Hi folks I have a 2000 D II with about 115k, a 3 inch TF lift, and 32 inch tires on stock 16 inch wheels. Steering damper and shocks are new and tires recently balanced and rotated. All fluids are topped off and new.

Last weekend I drove to Louisiana and on the way back I noticed a vibration in the steering wheel at about 75 mph under acceleration, such as going uphill. It wasn't doing that the previous day. I stopped, and felt a vibration at slower speeds, like 40mph, but only under acceleration. I checked the lugs and they are all tight. Any ideas what could cause such a sudden change?

The highways, roads, and every paved surface in Louisiana are bumpy and broken, so I thought about alignment, but would that only affect acceleration?

 

1. Front drive shaft if the old style with no grease fittings on all joints.

2. Rebuilt or aftermarket shaft with grease fittings that have not been greased every oil change.

3. Engine or tranny / transfer case mount.

Just what came to mind....

 

Could be tie rod/drag link ends worn out. I have a vibration in my steering wheel that is similar to what you describe, however mine happens more under braking. It turned out to be a worn tie rod end on the passenger side. Easy to tell if you crawl under the truck and grab the links close to the ends and shake. A worn end will clunk.

 

Front drive shaft if the old style with no grease fittings on all joints

 

I do have the original driveshaft with no extra fittings. The U joints seem to be in good condition (no play), BUT I noticed the the boot on the driveshaft has slipped back. I have fixed and tightened just about everything on this vehicle since replacing the engine (myself) a few months ago, but I haven't touched the driveshaft. Is there a way to test whether the driveshaft is the problem? I plan to replace with a HD one, but I'm spent out on this project at the moment. Could I just squirt grease everywhere for testing?

Also, I said I replaced all fluids (couple of months ago). The only one I didn't touch was the transfer case. Could that be the issue?

The front end (suspension, tie rods) seems very tight. The boots on my ball joints are essentially dessicated though, but they are still tight (replacement is on my list).

 

That last suggestion is intriguing! I have not checked the mounts, ever. I will do that later today.

What is it about the non-greasable driveshaft (which I have) that could cause vibration?

 

120k and a 3-inch lift time to break into your starbucks money for a driveshaft.

 

I also wondered about my tires. They are about a month old, so recently balanced and rotated last week, but since this happened after I drove n really bad roads for hundreds of miles, I wonder if I might have lost a balance weight. The weights are on the INSIDE of the tire so they are hard to check (basically because I don't know what they looked like when installed... i don't mind going under the truck at all). But that wouldn't cause vibration only on acceleration at different speeds (like 40 mph and 75 mph), would it? Sorry if this seems a dumb question.

 

Very well put!

 

I imagine so. The lift has only been on a couple of months though. Now when I first put the lift on, there was ZERO vibration. I guess I homed in on other things because the problem only arose after a very bumpy trip.

HD driveshaft is in my future, but I've spent alot lately and would rather wait a bit. A friend of mine has a formerly abused D II, and he had a SERIOUS vibration at 70mph+, so he ordered a super expensive HD driveshaft. We put it on and it didn't reduce the vibration one bit. I've had mine since new and it sat in my garage (literally) for almost 7 years with a blown engine, so the problems may be different.