Driveline Vibration

-tumbleweed-

New member
I have really bad driveline vibration between 30 and 50 mph. I replaced the u-joints and it didn't help (but they needed it regardless). The vibration is only noticeable when I accelerate or decelerate. If I'm driving between 30 and 50 with the vibration and throw it into neutral, the vibration quits entirely. Is my driveline just off balance? Could something be warped? What is the best way to tell?

I did break my spider gears a few months back, but I don't recall if the time frames with this vibration and that incident matched. Other than that, it has just been regular driving.

What are your suggestions for my next step?

Thanks for any help.

('95 YJ. Everything stock.)
 
IMO, it sounds more like an issue with the T.case or rear axle. From whats been described, throwing the gear into neutral makes the vibration quit, tells me that the issue is a torque related vibration. If it's a driveline balance issue then the symptoms would be the same as having an out of balance wheel, the vibration will occur at a certain speed regardless of torque. I could be wrong. Often times, vibration produces a low humming sound. If you could isolate the sound and associate it with the vibration, then your one step closer to the source of the problem.
 

I am also having a similar situation. I have a 97 that just started the driveline vibration. I have checked many things. I have replaced my front axle u-joints, ball joints and varified that my rear end did not have too much play. I am still having some serious vibration under torque while accelerating and decelerating. I also have noticed that if I put it in 4H while experiencing the vibration it goes away. I feel the vibration all over but mainly in the shifter, steering wheel and accelerator. Any thoughts?
 
I am also having a similar situation. I have a 97 that just started the driveline vibration. I have checked many things. I have replaced my front axle u-joints, ball joints and varified that my rear end did not have too much play. I am still having some serious vibration under torque while accelerating and decelerating. I also have noticed that if I put it in 4H while experiencing the vibration it goes away. I feel the vibration all over but mainly in the shifter, steering wheel and accelerator. Any thoughts?

It may be something in your transfer case. My situation is different in that I cannot feel the vibration in the shifter. I think my pinion gear shaft may be bent or warped. I am replacing the ring, pinion, and differential this week (it needs a new diff. anyway). I'll let you know how it goes or if it helps.
 
I had something like that happen to me a few months ago and it costed me dearly. Come to find out it was my knocks hitting on my drive shaft. My skid plate for the trans. got bent when climbing rocks. It threw every thing off and caused vibration and grinding noises. If you have a lift you better get a 2nd job because it get expensive. Good luck and it's worth every penny !
 

I have a similar issue...when I accelerate and the RPMs are pretty high (don't have a tach so not sure) there is a loud vibration that comes from the front of the truck...any ideas?!
 
i agree with steal. if you can throw it into neutral and it goes away. its got to be in transfer case or trans. the diff and driveshaft are always rotating so it should always vibrate if its one of those.
 

I finally broke down and took my YJ into a local transmission guy to get this vibration problem fixed. He discovered that my axle shafts are warped. At first, this didn't make much sense that this would cause a drivetrain-speed vibration and only do so under torque, but it turns out that when the system is torqued that things tighten up and vibrations are noticed more due to less play in the system. Also, with the shaft bent, you would notice a vibration every half turn which explains the higher frequency vibration.... Apparently, this is fairly common with jeeps.

So if you are having similar vibration problems, take your axles out and roll them across a flat surface to check for wobling. The mechanic said the wobling was pretty noticable, so it should be fairly obvious when you check it.

Hope this helps.

P.S. I haven't got the jeep back from the shop yet, but he was pretty confident that this would fix the problem.
 
Bent shafts can be straightened with an arbor press, some "V" blocks & a dial indicator. Oh, and a healthy shot of patience.
 
Mine is very strange to me. It vibrates at coast after 50mph. Only in that float between acceleration and deceleration. New SYE, new Woods driveshaft and new motor/transmission mounts. I'm leaning towards transfer case chain or rear end. Suggestions?
 
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