What To Do About Driveline Vibration.
The best driveshaft is the driveshaft you don't feel - ever... Having recently dealt with driveline vibration in both my 1998 F150 and 2003 Explorer, I thought this blog appropriately timed.
Driveshaft vibration is rooted in shaft runout, universal joint and yoke geometry, pinion angle, and dynamic balance. Sometimes, you can get rid of driveline vibration by simply rotating the driveshaft 180 degrees and reinstalling. Most of the time, you're going to need to send your driveshaft to a shaft shop - such as Inland Empire Driveline (Southern California) or Denny's Driveshaft (New York). Shaft runout (bent off center) can often be corrected. If it cannot be corrected, you're going to need a new shaft. Put your driveline on a weight loss program with an aluminum or composite driveshaft. Aluminum driveshafts aren't any more expensive than steel shafts. Composite shafts do not come cheap.
Check pinion angle while you are troubleshooting. This will cause all kinds of driveline gremlins that cause vibration. If pinion angle is extreme, it can become dangerous.
Most of the time, driveshaft vibration is rooted in dynamic balance - just like we experience with tires and wheels. Have a shaft shop replace your universal joints and yoke (if necessary) and have the shaft dynamically balanced. If you still have vibration, rotate the shaft 180 degrees and see what happens. If that doesn't do it, speak with your shaft shop and determine a course of action.