When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
If you've kept up with my other posts, I've been having a speed specific vibration/shudder at 35-40mph after installing new tires one week ago today (Falken Wildpeak AT3W 265/70R18). I'm doing everything I can to eliminate the tires are the culprit before proceeding to U-joints. The front U-joint has very slight wiggle to it, but not a lot. A mechanic friend of mine said that it could be that, but it didn't have enough play in it to worry him yet. He also told me that they have a TSB on my year model for the torque converter, so it could be that (though I looked up symptoms of a bad torque converter and don't seem to have any).
Back to the tires. Since this started literally the day I installed the tires I'm trying to zero in on the possibilities. I took the truck back to Discount Tire for a rebalance two days after installation, but that didn't last. So, yesterday I took it back to Discount and they did a road force balance for me for free to try and resolve the issue. Technician said that one of the tires showed some bounce (though he didn't give me any readout numbers from the road force), and he said they added weights to it (I noticed two weight strips added, pictured below). He told me if the vibration comes back they'll replace that tire. I have a feeling he was expecting that to happen.
Well, today it came back, and this time it even started to vibrate more when I got closer to 50mph. At least it lasted more than 24 hours this time before returning, though. I called him up and he said they'd replace that tire for me because it just may be defective since they can't get it to keep a balance and the new tire will be in in a couple of days. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will finally take care of it. Since the road force balance seemed to have done the best since getting the tires, I'm even more convinced that this is the culprit to my vibration. However, I do have a standing appointment with CarMax on Monday to take it in to get checked for that vibration (I told them I thought the U-joints needed replacing). Monday is the last day of my 30-day warranty where they'll fix anything for free, so there's a lot riding on this new tire coming in (no pun intended).
Hey,
Thanks for the updated, but it would be nice if all of these updates were kept to one thread. Otherwise everything you have done to diagnose this gets lost and the information becomes hard to find and not very useful. If it was all in one thread, all of your diagnosing is right there and someone with the same issue can read through and figure it out. As of now, they read the previous threads and it will appear like there was never a solution.
Hey,
Thanks for the updated, but it would be nice if all of these updates were kept to one thread. Otherwise everything you have done to diagnose this gets lost and the information becomes hard to find and not very useful. If it was all in one thread, all of your diagnosing is right there and someone with the same issue can read through and figure it out. As of now, they read the previous threads and it will appear like there was never a solution.
You're right, my bad. I'll be sure to keep all future updates with this issue on this thread.
Hey,
Thanks for the updated, but it would be nice if all of these updates were kept to one thread. Otherwise everything you have done to diagnose this gets lost and the information becomes hard to find and not very useful. If it was all in one thread, all of your diagnosing is right there and someone with the same issue can read through and figure it out. As of now, they read the previous threads and it will appear like there was never a solution.
Yep. Hard to know the history when you have to bounce between multiple threads.
I also had a vibration in my 15, went to tire place had balance and rotation. This did not change anything .I went to Ford dealer and it was torque converter . 2600.00 to repair all covered under extended warranty
I also had a vibration in my 15, went to tire place had balance and rotation. This did not change anything .I went to Ford dealer and it was torque converter . 2600.00 to repair all covered under extended warranty
Of all the symptoms of the torque converter, I only have the vibration from 30-40mph. And the weird thing is that it rarely happens, it won't happen every time. But I've done the test that they say to do online - go through the gears and listen for noises or revving - and didn't hear anything. I don't have any slipping, or trouble accelerating - but I suppose one symptom is all it takes. Did you have anything beyond the vibration? If the new tire (which will be installed today) doesn't remedy it, I'll definitely have CarMax look at that torque converter Monday.
As a side note, will the OBD II scanner pick up a code for the torque converter (or any other issue) if there's no check engine light on?
I finally ask the Ford dealer to have a tech ride with me. We left the lot and at 40 mph it shuttered. He first said it was probably be transmission. He explained to me there was a device they could hook up an test drive. They kept it 4 days and all is well. After test ride they called me in 2 hrs and told me it was TC. Good luck
Well, sadly we can eliminate the tires from as the issue. Discount replaced the one tire they said had a lot of bounce, and as I drove off I didn't even get a mile down the road before I felt the shudder again from 30-40mph. My friend emailed me a copy of the TSB referencing the torque converter for my year model, and it seems to match the issue stated in the TSB (below). I have my appointment still with Carmax on Monday, so I'll definitely be telling them to check that out.
Update: Dropped it off to CarMax and after a couple days they said they couldn't duplicate the problem. I was halfway to Houston to pick it up when they called that they drove it one last time and were able to duplicate it finally, thank goodness! So they're sending it to the Ford dealership to take a look at the torque converter. Glad to know they're getting it taken care of!
01-29-2019, 03:07 PM
Update on truck vibrations
