Disappointed with vibration on a 2003!

[Jlalib]

Sounds like I've got the infamous vibration. Thanks for responding.

[v8Toilet]

You know what I think it is! I think it's the front drive shafts turning when they aren’t under a load. When you put the truck in 4WD that puts the axle shafts under a load and the vibration goes away.

[Herb]

Guys:

It's not windmilling of the front propeller shaft that causes the described vibrations nor is the front differential at fault.

I had the exact same condition until I ditched the Dunlop tires.

The tires were the problem.

Herb

[nhparrot]

Herb, I have never had Dunlops. Mine started at 5k with the BFG's. Still have it, now have Michelins.

[mp3553]

When I switch into 4X4 it doesn't stop the vibrations and this truck has Bridgestone tires...
Wishing for a solution and it won't come from Toyota!

[Herb]

Originally posted by mp3553
When I switch into 4X4 it doesn't stop the vibrations and this truck has Bridgestone tires...
Wishing for a solution and it won't come from Toyota!

Going back to your original description of the vibration, your problem is engine related. Something in contact with the frame is transmitting engine vibrations to the frame within a given rpm range which causes the offending item to hit resonant frequency where the amplitude of the vibration is maximum.

If it were my truck, I would take it to a good private shop or a transmission shop for diagnosis. Transmission specialists are experts at locating the cause of vibrations.

Tell ya what -- I live about 150 miles south of Omaha. I've been looking for an excuse to get away from the ranch for a day. If you want some help locating the source of your vibration let me know and I'll come up and help you find it. But, let's wait for warmer weather.

Herb

[Herb]

Originally posted by nhparrot
Herb, I have never had Dunlops. Mine started at 5k with the BFG's. Still have it, now have Michelins.

Glenn:

This is a mystery, is it not? I don't have any vibrations of any kind down to temperatures well below zero. Besides getting new tires at 600 miles, I put Mobil 1 75W90 synthetic in the front differential and transfer case. I have since purged the front U-joints using Amsoil No. 2 Lithium to remove the really stiff grease that came in those joints. So far -- so good -- no vibrations.

One post indicated that the truck had been jack up and run with no indication of a drivetrain-related vibration. That's the prescribed method for differentiating between drivetrain and tire-related vibrations. The results strongly suggest the presence of at least one defective or poorly balanced tire on the front. That could and should be confirmed on a road force balancer. The alignment should also be set to DJ's specs.

I noticed in one of your posts that you've been experiencing this vibration for quite a long time. Would you mind describing what steps you've taken to date in an effort to isolate the source and correct the condition?

I know that cold oil in the front differential will cause the front propeller shaft to windmill at walking speeds because I've watched it do it. I also know that after 7 miles of driving the windmilling no longer takes place at low speeds because the oil warms up. When the weather gets warmer I intend to pursue this in an attempt to determine to what degree the propeller shafts windmills at higher speeds.

Until I see clear and convincing evidence to the contrary, I simply don't believe that a slowly turning prop shaft is generating the vibrations described because mine doesn't. Having said that, there is one possible exception: My truck has never been driven in 4WD on a high traction surface nor will it ever be. For those who have been using 4WD under high traction conditions, all bets are off.

Thanks to DJ and others I located a force balancer and a Hunter 611 in Falls City, Nebraska - population 4769 or so. Finding $60,000 worth of equipment in a town that size really surprised me so I called and talked to the owner. He told me that they have been seeing so much front end vibration caused by tire defects that they bought the force balancer and Hunter equipment as a matter of survival. They simply couldn't respond adequately to customer complaints using the equipment they had.

This suggests that front end vibrations are not limited to a Tundra nor are they necessarily being caused by a design peculiarity. Even though I don't have a problem, I do intend to continue to pursue this hoping to come up with the correct answer.

Glenn, any information you can give me regarding your truck would be helpful. If you would prefer to do it via PM that would be fine.

Herb

[nhparrot]

Herb, floor board vibs started for me at 5K miles and continue at 52K. Felt in the floorboards and gas pedal - more so on the drivers side. I have Michelin LTX/MS on my truck, aligned to DJ's spec. After multiple complaints to my dealer with test drives they finally acknowledged that they feel the vibration. But, have no solution. Although, more noticiable in cold weather, the vibration I feel is there year round, all the time - except when in 4wd. It is just a minor dis-satisifier to me that I am used to. When the weather warms, I am planning on switching to synthetics in the transfer case and diffs to see if that improves or eliminates the vib.

[mp3553]

Your on! Drop me an e-mail @ mp3553@cox.net

[jjcobra99]

Might as well add me to the list. Took my 03 Sport out on the freeway for the first time today where I could maintain some pretty good speed. My vibration starts at about 65mph and continues at least through 80mph (I didn't push it any higher). It is a cyclic vibration, more of a resonance than vibration actually, but I say vibration because you can feel it very slightly from the pedal and the steering wheel. It sounds like it is coming from the front driver's side, and it only does it with a load against it. Let off the gas, it goes away. Mine is full time 4WD, so I have no option to take it out and see what happens. I plan to take it to the dealer this week coming and see what they say. Probably a waste of time, but at least I will be one more person complaining. I guess this is what I get for bragging how good Toyota is.

[Dude Boy]

No problem with the Dunlop tires on mine. I plan to replace them with the same ones when I hit around 40-45 K. Mine are TG-35 Grandtreks. This picture was taken at 27K, and I have 33K on them now.

[Herb]

Originally posted by Dude Boy
No problem with the Dunlop tires on mine. I plan to replace them with the same ones when I hit around 40-45 K. Mine are TG-35 Grandtreks. This picture was taken at 27K, and I have 33K on them now.

Bob:

Hmmm... I must say those ARE good looking tires. So, hows
come your truck came with a much higher grade Dunlop tire than mine?

Mine were the Grandtrek AT 21's. According to tirerack, your tires rank 23 out of 63 in terms of user satisfaction, (1 being the best and 63 being the worst) whereas mine rank 48 out of 63 for reasons all to obvious to me.

If you have your heart set on new Dunlop tires, take a look at the Grandtrek TG30 (ranked 11 out of 63) or the Radial Rover A/P or A/T which are ranked 12 and 13 respectively.

All of these tires are highway all-season type.

BTW, the Michelin LTX M/S is ranked number 4 and might turn out to be the best buy overall.

I printed out this listing in October. I think I saw this morning that tirerack has since revised their rating system so you may not be able to find this data.

Herb

[Herb]

Originally posted by mp3553
Your on! Drop me an e-mail @ mp3553@cox.net

MP:

No problem, but first I want to print out and review your comments before we get started. How does May look for you?
Can you survive until then?

After I've had a chance to look things over, I'll get back to you by e-mail so we can work out some of the details.

Best Regards,
Herb

[Dude Boy]

Hmmm... I must say those ARE good looking tires. So, how come your truck came with a much higher grade Dunlop tire than mine?

They aren't dummies. They probably figured out that people would still pay an "arm and a leg" for a Tundra even with cheaper tires!

Actually I already have the new Dunlops on alloy wheels sitting in my garage. I got them from a fellow TS member for about $300. I will probably get Open County's to put on my "old" alloy wheels when the original tires wear out. I'll run the Open Country's in the winter months.

Bob