Transmission Shudder, Dealer can't fix

[OzarksRam]

I know this has been discussed here before, just wondering if anyone had any new info to share or something they have found to work. Here is what my truck (2015, 2500, 6.4) is doing and has been doing since new. When you slow down from a higher speed to make a turn onto a new street, slowing down to approximately 15 mph, once you accelerate, the truck will shudder and shake like the transmission is slipping. It only does this when the truck remains in 3rd gear. It will not do it when it down shifts to 1st or 2nd. This is the only scenario where this happens. Using Tow/Haul prevents this as the truck will down shift out of 3rd when slowing down. It does this multiple times a day and can sometimes be a violent shake. Over the last 4 years I've taken my truck in 6 times since new. My responses have been..
1. Its new give it a few miles
2. Lets Flash the transmission
3. "
4. We can't find anything wrong with it. It doesn't throw a code.
5. Transmission Solenoid Recall
6. Just this week...I had a mechanic ride with me to show them the shudder. They said to replace the Torque Converter. I drove home last night after they replaced it and it did it 3 times on the drive home.
Now I'm stuck. I plan to call the dealer again today but I don't know where to go from here. Between the various times I have taken the truck in, I have tried to sell it but didn't get any good offers. Now I wish I would've but now I don't feel like I can sell it in good faith knowing there may be something wrong with it.
Any Ideas? My warranty is about up so I thought I may try something in the aftermarket but not sure what to do. Pedal Commander to make it down shift quicker? Diablo Tuner? Aftermarket TQ Converter? I have no idea. I like the truck and have had no issues other than this but I'm at my wits end. Sorry for the ramble.

 

[chrisbh17]

Is it possible something in the drivetrain is binding up? Like a u-joint.

 

[McBroom]

Drive shaft balance is off.

Blue Mule

 

[Fast69Mopar]

Drive shaft balance is off.

Blue Mule

Like Blue Mule said, make sure there aren't any balancing weights missing from the driveshaft. If there are weights missing a driveshaft shop is in order to have it balanced. Also, have someone check the pinion angle on the rear axle. If the pinion angle is wrong you will get a heavy shudder during acceleration.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Drive shaft balance is off.

Driveshaft balance is off only when it stays in 3rd gear?
OP stated it does not shudder when truck downshifts out of third.

 

[Fast69Mopar]

Driveshaft balance is off only when it stays in 3rd gear?
OP stated it does not shudder when truck downshifts out of third.

Things happen very differently when in certain gears. Any time I have a customer complain of a driveline vibration the first thing I check is for missing balance weights from the propshaft. The next thing I check is the pinion angle. It doesnt take make to cause a vibration in a truck with a 2-piece propshaft and a center support bearing (carrier bearing).

If this was a trans related issue, I would think that the vibration would occur in several of the forward gears like 1st-4th because in these gears the underdrive clutch is being applied in every gear except 5th and 6th. If it was a problem with the underdrive clutch I would suspect issues in 1-2-3 and reverse. If this was a problem in 3rd gear with the 4C clutch I would also suspect it would cause the vibration in 5th becuase the 4C clutch is applied in 3rd and 5th.

With a new torque converter in the truck we have eliminated that as a cause for now. I doubt 2 different converters would cause the same issue but it wouldnt be the first time either.

 

[chrisbh17]

Ironically, someone I work with just picked up a 2019 Tacoma. First ride I took in it, I could feel a shuddering vibration as we decelerated.

Sure enough, Toyota has a TSB for it and how to fix it. It is related to pinion angle based on what springs the truck is equipped with.

It does not do it only in one gear, but it does do it as you decelerate between 30 and 10 mph. He feels it now that I mentioned it, but is waiting for his first dealer service to have them fix it.

 

[McBroom]

Another thing I forgot to mention is the transmission mount itself. The bolts,rubber bushing, crossmember bolts can also be the culprit too.

Blue Mule

 

[Halligan]

I've noticed a very similar issue from time to time on my 2015 6.4 Power Wagon. I think it might be the torque converter having a hissy fit and locking/unlocking rapidly. If that's the case it's likely a programming issue. I didn't bother bringing it to the dealer because of your exact experience.

 

[mtofell]

Mine does/did this exact same thing after the first rebuild at 38K and is now sitting in the dealer having a second rebuild done at 93K. After the first rebuild I tried with no luck to convince the dealer something was wrong. The shudder was only part of the problems though. It also clunked and slammed gears pretty often.

My experience with Ram dealers is if the truck moves and isn't on fire there is no problem and they won't do a thing. I have a lifetime warranty so to some extent I don't really care if/what is wrong (other than being stuck somewhere, of course). I personally would NEVER consider owning this truck without a warranty.

As these 6.4 Hemi trucks (with the 66rfe tranny) age, it's hard to say tranny problems are common since I don't read about too many on here (and there are a lot of these trucks on the road). It just seems that if you get a lemon, you really get a lemon.

I really can't say I'm surprised. Dodge/Ram has been churning out vehicles with **** poor transmissions since I was a kid.

 

[lpfm1990]

Ironically, someone I work with just picked up a 2019 Tacoma. First ride I took in it, I could feel a shuddering vibration as we decelerated.

Sure enough, Toyota has a TSB for it and how to fix it. It is related to pinion angle based on what springs the truck is equipped with.

It does not do it only in one gear, but it does do it as you decelerate between 30 and 10 mph. He feels it now that I mentioned it, but is waiting for his first dealer service to have them fix it.

That’s not a new issue to the taco’s my 2012 off-road ccsb did it badly (bad enough to actually crack a leaf pack)

And my 6.4 did it also in my 15 ccsb 3500, I just learned to lay in the throttle abit more coming out of the corner and it never did it much after that, but I traded that truck in at 22k as the motor was on its final leg

Forgot to add. Look up “axle wrap” that’s what is going on


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[olyelr]

My ‘16 power wagon has had this same issue since new. Dosnt sound like it is quite as severe as yours, but it has certainly done it. And it will do it when lugging in higher gears at speed as well.

I have never even bothered taking it to the dealer because it seems like they never know what the issue/fix is... so its just a waste of time.

This is a known issue on the forums. I have been researching it for years, and have never really read of anybody actually figuring it out or remedying it.

My gut instinct tells me it is an electronic/sensor issue in the trans. No way in hell is it an out of balance driveshaft. Its just waaaaaay to intermittent to be that.

 

[Octane]

Sounds like the tranny is failing to downshift from third to second on time and its lugging in too high a gear. I did an emergency stop in mine one day and it didnt downshift correctly and I thought the tranny was ripping out.It was okay by the time it completely stopped.Till now Ive never been able to stop faster than a tranny can downshift but Ive always owned Chevy and Rangers.

 

[McBroom]

That’s not a new issue to the taco’s my 2012 off-road ccsb did it badly (bad enough to actually crack a leaf pack)

And my 6.4 did it also in my 15 ccsb 3500, I just learned to lay in the throttle abit more coming out of the corner and it never did it much after that, but I traded that truck in at 22k as the motor was on its final leg

Forgot to add. Look up “axle wrap” that’s what is going on


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I forget about the axle wrap because I have the 5 link as a lit of us do with the offroad and PW packages.

Blue Mule

 

[olyelr]

I forget about the axle wrap because I have the 5 link as a lit of us do with the offroad and PW packages.

Blue Mule

Although by design you would think that it would be impossible to get axle wrap, but its not. The huge rubber bushing flex just enough...

But what is worse than wrap on these truck, is the hop. If you haven't been wheeling in deep snow or loose sand you may not have experienced it, but it is horrendous. Where the axle starts hopping up and down uncontrollably. Basically have to let off the throttle, which sucks at times LOL!

 

[Chris8579]

Mine also shudders like this. It used to do it a lot. There was a problem with the egr after it was replaced it went away for 20,000 miles and now it’s intermittently back. Slow around a corner and it shudders then I matt the gas and it stops. I wonder if part of it could be the ridiculously tall first and 2nd gear it’s like your wasting at least 3 of them only really need one overdrive

 

[6.4LMegaMan]

I've noticed a very similar issue from time to time on my 2015 6.4 Power Wagon. I think it might be the torque converter having a hissy fit and locking/unlocking rapidly. If that's the case it's likely a programming issue. I didn't bother bringing it to the dealer because of your exact experience.

This. This is the conclusion I have come to as well. It's so random for me I can't do it on command but it happens about once every week or 2. Always on a low speed downshift. Poor programming and gear ratios is my thought. My next attack will be 4.88 or 5.13. Possibly programming, too. I really don't think it's hurting anything. Just annoying and embarrassing with passengers in the truck.

Oh, might I add it's gotten worse with 37s and that's why I think it's gearing related or at least has exacerbated / amplified the issue.

 

[ticat928]

I had this issue in my 5.7 Tundra for 12 years, never went to dealer. Never hurt trans

My reasoning was this, it got phenomenal in town gas mileage due to a tenacious torque converter lock up strategy, it would hold 6th gear locked up down to 1100 rpm on level ground showing 23 mpg, the slightest rise in road it would shudder and bang out of lock up into 5th gear

 

[2bikemike]

Being an older truck, it can be the universal joint.
My neighbor had a 2006 and he described the same issue to me. He is mechanically handy so he bought the joint kit and replaced the rear joint in the driveway in 15 minutes while I stood listening how to do it. Worked he said.

 

[OzarksRam]

Here is little bit of an update/Rant. Basically the dealer doesn't know how to fix it. Yesterday a Tech Rep from Ram was supposed to come down and he didn't show. The dealership looked at the truck again and thought it was a programming issue and there is nothing mechanically wrong, which I kind of agree. They said Ram hasn't been very helpful with them in figuring out what is wrong so they suggested I open a case with them, which I did. I hope Ram will actually help me figure something out. This makes the 7th trip to the dealer with no solution. I feel like i'm stuck with the truck. I've tried selling it twice through out the 4 years I've owned it and backed out each time because I couldn't in good faith tell the buyer that there was nothing wrong with the truck especially when I went to church with one of the guys that wanted to buy it. The dealership said they have had others with the same problem all around the same year as mine.