Rtittsworth

I've been having a vibration that seems to come from the rear. It can happen at any speed but stops once I step off the gas pedal. When it occurs it can vibrate for a few seconds or longer. Took the rear drive shaft off and had the joints looked at. No cracks or wearing inside and they were full of grease. Tires are rotated on a normal basis. Wondering what else it could be if not in the drive shaft. Has anyone experienced this kind of issue?

jkrubcon

How many miles? U-joints?

Rtittsworth

134,000, no u joints.

resharp001

Out of curiosity, did you take it for a spin while the rear DS was off?

Rtittsworth

I did not. Maybe I should add that my front drive shaft, where it meets the transfer case, has a torn boot. However, I wouldn't think that would affect the driving except when in 4 wheel drive. As a reminder, the vibration stops once I step off the throttle.

jkrubcon

The front drive shaft "rolls" when in 2WD. Engagement occurs in the transfer case not at the wheel hubs. Vibration in the front running gear is possible in 2WD.

tjkamp

With our Jeeps, there are no locking/unlocking hubs, so the front half of the drivetrain is spinning if the tires are turning, the disconnect is in the transfer case. I had a vibration in my front driveshaft when I first replaced it with an aftermarket, due to a poor alignment of the adjustable front lower control arms, it generally only happened above 55mph, but also felt like it came on more under acceleration. If it hadn't started immediately after I replaced the front shaft, I likely would have started looking at the rear by the way it felt.

So, I wouldn't 100% write off the front shaft either. If the boot on the R-Zeppa joint at the transfer case is torn, it is on its way out, and should be replaced soon.

Happy Jeeping!

Rtittsworth

Sounds good. The front drive shaft will get fixed soon, just not soon enough. It's a place to start though and needs to be fixed regardless. Thanks for the help!

resharp001

If you can't fix the front DS right away, I'd at least pull it off for the time being and go without. Dry CV joints don't tend to get better with time.

Rtittsworth

I had the front drive shaft repaired and still had the vibration while it was off. This is getting pretty tricky to diagnose. Hate to buy a whole new drive shaft but with 135k miles on the Jeep maybe it's a good idea? I'd sure like to get another 100k out of the Jeep.