MN Vibration between 110 to 130 KPH!

[Ramo]

Hi Guys,
I can seem to find anyone with a problem like mine and I need some advise direction etc.
Background:
2010 MN Glx-r Manual with 1 piece tail shaft. With Iron Man 40mm suspebnsion lift.
All good before susspention lift, but since lift my ute has a slight vibration between 110-130kph I can drive through the vibration past 130 or drive down below 110 to get rid of it.
The virbration is almost like a wheel out of balance, but its not throught the steering, its a whole car subtle vibration, slightly worse when decelerating within the vibration zone of 110-130kph.

Story so far:

It has been back 3 times to my local garage wjho fitted the suspension and they have been very good about it, but the problem hasn't gone away.

1st visit put shims of 3mm to lift the front of the diff up. Still vibrating.

2nd visit, put 2mm washers under gearbox cross member to drop gearbox down at tailshaft end and put more shim at diff end about 4.5mm. Still vibrating

3rd visit, another 2mm washers under gearbox subframe to drop gearbox further-. Still vibrating

Is the problem the angles of the box or diff, or is it to do with the tailshaft i.e is it splined?

Has anyone else encountered this problem?

Please please - its doing my head in!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cowboy Dave]

I've had a vibration like this since mine was new. Have had several alignments and wheel balances with no success. Always thought it was drivetrain but never knew where. Of course the chances of an inner city dealer test driving at 110 odd kmh are basically nil so I got blank looks when I mentioned it at the 1500km service.

[Ramo]

I really feel for you, especially if you haven't done any mods to it. That's really bad straight from the box and brand new.
As I said i think this is a different issue to the Shudder that people are referring to, as the always seem to mention it on take off in lower gears etc.

[Kegsy]

You need to measure the output angle of the driveshaft from the gearbox, and the angle where the tailshaft meets the diff.

The should be alternate angles, exactly the same degrees. If they aren't there is your vibration problem. To fix it you need to make them the same.

[SkIp]

You need to measure the output angle of the driveshaft from the gearbox, and the angle where the tailshaft meets the diff.

The should be alternate angles, exactly the same degrees. If they aren't there is your vibration problem. To fix it you need to make them the same.

How can they differ?

Cheers

[Brett05]

Long shot here,
Have you had the tail shaft itself balanced again. It could be as simple as it not being balanced properly in the fist place. I had a look under a Triton with a one piece tailshaft last week, and it's pretty simple under there... not much to look at and not much to go wrong.
Cheers
Brett

[steve1961]

You might actually find its been there all the time, but having stiffened up the suspension its now pronounced ... the softer suspension may have absorbed / dampened it
as above i would try a tail shaft balance a 40 mm lift on a 1 piece tail shaft tri shouldnt give you an issue

[Cowboy Dave]

Having been PM'd by another member we seem to have at least 3 of us with the same issue. I'll leave the other guy to out himself later but he also had his from new.

Here's a slightly more detailed description of mine.

My vibration comes on just over 110 and goes away if I push past 120kmh. It is worse if I am in all wheel drive than in 2wd which is what made me think drivetrain. I think it might fit well with the tailshaft suggestion from above but have no idea how one checks such a thing.

I got ultimate suspension put in mine so new shocks and springs all round but it didn't change the vibration.

I've had 3 wheel alignments from 3 different places (including one from Ultimate's people) and there's been no improvement there.

I've also changed tyres (for other reasons) and that didn't change anything.

I reckon I can feel mine through the seat, but also the wheel and the door, so it is really vibrating the whole ute I think. It's not a big violent thing just a constant roughness that you feel come in and then everything goes smooth again as you drive back out of it again (by speeding up or slowing down).

Now I could be wrong about this last bit, but my recollection is that I maybe get less vibration when towing. This may just be that the load on the back is dampening down the vibrations but who knows?

Sounding familiar to any MN owners?

On the one hand I am happy to find others with the problem (happy to not be going mad) but on the other a little mystified as to the problem.

All suggestions gratefully received.

And if anyone knows a tailshaft specialist in Sydney, I'm game to try that.

[ultimate]

This is interesting. I've never heard anyone mention this before. Is it happening in auto and manuals? We had a similar problem in a pajero with a faulty torque converter.


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[Cowboy Dave]

Mine is an auto FWIW.

You probably don't remember it Brendan but we've exchanged posts on it before in some other thread. Something about vibrations at a particular speed usually being alignment I think it was. Long time ago though. 6 months or more I'd guess.

Are there any other symptoms/indicators if it's a torque converter?

[Cowboy Dave]

Ramo (original poster) has a manual as does the other member that PMd me.

[slimjim]

Well i am the other member with simlar issues, I am going nuts i have not spoken to my dealer yet but i also have a constant vibration nothing huge but always there since new, MN GLXR about 6 Months old 9000kms now. Its made worse by the fact when i am the only one in the car the metal part of the other seat belts sash vibrates against the plastic linings on the pillars between seats both front & back. When i go over a bump (s) etc they really hit then it is then excentuated through the whole vehicle (Bitumen roads). Like i say its a constant vibration nothing like others have said about shudder when taking off, or at certain speeds it doesn't come & go,Its just annoying the shit out of me. I thought it to be suspension rather than drive train mainly because of bumps making it worse. I did once after doin some beach driving leave the tyre pressures down a bit for a few days i think this did have a minor reduction. So far touch wood i have been very happy overall with the MN Triton but am wondering if others having same issues as mine b4 taking it further.

[slimjim]

Sorry yes mine is also a manual!

[Homer]

Just to get my post count up

As mine is an ML and V6 it is obviously different, but mine had a noticeable vibration (through the seat/feel exactly like you describe Dave - almost a harmonic) over about 110kph on absolutely neutral throttle.
By that I mean if it was pulling even slightly...nothing. If it was decelerating...nothing.

No one else ever complained and no one noticed even when I told them what to do to recreate it.
I had to take the foreman for a drive and make it happen before they would believe me...but he certainly did believe me when I showed him (I had it perfected) and he was pretty sure, as was I, that it was drivetrain related. Certainly didn't feel like a tailshaft balance issue though....

It was all ready for the tranny case/auto to be ripped out and rebuilt and then I got the pistons done. I haven't noticed it since.

So while different, the moral of the story could be that quite a few vehicles have this, but people less in tune with their car probably don't notice...I mean nearly every V6 ML needed pistons (and some probably still do) and all those that had pistons done didn't notice the vibration (or the piston slap noise)...and both would have been there...

Same probably goes for the diff whine....

[Cowboy Dave]

ah now you mention the deceleration thing, lifting off on the throttle does make it do something different. Can't remember off the top of my head though what that is. A little rougher I think it gets but it doesn't last because once the speed drops off enough it goes away again.

Slimjim yours sounds like it might be a bit worse, if I understand you correctly, are you saying it is always there regardless of speed? Now that would really suck.

I have a good stereo so I am confident mine will never develop a diff whine.

[slimjim]

Yep, no-one else in family have ever said anything, i am an?l about rattles & noises etc anyway but as i say it is just a constant vibration probably like others may have complained about tailshaft vibration its slight but noticeable all the time, but seems worse over sudden bumps in roads eg bitumen repairs, cattle grids (lots of them up my way) and revirberates (not sure of spelling)through whole car. seat belts not in use rattling makes it sound worse.

[fridgie]

I have a good stereo so I am confident mine will never develop a diff whine.

I tried to develop a diff wine, but the diff grapes are a very rare plant and had to put that project on the back burner.....have decided to try jerky instead

[ultimate]

I tried to develop a diff wine, but the diff grapes are a very rare plant and had to put that project on the back burner.....have decided to try jerky instead

I'm so embarrassed to be involved with this forum right now

[hvac guy]

hi there had a vibration on my old car after raiseing the car and turn out to be the taleshaft yolks were not lined up correctly. may be check that shold be opposing sides

[Cowboy Dave]

Must not make a joke about jerking, must not make a joke...

[Homer]

Also the seatbelts are a PITA if you don't physically turn them back flat...every single time someone gets out the seatbelts return to that [censored] position and rattle like a basterd

[Joe]

I may have this vibration but have put it down to wheels not balanced correctly. As you guys are saying, no one else ever says anything, but at speeds over 100 I sometimes get the vibration. I have put it down to wheels 'cause I don't get it all the time, but now that I've read this thread I'm thinking it maybe drivetrain. Will take more note next time I'm out on the highway.

[61rth]

Also the seatbelts are a PITA if you don't physically turn them back flat...every single time someone gets out the seatbelts return to that [censored] position and rattle like a basterd

exactly what I was going to say Homer. Problem is you don't realise until someone gets out and you are onto the highway. have to wait until you get off the highway to pull over and stop the rattles. Rattles annoy the [censored] out of me, so I am glad mine does not do this yet.

[ultimate]

Yeah you haven't had this vibration until you read this thread lol


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[steve1961]

Also the seatbelts are a PITA if you don't physically turn them back flat...every single time someone gets out the seatbelts return to that [censored] position and rattle like a basterd

exactly what I was going to say Homer. Problem is you don't realise until someone gets out and you are onto the highway. have to wait until you get off the highway to pull over and stop the rattles. Rattles annoy the [censored] out of me, so I am glad mine does not do this yet.

i do the rear ones up ... but theres still more rattles and squeaks then a baybyco super warehouse