Slight Vibration

[IrishRED]

I feel I should chime in and give my experiences from the 1.3k miles I have on my new Limited.

When I test-drove this Ram, I noticed the vibrations between about 56 to 65 mph immediately. It is only a slight vibration/nothing serious and so far my wife and kids have not commented on it, but was enough for me to notice even when I wasn't looking for it. Unfortunately for me, I travel in that speed range every day when I go to work...so I wasn't happy. The only time it wouldn't vibrate was when I was under load while towing my travel trailer. The dealer said they'd take care of re-balancing the tires for me, but I didn't want to hassle with it (yet) since I knew I was getting new tires.

About 2 weeks ago, I had the new larger & e-rated tires installed by a local auto shop (not the dealer). I am happy to report that the vibrations are now completely gone! Well, at least 80mph and below. I have yet to get it above 80 mph...but that won't be happening until I travel to another state with a higher speed limit.

I know some in this thread seem to have worse vibration issues what I was experiencing...but if you are able, changing tires might be a solution for some.

This made me especially happy since we had similar issues with the 3rd Gen Tacoma's. The vibrations happened at slower speeds (in the 40's), but wheel/tire balancing and/or changes did nothing. It wasn't until 2 different people changed out their entire drive shaft that we started to see positive results. I think it eventually became a TSB, but I was already looking to sell it and didn't want to go through the hassle with the dealer.

So just to use your example of how messed up this whole situation is, my truck ran perfect with no vibration at any speeds ...... until I changed out the shocks and tires!! I already posted some of this but I will give the short version. After I added General Grabber ATx (275/75R18) tires, Bilstein 5100 shocks (fronts adjusted to add 1.6" of lift) and Bora wheel spacers, that is when my vibration started. It is very mild but occurs at the same speed range that everyone else mentions! Taking off the spacers did not help and I had both rear tires replaced with no change. I since rotated my wheels/tires and the vibration is almost completely gone .... which is great until I rotate them again! I have a few plans to check different things (thanks to the posts on this thread) to try and solve my minor, compared to others, issue but this goes to show how may variables there are with this issue and how so many people are experiencing the same issue in different situations. Having read every post on this thread, the one thing I can see is that nobody really knows what the underlying problem is and while some things work for some people, many can not get the issue to go away no matter what they do.

 

[Hydroblueguy]

Sorry to hear of the vibration with the changes. On a positive note your brain will get a good workout reading all the material available and hopefully correcting the situation. And of course you will be able to help your fellow man (well at least 5th Gen Forum members). Best of luck.

My 19 is 100% stock with a vibration since day one! Good luck in resolving your issue!

 

[IrishRED]

Hello everyone. I am deeply sorry to hear about this vibration you are experiencing, and can certainly understand how it may be concerning. Please do not hesitate to send us a private message if you are in need of any additional support while addressing this concern with your dealer. We are more than willing to get a case escalated on your behalf to a customer care specialist for additional assistance in having this resolved.

Kathryn
RamCares

Hello Kathryn at RamCares. I know I am new to this thread but I read every single post on this and one thing is clear. The issue here is that nobody knows, for sure, what the problem is. However, being that this is such a widespread issue covering many years of Rams, I am quite convinced that "somebody" at Ram knows exactly what the problem is but does not want to say for fear of having to issue a recall. Instead of having everyone PM for individual attention, put it all out in the open! You, on the inside, can find out what the problem is ..... and then tell us all ... out in the open, like it should be. You have plenty of angry people here who are dealing with multiple warranty claims for the same problem, getting poor customer service and/or throwing away large chunks of cash blindly replacing part after part hoping that one day they will find the one that fixes the issue with the trucks they (used to) love and spent a lot of money on at purchase. You (and when I say you, I mean Ram not you personally) know what the problem is. Tell us!!! If Ram actually CARES, which most here are starting to doubt, then the solution will be forthcoming. While knowing what the problem is may not fall on you, doing your part to solve this for all of us falls directly on you!

Yes, I know, if I have any further concerns I can PM you .... thanks.

 

[BowDown]

My 2020 Limited on 22's and stock goodyears is glass smooth al the way to fuel cut off. I don't believe this is a engineering defect as too few trucks are having the issue even relative to this forum so that leaves some isolated instances where there's a driveline imbalance or a tire imbalance or both.
Not buying the pinion angle diagnosis as that would only come into play when the angle has killed a u joint and that is causing the vibration and again, more trucks would be impacted. A batch of bad shocks, wheels is also a possibility, 1st thing I'd do is put the tires on a wheel balancing machine and look at the runout. Are the tires and wheels mounted correctly, theres 2 dots on tires indicating the point of max and lowest weight, this dot should be lined up with the valve stem on the wheel which is the wheels heaviest point. Not following these steps will cause vibrations.

I'm curious though, did anyone test drive their truck before buying, this would have eliminated this from being an owners issue. I test drove my car (Z06) before I bought it, drove it around at normal speeds and tested the brakes and suspension then got on the service road and drove it right up to 140 mph. Sales person didnt like it but no way I was buying the car without discovering any potential problems. Did similar with both my Rams.

There's only so many things that are going to cause this issue and judging that its not in every truck (as it would to be a design defect), I'm guessing that its some bad components from a supplier. Again, 1st thing I'd look at are tire/wheels then the drive shaft then shocks.

 

[Hydroblueguy]

Hello Kathryn at RamCares. I know I am new to this thread but I read every single post on this and one thing is clear. The issue here is that nobody knows, for sure, what the problem is. However, being that this is such a widespread issue covering many years of Rams, I am quite convinced that "somebody" at Ram knows exactly what the problem is but does not want to say for fear of having to issue a recall. Instead of having everyone PM for individual attention, put it all out in the open! You, on the inside, can find out what the problem is ..... and then tell us all ... out in the open, like it should be. You have plenty of angry people here who are dealing with multiple warranty claims for the same problem, getting poor customer service and/or throwing away large chunks of cash blindly replacing part after part hoping that one day they will find the one that fixes the issue with the trucks they (used to) love and spent a lot of money on at purchase. You (and when I say you, I mean Ram not you personally) know what the problem is. Tell us!!! If Ram actually CARES, which most here are starting to doubt, then the solution will be forthcoming. While knowing what the problem is may not fall on you, doing your part to solve this for all of us falls directly on you!

Yes, I know, if I have any further concerns I can PM you .... thanks.

This is all I’ve wanted for the last year is answers and my truck to drive and perform like any new truck should! In fact it’s very sad, because I do think the ram 1500 is by far the best 1/2 ton truck!

 

[brandonjscioneaux]

My 2020 Limited on 22's and stock goodyears is glass smooth al the way to fuel cut off. I don't believe this is a engineering defect as too few trucks are having the issue even relative to this forum so that leaves some isolated instances where there's a driveline imbalance or a tire imbalance or both.
Not buying the pinion angle diagnosis as that would only come into play when the angle has killed a u joint and that is causing the vibration and again, more trucks would be impacted. A batch of bad shocks, wheels is also a possibility, 1st thing I'd do is put the tires on a wheel balancing machine and look at the runout. Are the tires and wheels mounted correctly, theres 2 dots on tires indicating the point of max and lowest weight, this dot should be lined up with the valve stem on the wheel which is the wheels heaviest point. Not following these steps will cause vibrations.

I'm curious though, did anyone test drive their truck before buying, this would have eliminated this from being an owners issue. I test drove my car (Z06) before I bought it, drove it around at normal speeds and tested the brakes and suspension then got on the service road and drove it right up to 140 mph. Sales person didnt like it but no way I was buying the car without discovering any potential problems. Did similar with both my Rams.

There's only so many things that are going to cause this issue and judging that its not in every truck (as it would to be a design defect), I'm guessing that its some bad components from a supplier. Again, 1st thing I'd look at are tire/wheels then the drive shaft then shocks.

My 2020 Limited on 22's and stock goodyears is glass smooth al the way to fuel cut off. I don't believe this is a engineering defect as too few trucks are having the issue even relative to this forum so that leaves some isolated instances where there's a driveline imbalance or a tire imbalance or both.
Not buying the pinion angle diagnosis as that would only come into play when the angle has killed a u joint and that is causing the vibration and again, more trucks would be impacted. A batch of bad shocks, wheels is also a possibility, 1st thing I'd do is put the tires on a wheel balancing machine and look at the runout. Are the tires and wheels mounted correctly, theres 2 dots on tires indicating the point of max and lowest weight, this dot should be lined up with the valve stem on the wheel which is the wheels heaviest point. Not following these steps will cause vibrations.

I'm curious though, did anyone test drive their truck before buying, this would have eliminated this from being an owners issue. I test drove my car (Z06) before I bought it, drove it around at normal speeds and tested the brakes and suspension then got on the service road and drove it right up to 140 mph. Sales person didnt like it but no way I was buying the car without discovering any potential problems. Did similar with both my Rams.

There's only so many things that are going to cause this issue and judging that its not in every truck (as it would to be a design defect), I'm guessing that its some bad components from a supplier. Again, 1st thing I'd look at are tire/wheels then the drive shaft then shocks.

Good starting points for anyone new with this issue. As for me, if you've read my posts, I have changed and replaced everything tire and suspension related but 3 things. Those 3 things are wheel bearings, rear link bars, and rear end. I'm getting my truck back tomorrow after it sitting at a second RAM dealership for the last 3 week's. I will be installing the adjustable rear link bars to correct the pinion angle tomorrow. It's either that or the preload on the pinion shaft or the backlash in the ring and pinion gears. That would explain the erratic inconsistencies in all of this. I'm going with the link bars because that would explain why my tires are being ruined at 500 miles due to the hopping. It can very well be multiple issues and different issues in each case, I've had multiple. What's alarming is that RAM doesn't CARES and so many of us are left dealing with these issues at our own expense. I fully intend on recouping every penny I've spent on my truck trying to fix something they voided my powertrain warranty over and didn't fix...Will update as soon as I get this done.

 

[brandonjscioneaux]

We would be happy to look into this further for you, @brandonjscioneaux. If you have any questions or would like to relay updates to your case, please do not hesitate to send us a PM.

By visiting our profile, you are able to "start a conversation." Please let me know if you are unable to do so, I will gladly initiate the messaging if needed.

Kathryn
RamCares

Initiate away!

 

[brandonjscioneaux]

Interesting that you discuss needing to bring things back to stock for warranty purposes; The Magnusson-Moss Act specifies that in order for any "Aftermarket" modifications to void any warranty, the Manufacturer has to prove that the modifications caused the problem. I've had a few encounters (Not my RAMs though) where a Dealer's Service Advisor told me that because of my mods, the warranty was voided, but when I mentioned the Magnusson-Moss Act (Many consumers are unaware of it, even though it's from the 60s or 70s), the warranty was applied.

FYI I've expressd that to this second dealership which said since the other dealership voided my warranty there's nothing they can do. This has also been cited and brought to light in my email to the attorney. I was given the heads up by the salesman who sold me the 6" lift. I immediately googled it and read the law. As we can all see by the actions in our country right now that law's are strictly in accordance to the eye of the beholder, in most cases makes there own law's...Justice has always been bought! OJ...I know this, KARMA is real. What goes around comes around.

 

[Hydroblueguy]

My 2020 Limited on 22's and stock goodyears is glass smooth al the way to fuel cut off. I don't believe this is a engineering defect as too few trucks are having the issue even relative to this forum so that leaves some isolated instances where there's a driveline imbalance or a tire imbalance or both.
Not buying the pinion angle diagnosis as that would only come into play when the angle has killed a u joint and that is causing the vibration and again, more trucks would be impacted. A batch of bad shocks, wheels is also a possibility, 1st thing I'd do is put the tires on a wheel balancing machine and look at the runout. Are the tires and wheels mounted correctly, theres 2 dots on tires indicating the point of max and lowest weight, this dot should be lined up with the valve stem on the wheel which is the wheels heaviest point. Not following these steps will cause vibrations.

I'm curious though, did anyone test drive their truck before buying, this would have eliminated this from being an owners issue. I test drove my car (Z06) before I bought it, drove it around at normal speeds and tested the brakes and suspension then got on the service road and drove it right up to 140 mph. Sales person didnt like it but no way I was buying the car without discovering any potential problems. Did similar with both my Rams.

There's only so many things that are going to cause this issue and judging that its not in every truck (as it would to be a design defect), I'm guessing that its some bad components from a supplier. Again, 1st thing I'd look at are tire/wheels then the drive shaft then shocks.

I did not test drive mine as I bought it over the phone 1000 miles away and when I got to the dealership it was dark and they were getting ready to close. Also with mine right after tires are balanced it is much better, but after a few hundred miles the balance is thrown out. So in my case the only way I might have noticed the vibration was to test drive it 400-500 miles and no one does that! Also if the tires are mounted wrong, this should be caught on quality control before these trucks leave the factory! Very unacceptable. I believe some of my problem is I have at least a bad rims. A independent tire shop discovered this while trying to balance the tires and the wheel was on the balance machine it was hopping around. Again quality control, whoever balanced these tires at the factory would have known these rims were severely warped. However they balanced them and stuck them on my truck!

 

[RamCares]

Well my truck has been at the dealer for a 3rd time. I’ve duplicated the vibration, I’ve videoed it and I have opened a case with Ram. The service manager told me the mechanic couldn’t duplicate the issue this time, like the did last time. But he drove it and did feel a vibration around 70-75 but it went away after a minute. They suggest I go to a place and have a road force balance done, those are needed sometimes for low profile 22’s like the factory wheels I have. My “case manager” I still have not heard from, I’ve called and talked to others and they told me I would get a call while it was at the dealer for the last two days, but that didn’t happen. I’ve sent an email back to Ram, trying to get this taking care of. No luck so far. They should advertise it as an around town truck and drive on the highway at your own risk. It’s not as bad as the Ford death wobble, but there is something wrong that is ruining other parts, and making the ride very uncomfortable and after a good 8 hr drive the vibration causes a headache.

Wow so finally got my oil leak fixed after three visits and one transmission pulled later . My truck also has a harmonic vibration at 70-80 like it is in the wrong gear. I’m just freaked out anymore these 2500 trucks are not cheap. I love the product but can’t help to feel I got one with some troubles. Two front tires already have blown belts and they seem to wearing badly as well. 9773 miles.

Hi All, glad I found this thread as I am having a similar problem but was convinced it was a tire issue .... especially since it didn't start until I put new tires on! However, at the same time I had installed Bilstein 5100 shocks, front and rear, with the front shocks set to raise the front end 1.6". Rear ride height would have remained unchanged but the drive angle may have changed slightly because of the front? Does this sound like the same issue? I will have to do a lot of reading of this thread!! See my thread at: Vibration after Bilstein 5100 leveling??

Hello everyone, we are sorry to hear about the troubles you've faced while addressing this concern in the past. In order to determine resolutions to vehicle concerns, an in-person diagnosis must take place in order to exhaust all possible root causes. If this is something you decide to address with your Ram dealer, we would be more than willing to escalate a case on your behalf to a specialist for further support through that process. Please do not hesitate to follow up with additional questions.
Please know that part of our role here is to track the trends of customer concerns so that the appropriate parties are made aware of what our customers are experiencing. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to assist you.

Kathryn
RamCares

 

[ThinBlue-Ram22]

It would be great to have my case manager call me back to help me get the problem fixed. I had to go to a VA doc appointment this am. From Cape Cod to Providence. The vibration on the highway was so bad. I had my wife video it again as I was driving. In order to not vibrate violently (not a noise/sound) by the time I got to Providence I had a headache again. It’s not subtitle... it’s very noticeable from the driver and any passengers standpoint. It seemed to get worse in long curves on the highway, but didn’t go away at highway speeds. I had to set the cruise control to below the speed limit to get a somewhat descent ride. The truck is smooth around town. I need a dealer that will actually take on the highway, not local roads at highway speeds. They always have to slow down or go for short burst of speed expecting it to duplicate the issue. Time and time again k have said drive it on the highway... take it for a ride for an hr I don’t care. You can’t say if doesn’t happen. I’ll drive, just get one to come with me. I’ve asked for that twice now. I’m at my end with this truck, and I love the truck. I don’t want it to go, but it’s looking like it will be. I’m very disappointed. I went with this truck because of the RIDE it gave. Now I wish I went with the High Country.

 

[mikehoff0341]

Hello everyone, we are sorry to hear about the troubles you've faced while addressing this concern in the past. In order to determine resolutions to vehicle concerns, an in-person diagnosis must take place in order to exhaust all possible root causes. If this is something you decide to address with your Ram dealer, we would be more than willing to escalate a case on your behalf to a specialist for further support through that process. Please do not hesitate to follow up with additional questions.
Please know that part of our role here is to track the trends of customer concerns so that the appropriate parties are made aware of what our customers are experiencing. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to assist you.

Kathryn
RamCares

Kathryn,

I brought my Ram into the dealer today and the Tech said the dealership is aware of the issue but there is no fix for my vibration/hopping/shutter and told me to reach out to Ramcares. My truck is undrivable. I called to reopen my case and currently waiting for a Ram specialist to call me. I didn't drop $70,000 on a truck that I can't drive safely with my wife and 2 small boys. Case #78023546

I have no idea how to private message, you can initiate to me or you have my case number to call me.

 

[mikehoff0341]

Has anyone on here seen these videos on YouTube?

Video 1

Video 2

 

[Dusty1948]

My 2020 Limited on 22's and stock goodyears is glass smooth al the way to fuel cut off. I don't believe this is a engineering defect as too few trucks are having the issue even relative to this forum so that leaves some isolated instances where there's a driveline imbalance or a tire imbalance or both.
Not buying the pinion angle diagnosis as that would only come into play when the angle has killed a u joint and that is causing the vibration and again, more trucks would be impacted. A batch of bad shocks, wheels is also a possibility, 1st thing I'd do is put the tires on a wheel balancing machine and look at the runout. Are the tires and wheels mounted correctly, theres 2 dots on tires indicating the point of max and lowest weight, this dot should be lined up with the valve stem on the wheel which is the wheels heaviest point. Not following these steps will cause vibrations.

There's only so many things that are going to cause this issue and judging that its not in every truck (as it would to be a design defect), I'm guessing that its some bad components from a supplier. Again, 1st thing I'd look at are tire/wheels then the drive shaft then shocks.

A couple of comments:
I believe the original contention was that the "bad pinion angle" was an engineering problem. If that were the case, over 1 million 5th gen Ram 1500s would be suffering vibrations. Could the pinion angle be off on one production unit? Possibly. While its an item to check, there are other more dynamic components to eliminate first.

My DT service manual doesn't list wheel runout specs, but previous Ram service manuals call for a maximum of 0.035 inch lateral, 0.030 inch radial runout on aluminum wheels.

There currently is no industry standard on the colored dots found on tires. Blue, red, and yellow are the most common. Many tire manufacturers use the yellow dot to indicate alignment with the valve stem on the valve stem side of the wheel (low weight position). Blue or red are sometimes used to indicate radial low or high side of the tire. However, after a good dynamic tire balance the valve stem dot may not align perfectly with the valve stem.

Best regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 044780 miles.

 

[Granite2WD]

Has anyone on here seen these videos on YouTube?

Video 1

Video 2

Just now. A few thoughts. I think this is a Classic model and obviously a 4WD. I have had two 5th gen 2WDs with the vibration. The biggest problem with this vibration issue is there has to be an acceptable level of vibration. How is this defined and measured? Until that is public, FCA dealers are just going by a literal seat of the pants feel.

Many people, including me, have been told the vibration is normal, and then made changes to the vehicle that completely solve the "normal" vibrations.

Even road force balancing a tire has a measurement system that shows the level of imperfection and there is an acceptable and measurable amount of allowable variation from a road force balancing machine. I have not yet heard of anything similar from an FCA dealership. This leads to the frustrating response from dealers that they can't replicate the issue.

I truly believe some high-up bean counter is instructing service departments to try and ignore the issue until the warranty expires. I bet the Fiat dealerships will be happy to address the problem outside of the warranty period. Now let me adjust my tin foil hat.

 

[mikehoff0341]

Video 2

Just now. A few thoughts. I think this is a Classic model and obviously a 4WD. I have had two 5th gen 2WDs with the vibration. The biggest problem with this vibration issue is there has to be an acceptable level of vibration. How is this defined and measured? Until that is public, FCA dealers are just going by a literal seat of the pants feel.

Many people, including me, have been told the vibration is normal, and then made changes to the vehicle that completely solve the "normal" vibrations.

Even road force balancing a tire has a measurement system that shows the level of imperfection and there is an acceptable and measurable amount of allowable variation from a road force balancing machine. I have not yet heard of anything similar from an FCA dealership. This leads to the frustrating response from dealers that they can't replicate the issue.

I truly believe some high-up bean counter is instructing service departments to try and ignore the issue until the warranty expires. I bet the Fiat dealerships will be happy to address the problem outside of the warranty period. Now let me adjust my tin foil hat.

I hear you and you're probably right but this slight vibration which might be acceptable if all it was was an annoyance but it's not. This vibration/hopping has destroyed my tires in less than 10,000 miles. That's not something that can be ignored.

Anyone here interested in collecting everyone's information and go to a lawyer to draft up a letter to FCA or does anyone have any connections with any media outlets, TV or print, that would bring this to the masses?

 

[ThinBlue-Ram22]

Kathryn,

I brought my Ram into the dealer today and the Tech said the dealership is aware of the issue but there is no fix for my vibration/hopping/shutter and told me to reach out to Ramcares. My truck is undrivable. I called to reopen my case and currently waiting for a Ram specialist to call me. I didn't drop $70,000 on a truck that I can't drive safely with my wife and 2 small boys. Case #78023546

I have no idea how to private message, you can initiate to me or you have my case number to c

Just now. A few thoughts. I think this is a Classic model and obviously a 4WD. I have had two 5th gen 2WDs with the vibration. The biggest problem with this vibration issue is there has to be an acceptable level of vibration. How is this defined and measured? Until that is public, FCA dealers are just going by a literal seat of the pants feel.

Many people, including me, have been told the vibration is normal, and then made changes to the vehicle that completely solve the "normal" vibrations.

Even road force balancing a tire has a measurement system that shows the level of imperfection and there is an acceptable and measurable amount of allowable variation from a road force balancing machine. I have not yet heard of anything similar from an FCA dealership. This leads to the frustrating response from dealers that they can't replicate the issue.

I truly believe some high-up bean counter is instructing service departments to try and ignore the issue until the warranty expires. I bet the Fiat dealerships will be happy to address the problem outside of the warranty period. Now let me adjust my tin foil hat.

Mine isn’t a normal vibration. I drive a Ram crew cab for my cruiser and the tires are out of balance on that one. It rides like crap and that isn’t even close to what my 2020 does. Tires are all jacked up with 8k and the shaking at highway speeds is unbearable. Maybe they put on cheap tires not designed for a full size truck with 22” rims. Mine was made when the factory’s were being shut down for Covid. I think steps were skipped to push out what was left to dealers for inventory. If my issue isn’t fixed I’m going the lemon law route and would be happy to do a class action.

 

[Dusty1948]

Just now. A few thoughts. I think this is a Classic model and obviously a 4WD. I have had two 5th gen 2WDs with the vibration. The biggest problem with this vibration issue is there has to be an acceptable level of vibration. How is this defined and measured? Until that is public, FCA dealers are just going by a literal seat of the pants feel.

Many people, including me, have been told the vibration is normal, and then made changes to the vehicle that completely solve the "normal" vibrations.

Even road force balancing a tire has a measurement system that shows the level of imperfection and there is an acceptable and measurable amount of allowable variation from a road force balancing machine. I have not yet heard of anything similar from an FCA dealership. This leads to the frustrating response from dealers that they can't replicate the issue.

I truly believe some high-up bean counter is instructing service departments to try and ignore the issue until the warranty expires. I bet the Fiat dealerships will be happy to address the problem outside of the warranty period. Now let me adjust my tin foil hat.

Good points.

Anytime you have rotating mass you introduce the potential of some level of vibration since there must be tolerances in the fitting of components. Engineers understand this and in the design phase they incorporate methods to control (hopefully) all the variables that may impact it. Some of that is balancing, some of that could be dampening.

In the case of Road Force balancing the generally acceptable maximum down force is around 20-25 pounds. Obviously zero is the desired amount, but when dealing with production tires and wheels, zero is likely to be an impractical number. To the best of my knowledge the newer Road Force machines do a preliminary lateral and radial runout check before the tire is placed into it's final position. If the wheel runout is excessive, it's possible that a tire could also be out of specification enough to offset wheel runout and hit an acceptable downforce. The problem, however, can or will show up the next time another tire is mounted on that wheel. Then again, I would bet there's a small population of technicians that either do not perform the operation correctly, or will accept out-of-spec because of time.

Companies do manage warranty expenditures, however there is always a threshold of pain, both for the customer and the reputation of the company that is usually considered. In many cases a resolution is known but for various reasons the supplier cannot ship good parts at the level needed.

Then of course there's the dealer's service staff. Some may be competency issues, some may be workflow or morale issues , some may be a lack of customer empathy.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 044780 miles.

 

[Granite2WD]

Good points.

Anytime you have rotating mass you introduce the potential of some level of vibration since there must be tolerances in the fitting of components. Engineers understand this and in the design phase they incorporate methods to control (hopefully) all the variables that may impact it. Some of that is balancing, some of that could be dampening.

In the case of Road Force balancing the generally acceptable maximum down force is around 20-25 pounds. Obviously zero is the desired amount, but when dealing with production tires and wheels, zero is likely to be an impractical number. To the best of my knowledge the newer Road Force machines do a preliminary lateral and radial runout check before the tire is placed into it's final position. If the wheel runout is excessive, it's possible that a tire could also be out of specification enough to offset wheel runout and hit an acceptable downforce. The problem, however, can or will show up the next time another tire is mounted on that wheel. Then again, I would bet there's a small population of technicians that either do not perform the operation correctly, or will accept out-of-spec because of time.

Companies do manage warranty expenditures, however there is always a threshold of pain, both for the customer and the reputation of the company that is usually considered. In many cases a resolution is known but for various reasons the supplier cannot ship good parts at the level needed.

Then of course there's the dealer's service staff. Some may be competency issues, some may be workflow or morale issues , some may be a lack of customer empathy.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 044780 miles.

When I experienced the vibration in my second 1500, I took it to a tire shop. They did the road force balancing and found 2 tires out of balance. They did mention that truck tires are harder to road force balance than smaller tires. It did not seem like an excuse and made sense to me. They also mentioned one tire was so unbalanced even after re-balancing that Goodyear would be willing to replace for free. I wish Ram service treated me like this chain store tire shop does.

 

[Granite2WD]

Video 2

I hear you and you're probably right but this slight vibration which might be acceptable if all it was was an annoyance but it's not. This vibration/hopping has destroyed my tires in less than 10,000 miles. That's not something that can be ignored.

Anyone here interested in collecting everyone's information and go to a lawyer to draft up a letter to FCA or does anyone have any connections with any media outlets, TV or print, that would bring this to the masses?

I understand your pain and I also fear that other components are wearing prematurely from this vibration. One depressing piece of information is that you can easily find reports of this same vibration in the 4th gen trucks. Despite this problem being around for years, there is, seemingly, no desire from Ram to resolve the issue.