As we went for the test drive the customer could not believe the difference. After all of that, the only thing the customer said was "I will never buy another Dodge and am going back to Ford". Kind of made me angry at the time because I was still waving the Chrysler flag,,,,,but not anymore after uncovering themselves as sellouts and being only concerned about "sales".

    From your description I can't tell if you purchased this new or used. If it was 'used',,,keep in mind you NEVER really know what the prior customer did to it. Even a small accident that didn't cause body damage can still cause damage to the frame. So if something is ever so slightly bent it can cause a condition like this but it may be VERY difficult to locate.

    I disagree about unhooking the drive shaft and driving in 4wd. While it is true the transfer case can handle driving at freeway speeds it's not it's intended purpose. The entire drivetrain was designed to work in concert with each system and any deviation from that configuration puts stress on components that they weren't designed to handle. The people that recommend this option are easy to stereotype.

    Chrysler Tech Reps had "Vibration Analyzers" and on extremely tough to diagnose issues like this they would use those to isolate the problem. I remember several transmission replacements that made the issue go away as well. So the bottom line is that the answer to your question depends on what you've done to the vehicle and you need to be completely honest with that answer in order to go to the next step.
  • ericd04ericd04 Member Posts: 1
    i have the same vibration issue on my 04 dodge ram 1500 2wd. and I still cant figure out what is wrong. I have changed the hubs, rear dif fluid, got a 4 wheel alignment. and still the vibration is there
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