2018 / 2500 6.4 Shudder???

[Rbertalotto]

36,000 miles....90% towing a 6000 travel trailer. Recently I have a shudder while towing at all speeds. Feels like a tire is out of balance. Feels like I’m driving on a rough road. Also feel it to a much lesser extent when not towing.
I had all four tires rotated and rebalanced. Michelin tires with under 10,000 miles on them.
Truck runs great. No loss of power and doesn’t feel like surging. Feels more like it might be a suspension issue, bad shocks?
Make long trips towing very uncomfortable.

Anyone have similar experience? And solutions?

 

[JohnnyMac]

I've heard of bad a U-joint in the drive shaft throwing it out of balance and doing that. I'd ask the dealer to check it for balance. Also I guess a broken belt in a tire might feel like that, but you'd think they would have noticed it while balancing. Was it a road force balance or spin balance?

 

[Rbertalotto]

Simple spin balance.

 

[mtnrider]

If you have eliminated the tires I would lean towards a driveline related issue since it's doing it more under load? Like mentioned, maybe a u-joint?


.

 

[JohnnyMac]

Simple spin balance.

I'd look at the driveline, and if you don't find anything, maybe find someone to do a road force balance just to completely eliminate the tires.

 

[Rbertalotto]

Thanks folks... appreciate the advise.

 

[RamCares]

36,000 miles....90% towing a 6000 travel trailer. Recently I have a shudder while towing at all speeds. Feels like a tire is out of balance. Feels like I’m driving on a rough road. Also feel it to a much lesser extent when not towing.
I had all four tires rotated and rebalanced. Michelin tires with under 10,000 miles on them.
Truck runs great. No loss of power and doesn’t feel like surging. Feels more like it might be a suspension issue, bad shocks?
Make long trips towing very uncomfortable.

Anyone have similar experience? And solutions?

Hi Rbertalotto,
If you are unable to rectify this yourself and decide to visit your dealer, please feel free to send our team a private message and we'd be happy to add additional assistance throughout that process!
Laura
Ram Cares

 

[Rbertalotto]

Thanks Laura! Greatly Appreciated

 

[Jeff Courtney]

My '18 3500 has developed a "shudder" or temporary vibration. It happens when I need to accelerate quickly from a stop while towing my 7900lb excavator on a gooseneck trailer. It don't do it if I ease into it from stop. Makes me think transmission.

 

[Rbertalotto]

Mine does not do it from a start. It only shows up at 40-70mph.....Feels like an unbalanced tire. Or that the road has waves in it.

 

[Ribtipram]

Mine also from take off. I hear its the angle of the dual drive shaft and chiming the carrier bearing will help. I have not tried yet. Guess what fca says its normal.

 

[dhay13]

I noticed mine seems to do it once in awhile. Today I was stopped on a hill not towing anything. I went to go very easily and it almost seemed like the brakes were on for a second then it went fine.

 

[CMV157]

I know you said it does this when not towing so this may not apply but I still thought this was worth sharing. I've had trailer tires not worn well or misbalanced and it can cause random escalating/deescalating vibrations. I experienced it so badly one time I thought the truck was getting ready to toss a drive shaft!

 

[Rbertalotto]

I don’t believe it is the trailer because it did it with my boat trailer last week when we pulled the boat out of the water for the winter. Same symptom...bouncy, jerky motion on very smooth roads.

I have an appointment on Thursday with my dealer.

Stay tuned!

 

[JimE]

I noticed mine seems to do it once in awhile. Today I was stopped on a hill not towing anything. I went to go very easily and it almost seemed like the brakes were on for a second then it went fine.

This sees to occur with every vehicle having the 8 speed tranny. It is a programming screw up with no real solution as it has to do with tolerances in both electronic and mechanical components. For whatever reason the computer will give up or down shifting priority over breaking. I discovered this with a near panic stop with our 2019 Jeep GC when brakes failed to fully apply until down shifting got into a low gear. Was about to take the ditch as the alternative to a full blown collision though breaking began at well over 300 feet behind the vehicle that would have suffered a rear impact. It appears that logical thinking is something that escapes the Fiat Chrysler engineers.

 

[JimE]

Mine also from take off. I hear its the angle of the dual drive shaft and chiming the carrier bearing will help. I have not tried yet. Guess what fca says its normal.

Normal? I would guess so considering every mechanical and/or electronic component has a failure point. I would call that a stupid response from someone that could probably screw up a ball bearing with a screwdriver.

 

[Ribtipram]

Normal? I would guess so considering every mechanical and/or electronic component has a failure point. I would call that a stupid response from someone that could probably screw up a ball bearing with a screwdriver.

I agree im gonna put a spacer in mine to lesson the angle and see where that takes me.some say a single shaft is the way to go also.

 

[Ribtipram]

My '18 3500 has developed a "shudder" or temporary vibration. It happens when I need to accelerate quickly from a stop while towing my 7900lb excavator on a gooseneck trailer. It don't do it if I ease into it from stop. Makes me think transmission.

Jeff this is what im talking about. I think the op has a different problem. Look into a bad carrier bearing or just putting a spacer in to decrease the angle from the rear shaft to the carrier. That angle has to play hell on the bearing

 

[Rbertalotto]

The trucks we are referring to have 6 speed transmissions.
My truck was fine for the first 33,000 miles. It was only the last couple thousand that is has been doing this. And it came on all of a sudden.
Other than this, truck runs great. No issues on start up or braking. Fuel mileage is the same as always.

 

[dhay13]

6 speed here too