Automotive question?

[Hem]

Alright, I need feedback. Please offer constructive comments.
Bought a '22 Nissan Frontier crewcab new. It's my runner. Trying to preserve the Tundra with 175k.
Been very happy with the little truck, it was a fraction of cost versus Taco.
Truck now has 50k miles.
So early on there was a slight shudder at higher speeds....70mph and above. This has become far more noticeable. I put a 2" lift /level on the truck and the front end was aligned. Upgraded shocks, but nothing terribly high end.
I have good summer and winter tires.
No collisions, no blunt impacts underneath.
Topper on truck.
Originally I thought maybe a tire weight got thrown. Tire guys said no, but claimed my tires weren't round. Seriously? Didn't know that was a thing. Different tires hasn't changed anything.
The funny thing is the intensity of the shudder changes some, with incline/ decline and wind. It's not steady, but when it's bad it feels like the whole undercarriage is vibrating.
No idea where I go from here.

Any suggestions appreciated.
Go ahead and school me.

 

[Nick87]

The funny thing is the intensity of the shudder changes some, with incline/ decline and wind. It's not steady, but when it's bad it feels like the whole undercarriage is vibrating.
No idea where I go from here.

What about rpms?

 

[marksjeep]

Tires can become out of round if cords break internally, usually old tires/age related as materials break down.
Drive line vibration? Driveshaft might be out of balance or a U-joint on its way out. If you feel it in the steering wheel, look at steering components, but they should have checked those with alignment. If you feel it in the seat of your pants, check the drive line. Incline/decline or loaded bed could change driveshaft angles slightly, affecting vibrations, especially in a short truck like frontier, or a jeep...

 

[Hem]

What about rpms?

No red flags.

 

[Carnage2011]

Maybe a U-joint?

 

[Hem]

Tires can become out of round if cords break internally, usually old tires/age related as materials break down.
Drive line vibration? Driveshaft might be out of balance or a U-joint on its way out. If you feel it in the steering wheel, look at steering components, but they should have checked those with alignment. If you feel it in the seat of your pants, check the drive line. Incline/decline or loaded bed could change driveshaft angles slightly, affecting vibrations, especially in a short truck like frontier, or a jeep...

equal vibration in seat and steering wheel.
I could squeeze in before warranty expires, but I'm guessing the warranty becomes voided because of the lift kit.

 

[sneakypete]

How are the front tires wearing? Does it have a dampening shock on the front suspension? It could be worn out.

 

[Hem]

How are the front tires wearing? Does it have a dampening shock on the front suspension? It could be worn out.

Tires have been fine.
Just seems odd there was very slight steering wheel vibration when the truck was virtually brand new. This has become worse with time.

 

[Addicting]

Brakes rotor are warped or it’s a driveshaft not balanced. But my bet is if you take the rotors off and have them turned you will see a improvement.

 

[Bullshot]

When I have this, it is always my tires.

But maybe you have a bent or off center rotor?

It’s probably something spinning, but simple, since your truck otherwise is fine, so like others said, also maybe u-joint, or drive shaft. Is there any noise? Is something contacting the drive shaft maybe?

 

[Bullshot]

An additional shot in the dark, but you said vibration changes with wind…. are your heat shields or other light shields/skidplates lose or rattling?

Or maybe exhaust mounts are loose, allowing exhaust system to sway and knock on something.

 

[Caseknife]

Did the lift kit exasperate the condition? The older Nissans had constant velocity joints in the drivelines, don't know about the newer ones, sometimes the middle of the joint went bad, not the actual u-joints. If it changes with bumper load, it almost has to be driveline related, u-joint caps at the rear diff and the transfer case have to be within .5 degree of each other, in other words the two yokes have to be essentially parallel and the driveline the angle between. Guys create problems if they just change the angle of the rear diff by leaf spring change etc and don't compensate somehow with the tcase angle. This is also a type of launch shudder, the rear diff wraps up on acceleration and causes a vibration.

 

[Dan-06]

Yes brakes, if not maybe a ball joint. You can check it at the same time you’re inspecting the brakes.

 

[Brandon270]

I bought a used truck last summer that had one tire that went bad on me, it wasn't rough until you hit about 40mph the back end would start hopping and then smooth out again after 60.

Like others have said I'd check u-joints on the drive line. I'd also check ball joints, steering rods and front wheel bearings.

 

[Hem]

Solid info to work with.
Like I said, from the get-go slight shudder. Lift kit didn't make a noticeable difference, but the shudder did increase some the following year after install. Recently it definitely has increased to a level I can't disregard.
Come to think of it, if I step on the brakes it does pull a bit.
I think it needs to go in to the shop, but at least now I have a better sense of what to discuss...driveline, rotors, joints, and angle of driveline.
Much appreciated.

 

[Deez Nutz]

Recently I became aware that a bent wheel can cause a seamingly intermittent vibrations. Currently dealing with this in my pickup. I think playing around in the snow sliding sideways and hit a rut/rock/curb bent one of my wheels side to side if that makes sense so in theory it is rotationally balanced but the vibration comes from the wheel/tire not tracking in a straight line causing a wobble so to say. Not saying that this is your issue but maybe a possibility.

 

[Irrelevant]

@Hem sounds like your issues are similar but slightly different than mine, so take this with a grain of salt. But I had similar shudder issues a various speeds, worse with higher speed. After pursuing tire balancing and alignment, I was eventually told my rims were bent. Apparently it's "fairly common" for cheap steel rims to come bent from the factory. I replaced them, and the tires (because they were 6 months past due anyway) and shudder completely went away.

 

[Dave N]

Wouldn't a bent rim OR a bad tire feel different when the tires where rotated? At least in the steering wheel it SHOULD.

 

[RealMuddyboots]

Front axle u joints can provide a shudder and it is worse on turns, might be culprit.

I had a bent factory wheel that drove us nuts until mechanic replaced with different wheel only after I became the squeaky wheel for them to try it. Voila! It was a $350 wheel to boot. I just had tires replaced and they also tried to blame tire place. There was not a single mark on wheel so that didn't fly.

My son's Cherokee had similar shudder after 4" lift. They had to change out the drive shaft to slightly longer and balanced to fit the Cherokee. Drive shaft length and balance is crazy critical for smooth power transfer.

 

[marksjeep]

Lots of great leads in here. A bent wheel might even balance out OK. Warped rotors will often cause a pulsating brake pedal which subsides when you release pedal pressure. But not always. Front U or CV joints could cause some odd vibes too.

Might also make sure there's no marmot hiding under there...