[WVU Fan]

I have posted this on another forum, but want to try and see what people here are experiencing as well. I have an 09 Crew Cab 4x4 with the 5.7. There is a slight vibration in the truck when driving. It's most noticeable in the 1500 to 2000 rpm range and can be felt the most through the gas pedal while cruising at steady highway speeds or very light load on the engine. It's not a tire balance issue as it's a completely different feel. Best way I know to describe it is imagine somebody taking a hand held massager and holding it under the gas pedal while you are driving. Is almost like a buzzing sensation.

I believe the vibration is there constantly, just that it's most noticeable in the lower rpm ranges. You can also feel it through the steering wheel and the floorboard, but not as much as through the gas pedal. You do have to be somewhat sensitive to things like this in a vehicle or you might not even notice it. If you wore boots you may not feel it either.

I'm almost 100% positive it's not MDS. You can still feel it when in ERS mode or tow/haul mode (these disable MDS).

So I'm curious to see if others here have noticed this or not. If you have, please post the specifics on your truck that could possibly shed some light on what model configurations may be affected. I will post my info below.

I have an 09 Crew Cab, 5.7, 4x4, 3.55 gears, adjustable pedals and a build date of Oct. 08.

 

[STR8_From_Hell]

I can honestly say I don't have that on mine. I am a fusspot so to speak and notice vibrations that the rest of the world would leave un-noticed.

Since you can feel it in the floorboards as well it may be a tire balance issue and nothing powertrain related.

So to throw tires out of the equation try a couple tests. Get it vibrating and then let off the throttle. If the vibration continues then it's probably not the engine as most if not all vibrations come under load. Same goes for a U-joint, cracked flexplate, bad torque convertor, rear end and so on. One step further is during the harmonic put the transmission in neutral. This will zero out the powertrain and usually comes down to tires or possibly a wheel bearing. Most vibrations in the powertrain itself are felt only under load.

If you feel it only under load then it gets more complicated.

 

[klapper]

I have the same thing in my 5.7 4x4 Quad SLT. The best description is a "buzz" in the throttle/steering wheel. It's absolutely not tires, the frequency is wrong. I guess that some really blocky tread patterns might "buzz" but this was there right from the start with the factory smooth tread pattern.

I would say the "buzz" in my truck only occurs under power not coast. It doesn't happen all the time though, so I can't see it being a wheel bearing which would just rapidly get worse.

My first guess was the transmission, but I'm not so sure any more. I recall a comment on this site about an NVH-related computer re-flash, so my plan is to check with the dealer when time permits (no dealer of any kind in the small town where I live).

However, since I've installed 33" BF Goodrich All Terrain tires I expect the usual runaround.

 

[Lead Head]

Could be incorrectly balanced driveshaft.

 

[WVU Fan]

I have thought about the driveshaft as a possibility. I also agree that I really don't believe it's a tire balance issue. It's a completely different feeling from an unbalanced tire. It's something drivetrain or powertrain related.

I will take it to the dealer at some point. However I don't have much faith that they will actually be able (or even willing) to figure something out.

 

[klapper]

A key fact for me is that it is not there all the time, so driveshaft is out of the question. Despite what WVU Fan says my suspicion is that it is related to the MDS since when towing my snowmobile trailer I didn't feel it.

 

[WVU Fan]

I actually believe it is there all the time, you just can't notice it hardly when the engine is under load or higher in the rpm range. It's easy enough to verify, just do like I said. Put the truck in tow/haul mode or ERS and drive around normally to see if you still feel it. If you do, then it's not MDS related.

 

[bchrisb]

I have the same thing happing with my truck.I have 09 5.7 4X4 crew cab.It may have something to do with engine vibration going thru to gas pedal.

 

[WVU Fan]

What gears do you guys have? Do you have the adjustable pedals?

Something interesting I noticed tonight while driving. I was going down a slight incline so I was just coasting and not giving it gas. I noticed I could still feel the vibration/buzzing through the steering wheel, but here is what caught my attention. It wasn't constant, it was pulsing. Imagine feeling the vibration for a second, then not for the next second.

I also verified again that the vibration (at least in my truck) is not related to MDS. Drove around in tow/haul mode and ERS and it was definitely still there.

 

[eslund]

Noticed the same vibration in my new 09 as well. 1500 sport crew 4x4 with 3.55 no pwr pedals. Like you say WVU Fan, even when you let off the gas you still notice the vibration. I am thinking it is coming from different road surfaces. Was driving on snow covered roads yesterday, when going from snow to clear you definately felt the vibration but on clear you didn't.

Eslund

 

[WVU Fan]

Eslund, on mine it doesn't matter what road or street I'm on, the vibration is there. I just wish it would magically go away...lol.

 

[bligh]

New member checking in. Hello everybody. I get same vibration which seems
most pronounced at 15 mph. I describe it as "feeling the road". At speeds over 50 mph, I dont feel it. By the way, I have a 09 Quad cab SLT with Hemi.
Took the 20" wheels off and put custom 17" rims with 295 Nittos. I thought it might be the tires. I did not notice it during test drive with the factory 20" wheels/tires.

 

[hemiwicked]

mine does it too, but not really noticable, I read this thread then went and drove it, as I also noticed it, but mine does it at any speed, but i also took to note that depending on the road(ie concrete or blacktop) its different, I went from blacktop on 81 and it goes right to 78 concrete at the berks county line(eastern,pa) and it got much more lfeel in the pedal becuz of the new surface being concrete, I also notice it when driving on blacktop at any speed and y ou hit one of those potholes that were blacktopped new(again different road surface) and the vibration changes again.

based on my testing this out, I would not worry about it and just monitor it to make sure it don't get worse, as for mine, it seems to be related to what I'm driving on, and doesn't bother me enough to be concerned.

09 quad cab 1500 SLT 17" tires 3.55 rear 5.7L hemi.

 

[sabre364]

mine does it too, but not really noticable, I read this thread then went and drove it, as I also noticed it, but mine does it at any speed, but i also took to note that depending on the road(ie concrete or blacktop) its different, I went from blacktop on 81 and it goes right to 78 concrete at the berks county line(eastern,pa) and it got much more lfeel in the pedal becuz of the new surface being concrete, I also notice it when driving on blacktop at any speed and y ou hit one of those potholes that were blacktopped new(again different road surface) and the vibration changes again.

based on my testing this out, I would not worry about it and just monitor it to make sure it don't get worse, as for mine, it seems to be related to what I'm driving on, and doesn't bother me enough to be concerned.

09 quad cab 1500 SLT 17" tires 3.55 rear 5.7L hemi.

i81 is a pretty sloppy road between syracuse and cortland, thats where i drive on it most. even though it has new pavement, the new stuff definitely sends up more vibrations to the pedal, i think they've tried to roughen the surface so its better grip in the winter compared to the older road surfaces

 

[Pimpina5.9]

09 4.7 Crew 2WD 3.21 gears and little 17"s. After reading this I took it out without my boots on and THEN noticed it as well going down a fairly bumpy road around 25-30 ish.

Nothing thats gonna bother me. But yep, its there, Like a cell phone or something vibrating on and off, pulsing like they've said. It seems that if you just BARELY ease your foot up (like barely, not even enough to let it loose speed) then it allows it to vibrate a little harder for just a second.

So its not just the hemi's. But I'm sure its just a First year problem that will sooner or later get worked out. Maybe lol. Not a big deal for me as I wear boots.

BTW, kind of dumb question, but whats the WVU fan? I should really prolly know this. But I dont.

 

[scottyk246]

BTW, kind of dumb question, but whats the WVU fan? I should really prolly know this. But I dont.

Ha ha, WVU fan is the screen name of the guy that started the thread... I've got an '09 Crew 4x4 Hemi 20's with the 3.55 gears and I am pretty attentive and haven't noticed anything by the way... She's only got about 800 miles though...

 

[Pimpina5.9]

Ya not long after I posted that I realized what I had asked haha. Now I feel like a Jackass lol. Ours has about 700 Miles.

 

[scottyk246]

I wasn't busting your chops, just found it amusing....

 

[WVU Fan]

Thanks for the input everybody. Keep posting up if you experience this. If it's evident in enough vehicles, perhaps the Dodge engineers will figure something out to correct this issue for the current owners and address it for future model year production runs. It's more of an annoyance than anything. Like I said, I drive with thin soled shoes 90% of the time, so I feel this vibration very easily and it gets on my nerves. Almost makes my foot tingle after awhile...lol.

 

[hemiwicked]

if your is that bad take it in, mine is hardly noticeable, infact, I didn't notice it until you said about it, now I do, thanx,lol