From: SLEMSER@Compucom@INTERNET on Mon, Dec 9, 1996 6:57 PM
>I have seen some interesting and thought provoking (NO THINKING)
>replies concerning this gentlemens'' vibration woes. But it would
>seem that everyone is overlooking the more obvious and probable
>cause of his problem.
<SNIP>
>You stated that you feel the vibe thru the seat, this virtually
>eliminates any accessory attached directly to the front axle.
>You also say that it does not do this in 2wd. This statement
>eliminates tire balance, leaving only one area to concentrate on.
>Since it is only noticeable in 4wd on a smooth surface, there must
>be an imbalance in the Transfer Case.
>However, because the operation of the 4wheel drive system almost
>always amplifies drive train anomalies, it is possible that this
>condition does exist at all times and has not become bad enough to
>notice yet. With that in mind, locate a drive line / drive shaft shop and
>have the drive shaft checked for balance. Most reputable shops will
>also check for excessive play in the Pinion gear(Bearing) as well as
>the correct wear pattern on the Ring and Pinion gears. If these are
>not the problem, it is more than likely that the belt/chain/gears in the
>Transfer Case have excessive play in them.
I have not lost sight of the possibility that it is mechanical wear in the
drive train. But until I eliminate the tire rolling diameter possibility I
am not going to look further. As I stated in the original post I did damage
the right side differential axle bearing cage (elements and races ok) trying
to get it off to replace the seal. I hope to have time to have it pressed
apart this weekend and the new seal and bearing pressed back on. During the
seal replacing exercise I inspected the ring and pinion up front and they
look to be in great shape.
Also, the roughness is not severe and I would likely not think twice about
it if it was there all the time (more I think about it the more it reminds
me of my brother inlaws 78 Power Wagon that had full time 4wd), it's just
distinct and noticable as you shift in and out of 4wd and can only be felt
above 35mph on a smooth surface. If it winds up being anything more involved
than universals I will likely live with it until it gets bad. The truck has
202,000 miles on it and I purchased from a buddy as a third vehicle last
year.
Dave Clement
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