ps1588

hey i noticed that my 09 tahoe has been vibrating at speeds of 50 or more. i took it to the dealer and they are trying to say that my after market flow master muffler is the cause of the problem, even tho it was happening before i had it installed. can it actually be wat is causing it to vibrate???

cam3439

I had this problem with my '92 truck but it was at speeds between 30-50 mph, and it turned out to be the U-joints. Have you checked your u-joints? Do you hear a popping sound when shifting it into gear from park (kinda like a clunk/pop from underneath)? This shouldn't be your problem since your Tahoe is new, but I would check to make sure. You can also go underneath to your driveshaft and twist it to check if the u-joints are loose. This is just from experience, but the vibration would feel more like a shudder and not vibration from the wheels.

MDTAHOE

Put it in neutral while it is vibrating and turn the engine off, if the vibration stops it is not the exhaust. Most vibrations at speeds are tires especially on something so new. How are you sure it is not the tires?

ps1588

thanks cam i will deff check my u joints, and yes i sometimes feel a thump when sifting but usually when on an incline. MD thanks i will try that test today. i had the tires balanced before i took it to the dealer. thanks for the info ill keep u guys updated

cam3439

There should be a little noise coming from your drivetrain when putting it into gear. But what I'm talking about is a popping sound that is a little louder than usual, and with time, will get louder.

MDTAHOE

I have had many many car come in with vibration problems that just had the tire balanced and the problem was still a balance issue. Many shops do not calibrate the balancer regularly. Or they have people who do not use them properly. Or the balancer is just plain cheap. Look into Road Force balancing (google Hunter GSP 9700). Even if a tire is balance if it is a little out of round it will still hop.

in2pro

I would suspect tires/wheels to be the most likely cause as well...
Are the tires/wheels original or aftermarket?

It may be worthwhile to have the tires dis-mounted from the rims to inspect for water in the tire... I have also seen the tire rotated 180 on the rim to help reduce/identify out of balance tire/rim combination...

may also try rotating the tires to see if you can change the the vibration enough to identify or eliminate a tire issue...

Just some thoughts

HoleInOne

I had that problem on an 07 and never could find the problem until the tires were almost worn out. I took it in for a rotation and they found an area on the tire that was basically bald in an area about 8" long with plenty of tread the rest of the way. I would say something is wrong with the tires. Bridgestones??

UKHOOPZ

May not be a "balancing" issue, but could be a bad tire. It happens

in2pro

Good point...