Slight vibration

[Srl39]

Originally purchased July 2019. I have been having the same vibration with my 19 RAM 4x4 with air suspension. I have read multiple posts about this issue and have tried identifying exactly what could be causing it. There is no change with normal vs aero. There is no change with turning off the MDS all though overall it does seem to ride better but the vibration is still there. It is subtle to me even when going at lower speeds but the moment I get close to 55 it gets much worse and it is undeniable at 60mph. I have read posts stating the dealer force road balanced their tires or completely changed them and some have had some improvement but not complete. Are there any other things the service department has done to attempt to remedy this? I have taken it to 2 different RAM service departments without success. The first one basically called me a liar in the worst interaction I have encountered and that there was nothing they could do and that I needed to take it back to the dealership I purchased it from. Calling to open a case with Chrysler didn’t help. I also had a rupture in my tire after it picked it up from them all the way to the white wall which they refused to respond about or take any responsibility for costing me $200 to fix. The second dealership I took it too seemed promising, I test drove it with the service tech who said he felt it as soon as we were aroun 57 mph and that he was certain it was my tires. He also stated that it is known to get rust spots in the tires if it sat at the dealer for some time before sale (the inspection sticker was from FEB and I purchased in July) so that all made sense. He told me he would balance them, if that didn’t work then he would road force balance them and if that didn’t work he would replace all 4 tires. Later that day I get a call saying they are still working on it and if I would leave it overnight. I agreed. This was on a Monday, Thursday I get a call saying they drove it and didn’t feel anything, the service manager told me it was a truck and was suppose to drive that way! So after having it for over 3 days they did absolutely nothing to it and told me to come pick it up. So the service tech then said he was just agreeing with me and that he never felt anything. I am beyond frustrated and just angry at this point. I am assuming now they know there is something wrong with it and they are just not willing to take responsibility. Does anyone have any advise other than to continue to call Chrysler over and over because that is the recommendation I received from the dealer I bought it from after all of this (which is 3 hours from my house). Long post, apologies.

 

[Billet1500 4x4]

This situation is identical to the Chevy shake that plagued Silverados and Sierras in the K2XX platform 2014-2019 no diagnosis, no fix, most dealers wouldn't acknowledge the problem and GM never acknowledged it either even though they released a revised body mount to try and counteract the problem. The only thing that ever come close to being a fix was to replace the rear axle shafts with aftermarket Yukon Gear moly shafts, which Yukon is not making for the new ram with 6 lug hubs. Another post found that the rear ends had improper total turning preload on the pinion as in 0 inch lbs when it should have been around 15 or so. I was thinking this may be the issue on this truck, so this weekend I dropped the drive line out to check the pinion preload which Ram had an issue with a few years back and the pinion nut not being tight. long story short I couldn't check it because Ram did not use a standard hex nut on the pinion shaft and instead used a proprietary fastener and the socket for it costs 165 dollars, The pinion shaft has two grooves that run the length of the shaft and the upper sleeve portion of the "nut" is hit with a chisel and locks the skirt of the nut into the pinion shaft Ii believe they went to this design because of the issues with loose pinion nuts quite a few years back. So even if the pinion is loose the "nut" is a one time use item and would have to be replaced. I'm pretty sure the vibration comes from the rear end because I can see the whole bed of the truck shaking from side to side at 60 mph and don't feel much in the steering wheel. The pinion nut is cheap like 12 bucks. Its the socket that costs a small fortune and is a hefty investment to check something that may or may not be the problem.



Video on pinion preload:

 

[k.daddy]

It's really unfortunate that so many folks are dealing with the vibration issues. Does anyone have any idea what the magnitude of the situation is and what if anything is Chrysler doing to rectify the issues?

 

[rrbhokies]

Originally purchased July 2019. I have been having the same vibration with my 19 RAM 4x4 with air suspension. I have read multiple posts about this issue and have tried identifying exactly what could be causing it. There is no change with normal vs aero. There is no change with turning off the MDS all though overall it does seem to ride better but the vibration is still there. It is subtle to me even when going at lower speeds but the moment I get close to 55 it gets much worse and it is undeniable at 60mph. I have read posts stating the dealer force road balanced their tires or completely changed them and some have had some improvement but not complete. Are there any other things the service department has done to attempt to remedy this? I have taken it to 2 different RAM service departments without success. The first one basically called me a liar in the worst interaction I have encountered and that there was nothing they could do and that I needed to take it back to the dealership I purchased it from. Calling to open a case with Chrysler didn’t help. I also had a rupture in my tire after it picked it up from them all the way to the white wall which they refused to respond about or take any responsibility for costing me $200 to fix. The second dealership I took it too seemed promising, I test drove it with the service tech who said he felt it as soon as we were aroun 57 mph and that he was certain it was my tires. He also stated that it is known to get rust spots in the tires if it sat at the dealer for some time before sale (the inspection sticker was from FEB and I purchased in July) so that all made sense. He told me he would balance them, if that didn’t work then he would road force balance them and if that didn’t work he would replace all 4 tires. Later that day I get a call saying they are still working on it and if I would leave it overnight. I agreed. This was on a Monday, Thursday I get a call saying they drove it and didn’t feel anything, the service manager told me it was a truck and was suppose to drive that way! So after having it for over 3 days they did absolutely nothing to it and told me to come pick it up. So the service tech then said he was just agreeing with me and that he never felt anything. I am beyond frustrated and just angry at this point. I am assuming now they know there is something wrong with it and they are just not willing to take responsibility. Does anyone have any advise other than to continue to call Chrysler over and over because that is the recommendation I received from the dealer I bought it from after all of this (which is 3 hours from my house). Long post, apologies.

Very well stated summary of the issues we have all been experiencing, both with the vibration, and with our interactions with the dealerships. I too bought a truck that had an inspection sticker of January and bought it in June. Having the tires road-forced balanced has been the only thing that has helped "minimize" the vibration. If you can get that done at the very least, I recommend you demand they do that. Will it resolve the issue, no. Will it make driving the truck a little more bearable? For me, to an extent, yes. Good luck.

 

[Srl39]

Very well stated summary of the issues we have all been experiencing, both with the vibration, and with our interactions with the dealerships. I too bought a truck that had an inspection sticker of January and bought it in June. Having the tires road-forced balanced has been the only thing that has helped "minimize" the vibration. If you can get that done at the very least, I recommend you demand they do that. Will it resolve the issue, no. Will it make driving the truck a little more bearable? For me, to an extent, yes. Good luck.

Thank you, I attempted to demand it but of course it would be at my expense which currently as a principle I am just not there yet. I have gone the BBB route which may end up without a solution but Chrysler and 3 Ram dealers are refusing to acknowledge so what other choice is there. I will let everyone know if that seems to help any. I also want to note that I purchased a 100K mile extended full warranty and 100K mile maintenance plan just because of my constant traveling lifestyle and I like to not spend time doing things like this... obviously that was a waste of money with this company.

 

[Skidowntown]

So does the vibration happen on every truck? I was about to by my first half-ton truck today. A loaded Laramie. I love it, but now I'm wondering it it's unwise decision.

Sounds like I should avoid RAM?

 

[flynfish]

If it wasn’t for the vibration I’d be enjoying the truck a lot more


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Skidowntown]

I just read this (possible fix?) on another site.

"I was getting similar symptoms after a tire rotation at 40k miles. I had my tires re balanced twice at two different shops with no resolve. The second shop tried telling me three rims were bent. They showed me how the rims hopped slightly on their balance machine (hub centric).

Thinking I was going to have to buy new rims, I decided to find a shop who uses a lug centric adapter. Thankfully I found one. Not only did they resolve the issue, but they also confirmed the second shop counter balanced my rims to the weights from the first shop. In short, they never removed the weights from the first balance, and fooled the machine to zero out by simply adding more weights on the opposite side of the rim. This had thrown everything off. In conclusion, my truck is now riding smoother than day 1.

Now I get zero vibration between 1-110mph. My old vibration started 65mph and got worse the faster I went.

$79 for a lug centric balance saved me $1200 in new rims."

 

[Skidowntown]

I just read this (possible fix?) on another site.

"I was getting similar symptoms after a tire rotation at 40k miles. I had my tires re balanced twice at two different shops with no resolve. The second shop tried telling me three rims were bent. They showed me how the rims hopped slightly on their balance machine (hub centric).

Thinking I was going to have to buy new rims, I decided to find a shop who uses a lug centric adapter. Thankfully I found one. Not only did they resolve the issue, but they also confirmed the second shop counter balanced my rims to the weights from the first shop. In short, they never removed the weights from the first balance, and fooled the machine to zero out by simply adding more weights on the opposite side of the rim. This had thrown everything off. In conclusion, my truck is now riding smoother than day 1.

Now I get zero vibration between 1-110mph. My old vibration started 65mph and got worse the faster I went.

$79 for a lug centric balance saved me $1200 in new rims."

Just noticed this was w/a 2016 RAM, so perhaps different situation. Sorry about any confusion, but perhaps it's something else that can be tested.

 

[wep1981]

How does one file a lemon law.? I think we should all file one and have FCA take all these trucks back until they fix the issue. Or gives all new 2020s. I have the truck for two months and have been at the dealer 4 times already. I took the service technician for a drive and he felt the shake. The truck is at the dealer now but I don’t have any faith in them finding a fix.

 

[Skidowntown]

What percentage of the vehicles is it? How many have complained about it in this forum? I mean is it still a small percentage of owners. I talked to a couple owners today that didn't have a problem. I test drove one today and while there was a little more vibration at higher speeds, I couldn't tell if it was outside of what should be acceptable. It's not a Rolls Royce.

Just wondering how big of a problem it is. Are there other Truck or Car organizations (Road/Track, Motortrend, etc) that have brought it up?

 

[Skidowntown]

What percentage of the vehicles is it? How many have complained about it in this forum? I mean is it still a small percentage of owners. I talked to a couple owners today that didn't have a problem. I test drove one today and while there was a little more vibration at higher speeds, I couldn't tell if it was outside of what should be acceptable. It's not a Rolls Royce.

Just wondering how big of a problem it is. Are there other Truck or Car organizations (Road/Track, Motortrend, etc) that have brought it up?

Also, has it already been determined that the 2020 RAM doesn’t vibrate?

 

[4Fitz]

It's been about three weeks since I 1st reported my initial vibration on my test ride, and my truck has been at the dealership for its 3rd visit since last week. They have STAR involved and they're getting the regional tech specialist involved now. I visited the dealership on Saturday and talked to the GM, who offered to sell me a similar truck. I test drove two 2019 trucks with 20" wheels and tires and they shook and vibrated more than my 2019 with 22" wheels and tires. When I told the GM how disappointed I was in all three trucks vibrating at ~60 Mph.... he asked, 'Have you ever owned a truck before? What are your expectations for a smooth ride?" Really? I told him I have an extensive truck ownership experience, and I'm just looking for a ride where the cab, floor, seats, and steering wheel don't vibrate at highway speeds. Very disappointing...... I'm waiting for my phone to ring with an update as I continue to drive the loaner car while my new 2019 RAM 1500 is in the shop. Very disappointing experience with no end in sight. I'm being asked to remain patient and let the dealership try to resolve the issue. How long do I wait before filing a lemon lawsuit? Time is running out....

 

[Skidowntown]

Sorry to hear that man. Did you say you test drove the 2020's w/similar results?

 

[Skidowntown]

Well, I decided to hold off on purchasing my RAM today, until I feel more comfortable about this issue.

 

[wep1981]

Update from dealer: so we road forced balanced all wheels and one of them was giving us issues. Found out that it was a bent rim.
Dealer is going to change the rim tomorrow and we’ll see if that fixes the issue. How can a rim be bent, straight from the yard? I guess one rim skipped the inspection department.

 

[4Fitz]

Sorry to hear that man. Did you say you test drove the 2020's w/similar results?

The dealership put wheels and tires from a 2020 onto my 2019 and it still vibrated.

 

[4Fitz]

Well, I decided to hold off on purchasing my RAM today, until I feel more comfortable about this issue.

That is a fantastic idea!!!!!!!!!

 

[4Fitz]

Update from dealer: so we road forced balanced all wheels and one of them was giving us issues. Found out that it was a bent rim.
Dealer is going to change the rim tomorrow and we’ll see if that fixes the issue. How can a rim be bent, straight from the yard? I guess one rim skipped the inspection department.

My dealership just road force balanced all four............it still vibrates.

 

[4Fitz]

So does the vibration happen on every truck? I was about to by my first half-ton truck today. A loaded Laramie. I love it, but now I'm wondering it it's unwise decision.

Sounds like I should avoid RAM?

My 2019 RAM has been at the dealership for over a week now. They are working with the Regional Tech, and STAR. Multiple attempts to fix the vibration have failed. I drove two other 2019 RAM trucks with 20" wheels over the weekend, both of them vibrated worse than my truck with 22" wheels.