GMC Jimmy Vibrations

moldyg

Hi i have a 2000 jimmy 2 door. I has just over 105K on it and im getting these really anyoing vibrations when im driving and it starting to bug me? And its hesitating and slugish? any thoughts on what i can get done? Thanks for your help

katees

97 jimmy-174,000miles--I have just replaced, transmission, fuelpump and new tires. the front end seems to shake when i get going over 60mph and also when i make sharp turns i hear a small clunk, anybody know what that is??
Also my wipers work when they want and not when its raining of course...

tidester

Check out Chevy Blazer/GMC Jimmy: Problems & Solutions.

tidester, host

wings_2007

I have a 93 GMC Jimmy SLE 4x4. Bought it in 96 when it had 33,000 miles. I just hit 250,000 miles yesterday. It's the original motor and transmission. Obviously it's been a great vehicle. But it has developed a horrific vibration that no one seems to be able to figure out.

It's good on extremely bumpy dirt roads at any speed, and good at highway speeds. But when I hit small bumps at 5-55 mph on paved "rural" roads (such as a little mound of ashphalt left over from a road repair) I get a horrific vibration throught the vehicle. (It seems less horrific if I am going 60 mph or faster) The vibration isn't really in the steering wheel so I don't think it's the idler arm or pitman arm or anything like that. Plus those things check out ok and have been recently replaced.

I also know for sure it's not the shocks as they have been replaced twice. The ball joints have also been replaced. The drive shaft is fine and the u-joints have been changed. I have even checked the body mounts, motor mounts, and transmission mounts and they are fine. I have also checked the rear axle bearings. All of those things check out ok...but the vibration/shake is still there.

Anyone have any suggestions?? The vehicle runs great and I would love to get another 250,000 miles out of it. But this vibration is conerning me. I hate driving a vehicle when there is an unknown problem.

tidester

You may want to try the Chevy Blazer/GMC Jimmy: Problems & Solutions discussion.

tidester, host

repairdog

Rear mounts for the torsion bars are rubber and separate - look back there. Other area that could be a problem is the front sway bar rubber mounts so look at those too - bolts to the frame and to the front steering knuckle. Are the tires good and when they balance watch and make sure the rubber does not wander due to an internal broken cord and then see if a rim is not bent by watching it rotate.

chispied

Hi
I have same problem, my is at 220,000, shakes really bad...esp around 90-100k..mine increases the shaking with speed.

wings_2007

Thanks for the info. It's been a while since I first posted but I've still got the vibration. Haven't had much time to check the vehicle myself or to check with my mechanic. We have checked the torsion bar mounts and they seem ok. Although I did have to replce them about 150,000 miles ago. We checked the bolts to the frame and everything seems ok. I got some new tires last week (Good Year's) and hope to have them put on this Saturday.
I will post an update ASAP.

repairdog

Rear pinion bearing, U-joints, rear xfer case bearing. Get the tire/wheels force balanced (better machine) that makes sure both are good and heavy areas offset. At 250k its getting old and tired I guess. Finally check those rear drums for out of round - seen that and have to run it on a lift or jack stands to see the oval drum wobble - be careful.

wings_2007

Thanks again for your suggestions. I think I finally found the main problem - a bad body mount. I guess my mechanics somehow overlooked it. I decided to crawl under there the other day with a crow bar to get a closer look at things. I noticed the mount near where the front door and fender meet on the passengers side was rusted. (Actually I guess it's the plate that the mount attaches to that's rusted.) So I took the crow bar and discovered I could move the body away from the frame/mount at that spot rather easily. I'm guessing that would give me the horrific vibrations. It should be fixed this week. I will post an update.
Hopefully to say the vibratrion is gone!

wings_2007

Finally after all this time the problem seems to be fixed. The mount was bad, the plate it attaches to was terribly rusted, and the floor board under that was all rusted away (13 years of Michigan winters and road salt will do that). Although you couldn't tell the floor was rusted just by looking. GM puts a rubber mat type thing in that spot of the floor board which holds it together even when rusted. It's defintely not an easy job having to replace the mounting plate and part of the floor but it was well worth it! Now when I hit bumps it's nice and smooth - Or as smooth as can be expected for an SUV with over 250,000 miles on it. I hope top get at least another 100,000 more miles now. GMC rules!! :shades:

repairdog

Never said if 4wd but if so have the lower ball joints been done, the tires balanced, steering components good, hubs not bad, and then for performance was a complete turnup done with cap/rotor/plugs/wires/air and fuel filter? Any SES light so codes present? Coolant not leaking either internally or externally? Brakes done and rears not dragging? Lots of things need replacing/work by 100k - sorry.

jguyer

My 2000 GMC Jimmy 2WD with nearly 200,000 miles on it vibrates, becomes fairly noticable around 25-30 mph, is very noticable between 45 and 70 mph, then sort of tapers off above 70. When I let off the gas, the vibration disappears completely after 1-2 seconds, but returns the instant I press the accelerator. Recently did all front ball joints, idler arm replaced, tie-rods check out ok, still need to replace the center link.
The shop told me that it was uneven wear of the front right tire (left was replaced recently and is nearly new), but I failed to tell them about the vibration disappearing when taking my foot off the gas.
Anyone have a clue? I'm thinkin U-joints to start.

mdiane

I took my Jimmy for it's 60K service. The car ran perfect. Now after the service I've had to replace two fuel sending units, radiator, intake manifold gasket, shock, battery cables, and battery. I just paid it off and spent $2K on repairs. Now it vibrates whereas before I couldn't even tell if the car was started because it ran so smoothly. What do you think this is? I'm so distressed. :confuse:

repairdog

U-joints would be good and how about the front hubs. That cenetr linkis often the source of play on 2wds.

repairdog

Take it back and let them find it. Could be many small things they did not get right. Now if its only a rattling at idle that commonly is the PCV having teh throttle cable contacting it as the rear manifold plastic holddown always breaks when you do the intake - secure the cable with a plastic zip away form the PCV - if thats the noise.

jguyer

I didn't have the shop do the actual work that needed doing. I only had them diagnose the problems. Doing the repairs myself has never been a problem, it's figuring out where to start that I have issue with.
I was thinking the hub too, but I replaced the passenger side hub about a year ago and there was a distinct shimmy in the steering wheel that went along w/ the bad hub, so I ruled that out (for now).

repairdog

Hubs usually have a grating noise and some play so jack it up under the A-arm and check it out.

jguyer

katees

michael79

the noise started a few days ago, sounds like metal was caught on the rotor, but now after really listening to it, it is on the right rear side when i turn to the left and nothing when i turn to the right, it is getting worst, last longer, grinding sound now.
thanks for the help

smokin_s15

sup dude.... i had the same problems with my jimmy but its a 2001. i had my fan replaced and my engine mounts replaced also and it stopped all the vibration in my jimmy. The fan got replaced because over time it wears out and starts to crack which throughs the fan off balance and causes it to rattle. and the other problem was the engine mounts, i found out that i had to change my engine mounts every two years on my jimmy because so it wont snap later on down the road.

anything else just hit me up

monzatom

I have a 1988 GMC Jimmy 4x4 that shakes on the freeway. It has good/newer tires that are balanced. New Pro comp ES9000 shocks and the tire shop said the stock steel wheels were ok. I am getting ready to rebuild the entire front end but it is still in decent shape for 215k miles. It has a newer motor with 63k miles and a custom built 700r4 and it did the same before the trans rebuild . Any advice??

michael79

could be a pitman arm, or idler, i'd also check the hub bearing, i did my idler arm about 170,000 and bought it from autozone, changed it twice sense, i have 221,000, upper ball joint also could do this and will wear the hell out of the tire. the garage put in a bearing for me and it was the upper ball joint, so make sure you check the play in the tire, or mechanic but at least watch him. i get my work done very cheap but still, don't do anything unless it needs it at these kinda of miles.

lacosse

spider injector is common problem with jimmys can you smell raw fuel from time to time an have horrible fuel milage ?