Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

**GOPAPA** · 03-31-2009, 01:36 PM

My sons truck

This is a before and after picture of his truck.. He drove it after we put the all colored front clip on for 6 months or so and no problems .
Now it has problems with vibrating at 50 MPH ,,pretty bad.

The wheels on it now are what he drove on it before the wreck and after .

He had the front tires balanced ..he says the wheel berrings are pretty tight ,,hardly no movement by shoving in on top of wheel and pulling out on bottom ,,while jacked up..

It has sit out side through all weathers for close to a year ..

So,, why all of a sudden after driving with no problems ,,it now has this terrible vibrating a only 50 MPH ? papa

Stock72c10 · 03-31-2009, 01:56 PM

Carrier bearing going out?

**El Jay** · 03-31-2009, 02:06 PM

^ x 2 ^, PL

Andy4639 · 03-31-2009, 02:14 PM

Check the drive shaft as stated. I would check the wheel bearings and repack them also.

67ChevyRedneck · 03-31-2009, 02:41 PM

My wife's corolla develops this problem a couple times a year when the tire pressure gets to low, the wheel vibrates really bad, air 'em up and the vibration is gone. If it's been sitting for a long time, check the tire pressure. Could be that simple.

**GOPAPA** · 03-31-2009, 03:07 PM

My son first thought a wheel droped a wieght but when he had them balanced they were good and at that time they were checked for air loss..
He also said he got under it and shook all parts including the drive line and found no wobbles.
I suppose that the carrier bearing might not tell you this ,,and only under high speed show up..
How do you go about proving that the carrier bearing is good or bad ?

**El Jay** · 03-31-2009, 03:22 PM

Larry,
You might check the U-joints too.
I'm not sure how to explain it, but I'll give it a good soldierly try.
It could be that they're "tight" and not "bending" like they're supposed to. So you may want to give them a good shot of grease & maybe that'll free 'em up, if that's the problem.
But, if they've reached that stage, they're probably junk anyhow.

Do you happen to know a drive shaft guy that could check the balance on the drive shaft?

Just some ruminations on my part.

LJ

**GOPAPA** · 03-31-2009, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Jay

Larry,
You might check the U-joints too.
I'm not sure how to explain it, but I'll give it a good soldierly try.
It could be that they're "tight" and not "bending" like they're supposed to. So you may want to give them a good shot of grease & maybe that'll free 'em up, if that's the problem.
But, if they've reached that stage, they're probably junk anyhow.

Do you happen to know a drive shaft guy that could check the balance on the drive shaft?

Just some ruminations on my part.

LJ

thanks El Jay ,, any of those sugggestions sound plosible and I will call him and bring them up to him.. the grease in the U-Joints might be what is missing as ,, it has been sitting through a summer and fall and winter out side,,

68caliRat · 03-31-2009, 03:52 PM

How recent was the tire balance? Before or after the shimmy and vibration. Mine did the same thing and I couldn't figure out for the life of me why. Then one day I was trying to run an errand in the truck (even with the shimmy) and BLAM! my front tire exploded. Then it all came back to me. A friends Suburban did the same thing with a rear wheel on a trip we made to Buttonwillow CA. a few years back. Bad tires on both.

cdowns · 03-31-2009, 04:17 PM

rechecking wheel balance and that lugnuts are tight on all four would b first on my list followed by inspection of monting hardware of the control arms, then checking the motor mounts ,driveshft ujoints and carrier bearing, i'd also check that the front crossmember is securly fastened to the frame, ball joints tierod ends etc

**NGN** · 03-31-2009, 06:55 PM

I would also check the rear , loose u-bolts and worn perches (egg shape bolt holes ) traling arms and it's parts and all thats been mention already

cparman · 03-31-2009, 07:11 PM

drive the truck at the speed it shakes. Ask yourself, " where do I feel the vibration? Is it in the steering wheel? Or do I feel it in the seat of my pants. After what you have tried, I would think it is a drivetrain problem. If you replaced the whole front clip, I wonder if something is in a bind? Maybe like someone else posted is the carrier bearing shoved back?
I would think this is a trial and error thing, and when you find it, you will go " why did I not think of that first ". I would loosen up the motor mounts, and the trans mount, wiggle the motor and trans, and pay close attention to what happens when you loosen the bolts. Did the motor/trans move? Get everything where you know it should be, and then drive the truck.
YA KNOW IT KIND OF LOOKS LIKE LONGHORN MANS BURB WITH THE NEW CLIP ON IT!!!

mr48chev · 03-31-2009, 07:18 PM

All good suggestions.
As he changed the front clip and it vibrates afterwards what else did he change?
Reason for changing front clip? If it got in a wreck there may be a bent piece in the suspension or steering.

As the others have said I'd check the balance on the wheels again but I would also check=
For and out of round tire or one with a broken belt.
For a gob of dirt/mud inside of one of the rims.

If he changed a drum lately, I have seen at least one drum that was so far out of balance new out of the box that it couldn't be run.

I'd try to find someone with an on the car/truck spin balancer that could spin the wheels on the truck to try and find the vibration that way.
If it doesn't have posi you can jack one rear wheel up at a time and run it up in gear to see if either of the rear wheels are the problem. You should be able to check the driveshaft at the same time too.

When I was doing front end and brake work on a daily basis I ran into more than one guy who didn't think that the rear tires could cause his vibration as they were on the rear.

clos69 · 03-31-2009, 07:24 PM

Check you crossmember bolts that are bolted to the frame...I had the same problem until I retighten them.

cparman · 03-31-2009, 07:37 PM

Mr48chevy, I used to have a spin balancer back in the day, MAN what a great piece of equipment!! Balanced everything that rotated at every corner. I still have a scar on my arm from getting too close to the tire that was spinning 60+. Wonder if you could still buy one of those -----

BluTrukker · 03-31-2009, 08:38 PM

It have your answer. It isn't a cheap fix, but I would bet it is your tires. I had the exact same issue with my 91 chev. I had cheap old tires, and I let it sit for a couple months and then it developed a shimmy. The belts went bad in the tires. If you can borrow some tires from somebody for a test drive, then you can rule out bad tires.

ChevLoRay · 03-31-2009, 08:53 PM

If the tires have flat spots, they should go away when they get warmed up. If not, then spinning them on a balancer should allow you to look at them and see the flat spot. If you can "help" then you can hold something in a fixed position and see if there is a fluctuation as it rotates. It doesn't have to be powered, just turning slowly and checking for an out-of-round state.

As for the driveline, u-joints that have rusty bearings could be the issue. As stated earlier, a tight u-joint will cause a vibration. It doesn't take much rust to tighten up the clearances within the cross and roller.

Blazer1970 · 04-01-2009, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BluTrukker

It have your answer. It isn't a cheap fix, but I would bet it is your tires. I had the exact same issue with my 91 chev. I had cheap old tires, and I let it sit for a couple months and then it developed a shimmy. The belts went bad in the tires. If you can borrow some tires from somebody for a test drive, then you can rule out bad tires.

Good advice. This type of vibration at a certain speed is almost always a tire problem. Balancing often will not help.

**special-K** · 04-01-2009, 10:48 AM

You say it was good for awhile after the accident and the tires were checked for balance.And,the balance was good?Maybe something worked loose since it`s droiven after the accident.The shimmy is felt in the steering wheel,as in more than just a transfered vibration.More like the wheel wants to rock back and forth.Did you check side to side play as well?It could be the tie rod ends.Ball joints will make it bounce and that`s how a bad or loose bearing feels,like the tire`s bouncing.
I`d try on some other tires.Can you borrow some?Try rotating and see if the vibration moves or stops.

**GOPAPA** · 04-01-2009, 07:23 PM

I will see him tonite and let him know all the suggestions from you all.. thanks papa

norske · 04-01-2009, 09:43 PM

How about running it at 50 mph in a lower gear? Would that separate a tire problem from everything else ie: speed vs. rpms?

72BLUZ · 04-01-2009, 11:16 PM

around our shop most vibrations that can be driven thru are tire related

A.P. · 04-02-2009, 07:53 AM

Check your shock absorbers.

**special-K** · 04-02-2009, 08:07 AM

Definately look at the tires.Even if you don`t have another set laying around,rotating with move the problem and produce a different result.A bad tire up ront will exaggerate front end wear and will be felt in the steering wheel more than if it`s on the rear.On the rear you`ll notice the rear bed corner vibrating or hopping more than the other side.

03-31-2009, 01:36 PM	#1
GOPAPA Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Nampa Idaho Posts: 7,470	Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH My sons truck This is a before and after picture of his truck.. He drove it after we put the all colored front clip on for 6 months or so and no problems . Now it has problems with vibrating at 50 MPH ,,pretty bad. The wheels on it now are what he drove on it before the wreck and after . He had the front tires balanced ..he says the wheel berrings are pretty tight ,,hardly no movement by shoving in on top of wheel and pulling out on bottom ,,while jacked up.. It has sit out side through all weathers for close to a year .. So,, why all of a sudden after driving with no problems ,,it now has this terrible vibrating a only 50 MPH ? papa

03-31-2009, 01:56 PM	#2
Stock72c10 classic=of recognized value Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 317	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH Carrier bearing going out?

03-31-2009, 02:06 PM	#3
El Jay Gone to greener pastures Join Date: May 2007 Location: Gateway to the Delta Posts: 7,354	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH ^ x 2 ^, PL __________________ '69 Chevy 1/2 T LWB Stepper: Daily Beater '72 GMC 3/4 T Fleet: Another Daily Beater '72 Plymouth Gran Coupe: ? "Ah women. They make the highs higher and the lows more frequent." Friedrich Nietzsche "Never kick a fresh turd on a hot day." Harry S. Truman GUN CONTROL: Never having to say, "I missed you." Always fire two warning shots into your attacker's chest area before putting a bullet between his eyes. Paraphrased from Louis Awerbuck Last edited by El Jay; 03-31-2009 at 02:06 PM.

03-31-2009, 02:14 PM	#4
Andy4639 Old member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Liberty, & Garden City S.C. , U.S. Posts: 19,936	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH Check the drive shaft as stated. I would check the wheel bearings and repack them also. __________________ 1971 LWB Custom, 6.0LS & 4L80E, Speedhut.com GPS speedometer & gauges with A/C. 20" Boss 338's Grey wheels 4 wheel disc brakes. My Driver Seeing the USA in a 71 Upstate SC GM Truck Club 2013,14 and 2016 Hot Rod Pour Tour http://upstategmtrucks.com/ Get out and drive the truck this summer and have some fun! It sucks not being able to hear! LWB trucks rule, if you don't think so measure your SWB! After talking to tech support at Air Lift I have found out that the kit I need is 60811. Per the measurements I gave them. Ride height of truck inside spring and inside diameter of springs.

03-31-2009, 02:41 PM	#5
67ChevyRedneck Hittin E-Z Street on Mud Tires Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 23,090	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH My wife's corolla develops this problem a couple times a year when the tire pressure gets to low, the wheel vibrates really bad, air 'em up and the vibration is gone. If it's been sitting for a long time, check the tire pressure. Could be that simple. __________________ Jesse James 1967 C10 SWB Stepside: 350/700R4/3.73 1965 Ford Mustang: 289/T5-5spd/3.25 Trac-Loc 1968 Pontiac Firebird: Project Fire Chicken! 2015 Silverado Double Cab 5.3L Z71 2001 Jeep Wrangler Sport 4.0L 5spd 2020 Chevrolet Equinox Premium 2.0L Turbo 2011 Mustang V6 ~ Wife's ride American Born, Country by the Grace of God 1967 CST Shop Truck Rebuild! My 1967 C-10 Build Thread My Vintage Air A/C Install Project "On a Dime" Trying my hand at Home Renovation! 1965 Mustang Modifications! Last edited by 67ChevyRedneck; 03-31-2009 at 02:41 PM.

03-31-2009, 03:07 PM	#6
GOPAPA Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Nampa Idaho Posts: 7,470	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH My son first thought a wheel droped a wieght but when he had them balanced they were good and at that time they were checked for air loss.. He also said he got under it and shook all parts including the drive line and found no wobbles. I suppose that the carrier bearing might not tell you this ,,and only under high speed show up.. How do you go about proving that the carrier bearing is good or bad ?

03-31-2009, 03:22 PM	#7
El Jay Gone to greener pastures Join Date: May 2007 Location: Gateway to the Delta Posts: 7,354	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH Larry, You might check the U-joints too. I'm not sure how to explain it, but I'll give it a good soldierly try. It could be that they're "tight" and not "bending" like they're supposed to. So you may want to give them a good shot of grease & maybe that'll free 'em up, if that's the problem. But, if they've reached that stage, they're probably junk anyhow. Do you happen to know a drive shaft guy that could check the balance on the drive shaft? Just some ruminations on my part. LJ __________________ '69 Chevy 1/2 T LWB Stepper: Daily Beater '72 GMC 3/4 T Fleet: Another Daily Beater '72 Plymouth Gran Coupe: ? "Ah women. They make the highs higher and the lows more frequent." Friedrich Nietzsche "Never kick a fresh turd on a hot day." Harry S. Truman GUN CONTROL: Never having to say, "I missed you." Always fire two warning shots into your attacker's chest area before putting a bullet between his eyes. Paraphrased from Louis Awerbuck

03-31-2009, 03:52 PM	#9
68caliRat Need a bigger hammer.. Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Escondido,CA. Posts: 280	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH How recent was the tire balance? Before or after the shimmy and vibration. Mine did the same thing and I couldn't figure out for the life of me why. Then one day I was trying to run an errand in the truck (even with the shimmy) and BLAM! my front tire exploded. Then it all came back to me. A friends Suburban did the same thing with a rear wheel on a trip we made to Buttonwillow CA. a few years back. Bad tires on both. __________________ 1968 GMC 3/4 LWB fleetside Custom Camper 2018 Silverado High Country 2500HD Duramax 4X4

03-31-2009, 04:17 PM	#10
cdowns Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: daytonabeach Posts: 22,956	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH rechecking wheel balance and that lugnuts are tight on all four would b first on my list followed by inspection of monting hardware of the control arms, then checking the motor mounts ,driveshft ujoints and carrier bearing, i'd also check that the front crossmember is securly fastened to the frame, ball joints tierod ends etc __________________ 71c-10 350/2004r/4:11 lowered3/4 longbed/dead by hurricane MEANING OF DEATH::::: SOMEBODY ELSE GETS YOUR STUFF DONT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK TAKE MY ADVISE;I DON'T USE IT ANYWAY

03-31-2009, 06:55 PM	#11
NGN Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Old Bridge,NJ Posts: 827	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH I would also check the rear , loose u-bolts and worn perches (egg shape bolt holes ) traling arms and it's parts and all thats been mention already

03-31-2009, 07:11 PM	#12
cparman sharp as a marble Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: atlantic beach,florida Posts: 1,082	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH drive the truck at the speed it shakes. Ask yourself, " where do I feel the vibration? Is it in the steering wheel? Or do I feel it in the seat of my pants. After what you have tried, I would think it is a drivetrain problem. If you replaced the whole front clip, I wonder if something is in a bind? Maybe like someone else posted is the carrier bearing shoved back? I would think this is a trial and error thing, and when you find it, you will go " why did I not think of that first ". I would loosen up the motor mounts, and the trans mount, wiggle the motor and trans, and pay close attention to what happens when you loosen the bolts. Did the motor/trans move? Get everything where you know it should be, and then drive the truck. YA KNOW IT KIND OF LOOKS LIKE LONGHORN MANS BURB WITH THE NEW CLIP ON IT!!!

03-31-2009, 07:18 PM	#13
mr48chev Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toppenish, WA Posts: 15,446	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH All good suggestions. As he changed the front clip and it vibrates afterwards what else did he change? Reason for changing front clip? If it got in a wreck there may be a bent piece in the suspension or steering. As the others have said I'd check the balance on the wheels again but I would also check= For and out of round tire or one with a broken belt. For a gob of dirt/mud inside of one of the rims. If he changed a drum lately, I have seen at least one drum that was so far out of balance new out of the box that it couldn't be run. I'd try to find someone with an on the car/truck spin balancer that could spin the wheels on the truck to try and find the vibration that way. If it doesn't have posi you can jack one rear wheel up at a time and run it up in gear to see if either of the rear wheels are the problem. You should be able to check the driveshaft at the same time too. When I was doing front end and brake work on a daily basis I ran into more than one guy who didn't think that the rear tires could cause his vibration as they were on the rear. Last edited by mr48chev; 03-31-2009 at 07:19 PM.

03-31-2009, 07:24 PM	#14
clos69 Its Topless Season!!!! Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: fort worth, tx Posts: 1,657	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH Check you crossmember bolts that are bolted to the frame...I had the same problem until I retighten them. __________________ -Carlos- The of America *1967 SWB Custom C-10* *(Celeste)* Join the *Patina Club*

03-31-2009, 07:37 PM	#15
cparman sharp as a marble Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: atlantic beach,florida Posts: 1,082	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH Mr48chevy, I used to have a spin balancer back in the day, MAN what a great piece of equipment!! Balanced everything that rotated at every corner. I still have a scar on my arm from getting too close to the tire that was spinning 60+. Wonder if you could still buy one of those -----

03-31-2009, 08:38 PM	#16
BluTrukker BOHICA Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Stewartville, MN Posts: 440	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH It have your answer. It isn't a cheap fix, but I would bet it is your tires. I had the exact same issue with my 91 chev. I had cheap old tires, and I let it sit for a couple months and then it developed a shimmy. The belts went bad in the tires. If you can borrow some tires from somebody for a test drive, then you can rule out bad tires. __________________ Trying to save someone from their own stupidity is like teaching a pig to dance. It is a waste of your time, and it annoys the pig!



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03-31-2009, 08:53 PM	#17
ChevLoRay Old Skool Club Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Benton, AR "The Heart of Arkansas" Posts: 10,880	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH If the tires have flat spots, they should go away when they get warmed up. If not, then spinning them on a balancer should allow you to look at them and see the flat spot. If you can "help" then you can hold something in a fixed position and see if there is a fluctuation as it rotates. It doesn't have to be powered, just turning slowly and checking for an out-of-round state. As for the driveline, u-joints that have rusty bearings could be the issue. As stated earlier, a tight u-joint will cause a vibration. It doesn't take much rust to tighten up the clearances within the cross and roller. __________________ Member Nr. 2770 '96 GMC Sportside; 4.3/SLT - Daily driven....constantly needs washed. '69 C-10 SWB; 350/TH400 - in limbo The older I get, the better I was.

04-01-2009, 10:48 AM	#19
special-K Special Order Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mt Airy, MD Posts: 85,861	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH You say it was good for awhile after the accident and the tires were checked for balance.And,the balance was good?Maybe something worked loose since it`s droiven after the accident.The shimmy is felt in the steering wheel,as in more than just a transfered vibration.More like the wheel wants to rock back and forth.Did you check side to side play as well?It could be the tie rod ends.Ball joints will make it bounce and that`s how a bad or loose bearing feels,like the tire`s bouncing. I`d try on some other tires.Can you borrow some?Try rotating and see if the vibration moves or stops. __________________ "BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~

04-01-2009, 07:23 PM	#20
GOPAPA Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Nampa Idaho Posts: 7,470	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH I will see him tonite and let him know all the suggestions from you all.. thanks papa

04-01-2009, 09:43 PM	#21
norske Registered User Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Austin, MN Posts: 117	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH How about running it at 50 mph in a lower gear? Would that separate a tire problem from everything else ie: speed vs. rpms?

04-01-2009, 11:16 PM	#22
72BLUZ Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: lafayette, ga. Posts: 832	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH around our shop most vibrations that can be driven thru are tire related __________________ Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.... Ronald Reagan

04-02-2009, 07:53 AM	#23
A.P. Black 72 Chevy Join Date: May 2002 Location: Los Angeles, California Posts: 662	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH Check your shock absorbers. __________________ 72 Chevy, SWB, 350engine, TH400

04-02-2009, 08:07 AM	#24
special-K Special Order Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mt Airy, MD Posts: 85,861	Re: Truck Vibrates And Shimmy's At 50 MPH Definately look at the tires.Even if you don`t have another set laying around,rotating with move the problem and produce a different result.A bad tire up ront will exaggerate front end wear and will be felt in the steering wheel more than if it`s on the rear.On the rear you`ll notice the rear bed corner vibrating or hopping more than the other side. __________________ "BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~

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