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40 MPH severe vibration

S

slowbutsteady

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Niagara Falls/NY
Hello All,

I have a 1999 Hummer H1. Over the last couple of days I've noticed an ever increasing vibration that occurs at 40MPH and disappears around 50 MPH. I've had the vehicle 2 years and replaced the ball joints, idler, pitman, and shocks when I got the truck.

This vibration has me concerned as I don't want to fix extra parts with a catastrophic failure. Any suggestions as to what I should look at first? (If I mount a gopro under the vehicle would that help see the problem?)

The vibration is felt through the seats.
 
bison said:
Tranny mount?
Click to expand...

Latest test results:

1. I drove it at 40 MPH with brakes applied: Still vibration.
2. I drove the vehicle up to 60 MPH then put in neutral. Vibration still at 40 MPH
3. I drove the vehicle to 60 MPH, put in neutral and shut engine off. Vibration still occurs at 40 MPH.

Is a CV joint still possible? Or is it possible I toasted the pitman/idler?
 
If it's in the steering you would certainly have a lot of wheel shake and back to the steering wheel

Sent from my SCH-I535
 
None in the steering wheel.

The passenger front and back seats shake. Okay... so based on none in steering wheel that would eliminate steering (pitman and idler then)? So I am down to tires and drive shafts/half shafts?
 
DANGER!!! Jack the truck up and check all 4 geared hubs for free play on the output shaft. It doesn't happen often but usually results in a roll over. With the tire off the ground an inch check for lateral and horizontal movement. Once you have done that, proceed.

See if you get the same vibration at 80 mph. If so suspect tires/ runflats first. Look for cupping on the tread, that is tale-tale of a skipping tire.

Rotate your tires from left side to right (even if directional mt's). If the vibration stays of the same side, check out your half shafts. Don't be confused by it shaking 1 side of the truck. 2 piece steel wheels with the 1 piece runflat will weigh 160 lbs. That can shake a truck off the road in a heartbeat when out of balance. Usually with this big of a tire (even if aluminum and no runflat) it is out of round and can quickly wipe out the shock. As the shock goes bad the vibration will worsen.

Do the go pro test if you don't get results from the tire swap, but make sure you can see A arms in the shot focusing on 1 wheel at a time.

What rims, tires, runflats, and half shafts are you running?
 
Will L. said:
DANGER!!! Jack the truck up and check all 4 geared hubs for free play on the output shaft. It doesn't happen often but usually results in a roll over.
Click to expand...

Oh it's happened! I lost the front left tire while driving. When I bought the vehicle I drove it for a month and the wheel come. Not fun. I'll jack the vehicle and check each of the wheels.

Do the go pro test if you don't get results from the tire swap, but make sure you can see A arms in the shot focusing on 1 wheel at a time.

What rims, tires, runflats, and half shafts are you running?
Click to expand...

I am uses Cepek 16.5 rims. Half shafts haven't been replaced since a I bought the vehicle. I bought a set of spares but never used one.

I can't believe all the stuff that has gone wrong on this vehicle in under 2 years. I've learned a lot rebuilding various parts. If I had to do it over again I would buy a vehicle and strip it down to frame and start power coating there and replace all moving parts.

How do you deal with it? Do you actually get some decent runtime over 3 months before a failure?
 
Ya have to remember you bought a truck over a decade old. The PO can tell you what ever, but if your having that many issues, the PO neglected the hell out of it.

I do have problems with mine, but I use it as intended, a hard working off road truck. I put it in mud over the tires every chance I get. Same with water, except that goes to my windshield. And I go over hills right after rubicons flipped trying that hill. I have bent my under carriage protection, and ripped out part of my fuel tank plate once and bent its replacement. I average 1 tire every 3 months. I finally have a right front that is going to legal limits- why do I never destroy the old tires first?:banghead:

Anyways...the chain drive transfer case I rebuilt was this one. Bought with a rod knock and having been way over heated, nursed it for a while then I went with the optimizer. All the normal steering- pitman,idler,upper/lower balljoints, etc. I have broken a half shaft. Lost a water pump in Deathvalley. I'm sure there's more, can't remember now.

This truck will wear faster than a regular pickup. It's heavier with 4 wheel independent suspension. That's wrong in the long life category, ever see a semi with independent? No! It's wrong- it just performs better off road except for rock crawling. Keep in mind it's a Half breed between a sports car and a duece and a half. You will always work on it more than a pickup, all the open grease joints? And most trucks got rid of every grease joint they could- even sealed ujoints. They were designed with heavy maintenance in mind ensuring everything is perfect before going into battle. It was also designed to abandon in a break down, not to be field repaired like the good ol jeeps. Come back and tow what's left when the bullets stop.
If you want something to not work on- sell it. These take 25% more maintenance than a k3500 with 6.5 in it. On the otherside of the teeter totter is its capabilities- to me it's well worth it. Hang in there and work out the bugs so you can enjoy it, or get better $ for it when you sell it IMO.
 
Btw, I know 5 other hmmwv/ h1 owners that we've all had similar problems. Never seen a halfshaft be good and cause a vibration. If its bad it will make a horrible noise or you can move it with your hand while in place- in other words obviously bad.
Because the differential housing is solid mounted to the frame. Bad ujoints cause a vibration through the whole truck, not one area.
I have over 100,000 miles I put on mine, and I've put about half the same on hmmwvs owned by our uncle. Tires and shocks 90% of the time is your vibration.

You have the cepek's, but what tires? Any run flats- and if so what kind? This could be part of your problem. There are bias and radial run flats as well as tires. The run flats are directional as well as most tires, but not all.

Do you have the ctis in use or regular valve stems?
 
Will L. said:
Btw, I know 5 other hmmwv/ h1 owners that we've all had similar problems. Never seen a halfshaft be good and cause a vibration. If its bad it will make a horrible noise or you can move it with your hand while in place- in other words obviously bad.
Because the differential housing is solid mounted to the frame. Bad ujoints cause a vibration through the whole truck, not one area.
I have over 100,000 miles I put on mine, and I've put about half the same on hmmwvs owned by our uncle. Tires and shocks 90% of the time is your vibration.

You have the cepek's, but what tires? Any run flats- and if so what kind? This could be part of your problem. There are bias and radial run flats as well as tires. The run flats are directional as well as most tires, but not all.

Do you have the ctis in use or regular valve stems?
Click to expand...

Superswamper IROK 39.5". No runflat.

Use CTIS.

WHat do you think?
 
Using ctis you can not do the liquid in the tire trick for balancing, it messes up the valves.

Can anyone drive behind / beside you and watch the tires while you are at the worst speed for it? Sometimes that is the easiest way.

Otherwise switch your right front with the left rear,
and right rear with the left front. Test drive and you should quickly narrow down the culprit.

Another option is if you have anyone that has a full set of rims/tires that are 8 lug you can borrow for a couple hours and run them. It wont tell you which tire, but if you do that and it does not eliminate the shake, you have ruled out the tires. One guy in Utah rented a homedepot truck for an hour to try it, and was amazed that all his vibration/ handling issues were from his nittos. Your speed will be off from the tire size, but run it up to freeway speed and you'll know.

Won't affect vibration but, has your vssb been corrected for the increased tire size to tell correct speed?
 
Will L. said:
Using ctis you can not do the liquid in the tire trick for balancing, it messes up the valves.

Can anyone drive behind / beside you and watch the tires while you are at the worst speed for it? Sometimes that is the easiest way.

Otherwise switch your right front with the left rear,
and right rear with the left front. Test drive and you should quickly narrow down the culprit.

Another option is if you have anyone that has a full set of rims/tires that are 8 lug you can borrow for a couple hours and run them. It wont tell you which tire, but if you do that and it does not eliminate the shake, you have ruled out the tires. One guy in Utah rented a homedepot truck for an hour to try it, and was amazed that all his vibration/ handling issues were from his nittos. Your speed will be off from the tire size, but run it up to freeway speed and you'll know.

Won't affect vibration but, has your vssb been corrected for the increased tire size to tell correct speed?
Click to expand...

yes I do have mercury balancing with CTIS. Not good?

I'll get my son to drive it and I'll watch from behind.

I checked the wheels and none are loose. The front end gives a bit left to right but i suspect that would be front steering linkage play.

I like your tire option. I think ill do that and that would answer a lot of questions. The last time I had vibration bad (not like this) it was a broken radial in a tire from flying off the vehicle...
 
Mercury balancers are good as long as it's not the real "mercury" in it. Even though it works the best, and if you don't care about the personal health risks, the liabilities are not worth it. They work, but if you have a tire way out or coming apart, it will mask it until things get bad.

If it is a front tire out, that left to right free play will multiply the problem.

I would be willing to bet the radial coming apart had something to do with the geared hub damage. 1 friend in Vegas has 500,000 miles on his '93 and has replaced leaking seals but no other hub issues... Taken care of their kinda bullet proof.

Keep us posted...
 
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