Frame Beaming(Vibration 50-70 MPH)

I have a new 2004 Silverado LT 1850 miles. It shakes and vibrates at 60-70 MPH. The Dealer put on new tires and balanced several times. GM calls the vibration frame beaming. They will not consider repairs if the vibration does not exceed a certain level with 200-500 pounds of weight in the back between the axel and tailgate. Without the weight the vibration is unbearable and out side the required specifications 8-24 hertz or something like that. With the weight, my feet still tingle after 1 hour of driving. Although my dealer, who has been great through the ordeal, has recommended to GM to buyback the truck, GM refuses. Now I am faced with arbitration. I have searched the internet and have found numerous 2004 Silverado owners who have the same problem. By coincidence, when I was at the dealership a guy brought in a 2004 Silverado with the same problem. The tech manual states frame beaming can occur in 99-2004 trucks. The jury is out on the 2005s. All the articles and forums I have read offer no solution. Has anyone been through the BBB arbitration process? I do not believe I can trust buying another Chevy. I drove a 1986 K5 for ten years with no problems, A 1996 Chevy Extended cab step side for four years with no problems. Since 1999 all you hear about is problems. It looks like the apple pie has gone bad. GM better step up to the plate or they will be looking like Chrysler did in the 70s.

Dreamer

I have never heard of "vibration frame beaming"...doesn't mean it doesn't exist..just means I have not heard of it.
First things first...was the truck driven with an EVA (electronic vibration anaylizer) if so what were the results...First ,second or third order vibration of what system?
Was a vibration worksheet performed and the vibration graphed using the Vibration software 5.0?
Was the driveshaft checked for runout? How about the hubs and axles?
There are a number of rotating componants that will cause a vibration..also some road surfaces (mostly concrete with expansion joints) can cause a vibration sensation depending on the speed and wheelbase of your vehicle.
You never mentioned what truck you have...2wd,4wd,reg cab,extended cab,crew...1500,2500,2500HD
Just my :2cents:

Silverado 1500 2 WD: After loading 500 pounds of sand bags they did the EVA. The results were within the parameters of 8-24 hz. They did not give me the exact number. Whatever it was it still shakes unbearably. They did state that without the weight the vibration was worse and out side the parameters. Unsure of software. I asked about the hubs, rotors, driveshaft, u-joints and axel. They were not interested.

GM issued a service bulliten #1575165

They are under instriuctions from GM "no repair attempts should be made".

Silverado 1500 2 WD: After loading 500 pounds of sand bags they did the EVA. The results were within the parameters of 8-24 hz. They did not give me the exact number. Whatever it was it still shakes unbearably. They did state that without the weight the vibration was worse and out side the parameters. Unsure of software. I asked about the hubs, rotors, driveshaft, u-joints and axel. They were not interested.

GM issued a service bulliten #1575165

They are under instriuctions from GM "no repair attempts should be made".

Where can I go to read this service bulliten?

Strange. I have seen Jeeps with some much frame damage and other parts that they look like that will not go down the street but they do. Never any vibs stuff. Sounds like something is out of alignment when they made the truck.

I wish you could camera the truck going down the road. Like all 4 tires and the drive shaft. Something is causing it?

Where does it feel like it is coming from?

Back or front?
Passagener/Driver side?

If your frame is vibing then why can you not weld round stock between the two frame rails to increase the strength. In Jeeps I add about 200 lb of steel between the frame to make if strong enought to hold 400 hp engines with at least 38" tires.

Last time I heard of frames making noise the guys Jeep fell apart. Frame was rusted out all from the inside.

Welcome to the world of dissapointed chevy owners.You are very correct on the fact that since 99 the product of GM has sunk to its all time lowest.
I am not A GM hatter but I cant believe that in todays society that GM still try's to pull the wool over your eyes and say nothings wrong.That's what I heard from day one of my bad expiereince from my purchase of A 2002 silverado. It was doomed from day one but the dealer kept telling me it was within specs. How can piston slap be within specs. I have never in my entire life been so dissapointed in this product.My truck spent more tme in the shop then in my own drive way.Round and round we went back and forth till I finally got so fed up with it I couldnt take it any longer.Needless to say I traded it in for another truck.I didnt go back to chevy I bought A foreign full size truck and so far no problems
2004 NISSAN TITAN baby!!! 305 hp 9500 towing cap 5 speed Automatic.
This truck kicks some serious Butt!!!

Silverado 1500 2 WD: After loading 500 pounds of sand bags they did the EVA. The results were within the parameters of 8-24 hz. They did not give me the exact number. Whatever it was it still shakes unbearably. They did state that without the weight the vibration was worse and out side the parameters. Unsure of software. I asked about the hubs, rotors, driveshaft, u-joints and axel. They were not interested.

GM issued a service bulliten #1575165

They are under instriuctions from GM "no repair attempts should be made".

Unfortunately I missed that bulletin in my search for answers to your post.
But my comment about road surfaces was right on the money...you probally feel this more on concrete road surfaces don't you?
I own an 02 Serria 1500 X-cab and maybe its just me, but I am not vibration sensitive (meaning I personally am not bothered by some road vibration)and I have never felt the sensation you are describing..
We have customers I have delt with that are anal about road vibration..so bad, that I have ridden with them with an EVA that detected no vibration while they complained the entire time about how bad it was....funny thing was one customer said it was so bad they couldn't control the vehicle, but never complained about the severe brake pulsation when stopping.

Unfortunately it has come to a time where truck owners expect their trucks to ride like luxury cars...some people need to realize that it is still a truck and the ride is going to be different.
I have been a truck owner since I have been driving and personally I am disappointed that my truck doesn't ride like a truck.
Sorry you are not satisfied with your truck...I on the other hand am very satisfied with mine..got 80K on it and have not had any of the problems people here are complaining about...which means one of two things....my expectations are lower or I got the only perfect truck that GM made

i have 2000 silverado, had bad vibration from right front on highway at 70mph, rotated and balance tires and did not fix, the only thing i found was that the right front was sitting lower than left so i adjusted the ride hieght and aligned front end and have not had the problem since. don't know if thats your problem, but it may be worth a shot, make sure they adjust ride hight and do complete alignment including camber and caster adjustment and not just a toe and go

I am sure glad somebody is happy with there truck but it just cant be coinsadence that there are that many people that are having problems with there trucks.I do agree with you on the fact that A truck should ride like A truck and not A luxury car but with the tecknology that we have today GM has no excuse for shitty engineering.(Have you stepped on your parking brake latey)
It just seems like GM in there effort to cut cost and boost profit may wind up biteing them in the butt when alot of loyal chevy owners who are tired of getting the run around will seek another type of truck. Weather it be Ford,Dodge,or Nissan

I am sure glad somebody is happy with there truck but it just cant be coinsadence that there are that many people that are having problems with there trucks.I do agree with you on the fact that A truck should ride like A truck and not A luxury car but with the tecknology that we have today GM has no excuse for shitty engineering.(Have you stepped on your parking brake latey)
It just seems like GM in there effort to cut cost and boost profit may wind up biteing them in the butt when alot of loyal chevy owners who are tired of getting the run around will seek another type of truck. Weather it be Ford,Dodge,or Nissan

I would tend to disagree to an extent.
First off if take in account how many hundred of thousands or millions of trucks that GM sold and compare that to the number of people complaining here on the forum, I would say the number is small in comparison.
Why do I say that..easy..misery loves company and an anonymous internet forum is the medium that brings those people togather.
Humans love to complain..its what we do best.
When I studied business and customer relations, some of the interesting things were the amount of people will complain about a product as opposed to the number that will praise it.
In general if you are dissatisfied with something you will ,on average, tell 14 people..if you are satisfied with a product you will remain silent or might tell 1 other person.
Also if you look around you will see there are a handful of members here that will jump on every thread and tell their story to who ever will listen.
Next, humans tend to exaggerate and twist facts in their favor...for instance I had a customer come in complaining that we just worked on their vehicle for a concern and they are a loyal customer and they demand satisfaction...so I pull their service history...They were in the shop over a year ago for a free courtesy vehicle inspection where they declined the recommended work....when I show them the history and the facts, they accuse me of lying.. :screwy:
Which brings me to this..
Posted by dreamer56 - 12-29-2004 at 06:49 PM
Silverado 1500 2 WD: After loading 500 pounds of sand bags they did the EVA. The results were within the parameters of 8-24 hz. They did not give me the exact number. Whatever it was it still shakes unbearably. They did state that without the weight the vibration was worse and out side the parameters. Unsure of software. I asked about the hubs, rotors, driveshaft, u-joints and axel. They were not interested.

I read the bulletin and thought about it on my 50 mile drive home tonight.
Basically, the customer is not using the vehicle the way it is intended to be used...let me explain..
What is a truck used for?
Hauling loads, pulling trailers

What are most people using their trucks for...transportation...As I drove home, I took notice of the sheer number of trucks with empty beds..one man or woman well dressed driving home from work..many of the trucks did not have trailer hitches..what does this tell me..these people are driving trucks just to drive trucks..they are not carring a heavy load or pulling a trailer, they are driving the truck in place of a car.
The bulletin states to load the vehicle with 500 lbs and drive it...what that is doing is simulating using the truck for its intended purpose..If the concern is not there when the truck is operated as designed, then there is not problem.
I can live with that...

It takes twice as much energy to say something postive than something negative.


That is what you get when you buy a new vehicle. Problems. That is why I only buy cars that have over 100,000 them. At that mileage most of the really bad bugs are fixed and you have to do is replace parts.

You talk as if you were A robot! Humans tend to complain. I am A person and I think thats what GM has forgotten. We are people not just numbers!!!
I disagree with you. I am very happy with my Nissan Titan I tell everyone I run into.I just think that we have moved into an era of mass information at your finger tips and if I am unhappy on any product I have the right to display my opinion. I understand that GM has sold Millions of trucks there is no denying it but on the other hand I think GM has lost the customer satisfaction rule.
We are the people who purchase this product and if the product is not up to par then you think twice before another purchace.Please dont get me wrong I loved my chevy truck. I had A 92 with no problems what so ever.I purchased another truck 10 years later with huge amounts of problems.There is just no excuse for that type of engineering.I tried for two long years to be A loyal customer to the product but in the end it was just more than I can bear.I just seems funny that there are very few people I know who own the chevy that doesnt have some kind of problem with it. So your telling me that when I would start my truck up and get all that rattle from piston slap thats normal. I was always told it was within specs. 4 wheel disc brakes but the emergeny brake never held the truck.Kinda funny that in 05 they went back to drums.Steering colum always had a rattle even though it was repaired several times.The list goes on and on but I was always told it was within specs. ( I was born at night but it wasnt last night).I value your opinon Mr Merlin and I'm not trying to disrespect you in any way but you sound just like the service teck guys at the dealership.Seems like your all programmed from the same computer.
Customer satisfaction and reliability should be GM's top priority.Thats what brought me back for another silverado in 02. I was in for A rude awakening when I recieved my 02. It was doomed from day one.At first I thought I just bought A lemon but when my brother who lives 1200 miles away purchased one A month later from A totally diffrent dealership and was having the same problems that I was having I knew it just wasnt A lemon. Needless to say he traded his in too.

SilverX you make a good point. I agree, I had a 87 Ford that had 350,000 miles and I sold to a guy local and he drives it back and forth from Dallas,TX to Mexico fully loaded. He has done this run 10 times with not problems with my old truck.

Now my 2000 3500 has developed a small knock in the engine at idle and there is some weird knocking noise under the truck and that I can not find.

I thought with all this new tech vehicles would be better.

There is one thing I do like about Chevy / Ford to others (Nissan) look at the cost to repair. Yes the Nissan will have a 100% chance of not having a problem for a long time but when they wear out or have a problem they cost twice as much to fix.

Something to think about.

I have noticed many of the people that have replied to this post have owned older chevy trucks before, like 96 or 92. Did these trucks not have any vibrations or anything? I had an 89 chevy pickup that was the first vehicle I owned. I loved that truck. I bought it in 96 and drove it for 7 years with very few problems. But it did have a vibration it the steering shaft and a rough ride. The 4WD would hum and the drive shaft would clink if it shifted gears too hard. But I thought it was a great truck. At first I asked my father to help me fix it, both he and my grandfather are mechanics, and he said once it stops working we will fix it. He must have known something I did not because it never stopped working. I sold the truck last year and the guy who bought it is still driving it around.

[QUOTE=gschretter]
I thought with all this new tech vehicles would be better.

gschretter,
I personaly think this new tech on vehicles makes them much worse and less reliable. If you want keep a vehicle more than five years you will have to start replacing many of the sensors and environmental protection stuff. I know from watching my father and grandfather work on cars, and doing a little myself, that probably 75% of the problems people are haveing with cars now is problems with the technology, mainly all that environmental protection equipment. With a car built 30 years ago you could count on only needing to replace the points, coil, belt, and a few other minor things to fix most of the problems. Now if a vehicle has a problem and most mechanics just start replacing sensors till they find the one that is causing the problem.

Yes I do agree with you Gschretter.By all means I am not on this forum to bash GM.I am hoping that maybe GM will see enough complaints about it and change the way they do business.It really broke my heart to have to trade my chevy in. I think GM knows how to capture the looks of there new vehicles but there reliability is no longer there. As I said before I went back to another chevy because my 92 was so reliable.I had no problems with it what so ever. 10 years later in 02 it was A totally diffrent ball game.When I traded my chevy in at the nissan dealership they took my truck to the back lot where it was to remain there untill it was going to be autioned off at the end of the month. I had forgotten my cell phone in the truck so the dealership manager walked me back to my truck. Not including my truck there were 22 silverados and 8 ford pickups waiting to be sold at aution.When I saw that it just verified that I wasnt the only one that was unhappy with my truck.All the trucks except for 3 were the new body style from 99-04.
I know that every new vehicle has its share of problems and bugs to work out but you have to stand behind your product.Who would of thought that in the 70's when the first foriegn cars arrived on U.S soil that it would be the number one selling vehicles of today. For A long time Ford ,chevy and dodge have had no compatition from the foregn trucks but I think times are going to be changing.NIssan has really did its homework.I am amazed by the way this truck handles.Towing capacity is 9500,305 hp 5.6 liter engine Dohc.Very quiet,vey powerfull,very roomy and it gets decent gas millage.Read the reviews I'm not trying to sell this truck to anybody I let the truck speak for itself but if you drive one you will be hooked..

Quote would tend to disagree to an extent.
First off if take in account how many hundred of thousands or millions of trucks that GM sold and compare that to the number of people complaining here on the forum, I would say the number is small in comparison.
Why do I say that..easy..misery loves company and an anonymous internet forum is the medium that brings those people togather.
Humans love to complain..its what we do best.
When I studied business and customer relations, some of the interesting things were the amount of people will complain about a product as opposed to the number that will praise it.
In general if you are dissatisfied with something you will ,on average, tell 14 people..if you are satisfied with a product you will remain silent or might tell 1 other person.
Also if you look around you will see there are a handful of members here that will jump on every thread and tell their story to who ever will listen.
Next, humans tend to exaggerate and twist facts in their favor...for instance I had a customer come in complaining that we just worked on their vehicle for a concern and they are a loyal customer and they demand satisfaction...so I pull their service history...They were in the shop over a year ago for a free courtesy vehicle inspection where they declined the recommended work....when I show them the history and the facts, they accuse me of lying.. :screwy:
Which brings me to this.. Quote:I read the bulletin and thought about it on my 50 mile drive home tonight.
Basically, the customer is not using the vehicle the way it is intended to be used...let me explain..
What is a truck used for?
Hauling loads, pulling trailers

What are most people using their trucks for...transportation...As I drove home, I took notice of the sheer number of trucks with empty beds..one man or woman well dressed driving home from work..many of the trucks did not have trailer hitches..what does this tell me..these people are driving trucks just to drive trucks..they are not carring a heavy load or pulling a trailer, they are driving the truck in place of a car.
The bulletin states to load the vehicle with 500 lbs and drive it...what that is doing is simulating using the truck for its intended purpose..If the concern is not there when the truck is operated as designed, then there is not problem.
I can live with that...Sometimes i think GMmerlin thinks about his stock options before he gets involved in a post (no offense!). It is undeniable that these new model silverados have serious factory, or worse, engineered defects. Like my emergency brake which will never work properly for more then a month. This TSB i'm sure has caused many injuries to inocent people but you wont hear it on the news untill GM gets bitch slapped by the ntsb. GM's answer was to take two steps back and go back to drum on the rear of there PU's, to hell with the rest of us who are stuck with this death trap garbage. How many times have dealerships repaired this parking brake problem buy recommending that all disks and brake parts be replaced, or when your ABS is activating at 5 MPH and pushing you into intersections the dealer tells you its your front hubs( totally destroyed, have to be replaced, cant be the ABS "trust me") at 38,000 miles. I'm not a conspiracy theory guy but at some point somebody at GM decided this was a good way to kick back some money to the dealerships who are starving apperantly, We'll just resist recall and let the dealerships shaft everybody. To end this, i want to say that i value Mr. GMMerlins help here at AF but Merlin you cant really believe that dreamer went to all the trouble of looking for explainations to what his Dealer believes is a major defect, and you think it is just a matter of not using the vehicle as it was intended? I for one have never heard of frame beaming, I bet GM has,wanna know Why? Not only did they write and issue a TSB for it, but they spent the money to decide exactly how much beaming is comfortable. I DRove tracter- Trailers for 13 years guys and trucks are rough when empty, but they would not cause physical discomfort because the drivers would not buy them

GMMerlin - you had me until the part about using the truck as it was designed. You have got to be kidding. You mean GM designs their truck to always have a load in the cargo bed?? When I haul a load of conduit and wire to the job I should fill the bed with dirt or rocks for the drive home or I can expect a vibration if I don't?

I consider myself fortunate in that my 2000 Silverado rides smooth and quiet no matter what the load it carries. I think ANY truck owner should expect the same, especially for $30,000.

MM

My exact words Mccontrols.If I pay 30k for a truck it should be up to par from the get go.I bought my 2002 brand new and took it home and parked it in the driveway.About 10 min later my next door neighbor and the police department were at my door. I answered the door and the police officer said is that your truck across the street?
I looked to my dissbelief that my truck had slammed into another car parked across the street.We walked out to the truck and the officer jumped in to see if the parking brake was set. It was pushed all the way down but still rolled back.He made out his report and it stated due to manufacture defect parking break did not hold vehicle in driveway.Needless to say my neighbor sued GM and won an undisclosed amount of money and they did admit to having A problem with ther parking brake.My truck was repaired by GM and parking brake was redone but it still never worked right. I always has to leave the truck in 1st gear....That your 30k's worth.
Funny thing is my Nissan Titan has got 4 wheel disc brakes and I can leave it in the drive way with my boat attatched to it and never have it roll back.Hhhmmmm something to think about!!!

Easy,easy, easy..you are getting your panties in a wad.
A truck is a truck..it is made to haul,pull etc...what the bulletin is saying is that if there is no vibration felt with a load in the truck, then the vehicle is operating as designed...not my words..GMs words.

I consider myself fortunate in that my 2000 Silverado rides smooth and quiet no matter what the load it carries

Exactly my point...not every GM truck vibrates while driving...I own an 02 and have not had any vibration problems.
Obviously there must be some complaints out there about this otherwise there would not be the bulletin..never denied there was a problem..I personally don't think it is as big of a deal as some people make it out to be. (understand that to the person that has one of these it is a big deal, but as an owner and a tech who works on them everyday, the number of complaints I have seen vs. the number of trucks sold..I am not convinced)

My truck was repaired by GM and parking brake was redone but it still never worked right. I always has to leave the truck in 1st gear

I don't know about you, but I was always taught to leave your vehicle in 1st gear or reverse(manual trans) and then apply the parking brake when it is parked.
I never denied there was an issue with the parking brakes on these trucks either, but we are not talking about that, we are discussing vibrations.

Now as far a jumpingjacks comments..
I doubt highly that GMs business plan is Build shitty vehicles, make tons of money and lose customers...I also doubt that they build vehicles and secretly watch (as owners have all these problems ) all the time laughing histerically to themselves.
GM wants to retain as many customers as they can while gaining new ones...so does Ford, Nissan,VW....its all in who builds the better mousetrap.

GM knows what the problem is, whenever they get numerous complaints on a subject they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to figure out the cost to profit ratio. Like every other business they will not accept or deny the problem exists until it is made public knowledge (ie ford and firestone tire problem / tailgate cable breakage). A class action lawsuit is what is needed these days to make people situp and take notice. Letters from lawyers seem to help if you have proof to back it up. Get the letter from the dealership stating that the ride with no load is out of spec's and take legal action. So far I'm very pleased with my 00 silverado, but I have read my complaints about this vibration problem and the pistion slap and have documented them for in the future if I have a problem I have more than just my word.

You may have a helpful dealership but It wouldnt hurt for a second opnion from another GM dealership. The equipment is only as good as the tech using it.Also request to test drive a similar equipped truck see how it is. good luck with this.

Joe
P.S. I work for a GM dealership and I bought a 04 3/4 ton HD ext 6.0 and it rides like a rough when unloaded and smooth when hauling a load just like I was expecting.I am happy with it.I just wish America would take intrest in a car again so the people who need a truck to do work with dont have to pay an outrageous price because people want all the options on a truck it does not need, It is not a cadilliac, its a pickup.

In my short 38 years of life i have never worked for or run a buissness that didnt fix what they sold or replaced it to the customers satisfaction when it couldnt be fixed. Furthermore,GM does not even try to appear interested in safety when they refuse to repair major brake system defects. I can understand the fuel gauge "who cares" its not going to kill anyone. But brakes? come on...JJ What im saying is reengineer the problem and fix them all, or retrofit drum brakes to the axils. Whatever it takes fix it, that keeps customers...jj

By the way the parking brake is also called an emergency brake. Designed to work by a completly seperate system(cable) in our case, so that in the event of major hydrolic failure you have somthing to atleast slow your roll. This is mandated by governments all over the world, two and sometimes three (in road trucks)seperate braking systems. It is not just for parking...jj

By the way the parking brake is also called an emergency brake. Designed to work by a completly seperate system(cable) in our case, so that in the event of major hydrolic failure you have somthing to atleast slow your roll. This is mandated by governments all over the world, two and sometimes three (in road trucks)seperate braking systems. It is not just for parking...jj


Read your owners manual
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal down with your right foot. Push down the parking brake pedal with your left foot.
A chime will activate and the warning light will flash when the parking brake is applied and the vehicle is moving at least 3 mph (5 km/h) for at least three seconds.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal down. Pull the bottom edge of the lever, located above the parking brake pedal, with the parking brake symbol, to release the parking brake.
If the ignition is on when the parking brake is released, the brake system warning light will go off.
Notice: Driving with the parking brake on can overheat the brake system and cause premature wear or damage to brake system parts. Verify that the parking brake is fully released and the brake warning light is off before driving.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill, see Towing a Trailer .

Doesn't say anything about using it in an emergency (this was taken from the 2003 owners manual)

My exact words Mccontrols.If I pay 30k for a truck it should be up to par from the get go.I bought my 2002 brand new and took it home and parked it in the driveway.About 10 min later my next door neighbor and the police department were at my door. I answered the door and the police officer said is that your truck across the street?
I looked to my dissbelief that my truck had slammed into another car parked across the street.We walked out to the truck and the officer jumped in to see if the parking brake was set. It was pushed all the way down but still rolled back.He made out his report and it stated due to manufacture defect parking break did not hold vehicle in driveway.Needless to say my neighbor sued GM and won an undisclosed amount of money and they did admit to having A problem with ther parking brake.My truck was repaired by GM and parking brake was redone but it still never worked right. I always has to leave the truck in 1st gear....That your 30k's worth.
Funny thing is my Nissan Titan has got 4 wheel disc brakes and I can leave it in the drive way with my boat attatched to it and never have it roll back.Hhhmmmm something to think about!!!


Here is the operation straight out of your owners manual.
Manual Transmission
Caution: Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL can cause your vehicle to roll even if the manual transmission is in gear. Your or someone else could be seriously injured. Be sure to set the parking brake before placing the transfer case in NEUTRAL. See Parking Brake for more information.
Before you get out of your vehicle, move the shift lever into REVERSE (R), and firmly apply the parking brake. Once the shift lever has been placed into REVERSE (R) with the clutch pedal pressed in, you can turn the ignition key to LOCK, press the key release button, remove the key and release the clutch.


Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal down with your right foot. Push down the parking brake pedal with your left foot.
A chime will activate and the warning light will flash when the parking brake is applied and the vehicle is moving at least 3 mph (5 km/h) for at least three seconds.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal down. Pull the bottom edge of the lever, located above the parking brake pedal, with the parking brake symbol, to release the parking brake.
If the ignition is on when the parking brake is released, the brake system warning light will go off.
Notice: Driving with the parking brake on can overheat the brake system and cause premature wear or damage to brake system parts. Verify that the parking brake is fully released and the brake warning light is off before driving.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill, see Towing a Trailer
And here is a kicker..read what it says about parking with a trailer.
Parking on Hills
Caution: You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig could start to move. People can be injured, and both your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here's how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don't shift into PARK (P) yet for an automatic transmission, or into gear for a manual transmission.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking brake and shift into PARK (P) for an automatic transmission, or REVERSE (R) for a manual transmission.
5. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear and not in NEUTRAL.
6. Release the regular brakes.
Caution: It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll. If you have left the engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly. You or others could be injured. To be sure your vehicle will not move, even when you are on fairly level ground, use the steps that follow. Always put the shift lever fully in PARK (P) with the parking brake firmly set. If the transfer case on four-wheel-drive vehicles is in NEUTRAL, your vehicle will be free to roll, even if your shift lever is in PARK (P). So, be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear -- not in NEUTRAL

Why did I post this information?
Mostly because you have admitted that you have not operated the vehicle per the instructions provided to you by the manufacturer.
The owners manual supplied with the vehicle is written with clear discription and operation instructions..it is up to the cunsumer to read the instructions and operate the vehicle as designed.
Had GM really wanted to "stick it to you" they could have pulled this information out and you would have been responsible for the damage to your nieghbors vehicle.....food for thought

I have noticed many of the people that have replied to this post have owned older chevy trucks before, like 96 or 92. Did these trucks not have any vibrations or anything? I had an 89 chevy pickup that was the first vehicle I owned. I loved that truck. I bought it in 96 and drove it for 7 years with very few problems. But it did have a vibration it the steering shaft and a rough ride. The 4WD would hum and the drive shaft would clink if it shifted gears too hard. But I thought it was a great truck. At first I asked my father to help me fix it, both he and my grandfather are mechanics, and he said once it stops working we will fix it. He must have known something I did not because it never stopped working. I sold the truck last year and the guy who bought it is still driving it around.

[QUOTE=gschretter]
I thought with all this new tech vehicles would be better.

gschretter,
I personaly think this new tech on vehicles makes them much worse and less reliable. If you want keep a vehicle more than five years you will have to start replacing many of the sensors and environmental protection stuff. I know from watching my father and grandfather work on cars, and doing a little myself, that probably 75% of the problems people are haveing with cars now is problems with the technology, mainly all that environmental protection equipment. With a car built 30 years ago you could count on only needing to replace the points, coil, belt, and a few other minor things to fix most of the problems. Now if a vehicle has a problem and most mechanics just start replacing sensors till they find the one that is causing the problem.


I am tottally with you. My 81 CJ-5 jeep does not have power brakes or power steering, all powered manually. I can shut down the engine and I can still steering and brake the vehicle. Sometimes I have to shut down the engine going down a 50 degree or more angle hill because of all the oil has gone to the front of the oil pan.

Just a big motor / transfer case / axles. This thing is a bullet. Never had one problem with it.

I see a lot of chevy silverado commericals on TV. Guess who is paying for these? Yes we are, chevy truck owners. Think of all the money going to marketing and not other parts of the company. This is one thing that scares me about Chevy. If you have a big budget in marketing, you have to make cuts somewhere, and I have a feeling I know where they are making the cut, the quality of the vehicle.

Do not get me wrong, I love my Chevy one ton.

Example:
Vanguard is one of the strongest/profitable mutal fund companies out there today. Have you never seen one commerical about them. Oh yes I made over 18% return from the market with Vanguard. Buy and Hold.


Makes you think

Boy, GM had a really dumb lawyer. Parking breaks are meant to hold the vehicle from rolling forward not backwards. They do hold the vehicle a little from going backwards but there over all design does not work that way. Test it yourself. Put on the parking break and back up. Notice how much gas it takes to go backwards, now go forward it will take a lot more gas to move forward.

In order for the parking brake to keep the vehicle from rolling backward it would have to have both brake shoes in each drum engaged.




Here is the operation straight out of your owners manual.
Manual Transmission
Caution: Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL can cause your vehicle to roll even if the manual transmission is in gear. Your or someone else could be seriously injured. Be sure to set the parking brake before placing the transfer case in NEUTRAL. See Parking Brake for more information.
Before you get out of your vehicle, move the shift lever into REVERSE (R), and firmly apply the parking brake. Once the shift lever has been placed into REVERSE (R) with the clutch pedal pressed in, you can turn the ignition key to LOCK, press the key release button, remove the key and release the clutch.


Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal down with your right foot. Push down the parking brake pedal with your left foot.
A chime will activate and the warning light will flash when the parking brake is applied and the vehicle is moving at least 3 mph (5 km/h) for at least three seconds.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal down. Pull the bottom edge of the lever, located above the parking brake pedal, with the parking brake symbol, to release the parking brake.
If the ignition is on when the parking brake is released, the brake system warning light will go off.
Notice: Driving with the parking brake on can overheat the brake system and cause premature wear or damage to brake system parts. Verify that the parking brake is fully released and the brake warning light is off before driving.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill, see Towing a Trailer
And here is a kicker..read what it says about parking with a trailer.
Parking on Hills
Caution: You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig could start to move. People can be injured, and both your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here's how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don't shift into PARK (P) yet for an automatic transmission, or into gear for a manual transmission.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking brake and shift into PARK (P) for an automatic transmission, or REVERSE (R) for a manual transmission.
5. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear and not in NEUTRAL.
6. Release the regular brakes.
Caution: It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll. If you have left the engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly. You or others could be injured. To be sure your vehicle will not move, even when you are on fairly level ground, use the steps that follow. Always put the shift lever fully in PARK (P) with the parking brake firmly set. If the transfer case on four-wheel-drive vehicles is in NEUTRAL, your vehicle will be free to roll, even if your shift lever is in PARK (P). So, be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear -- not in NEUTRAL

So what is "Smooth Ride" all about? I am just passing on to yall what is told to me by the dealer. They should not advertise what they cannot produce. Nonetheless, yes I purchased the truck for hauling and pulling a boat. However when the dealer tells me the vehicle is within specs but I should not be satisfied with anything but a smooth ride. I will seek a solution. I should expect a "Smooth Ride" on velvet smooth asphalt which I am not getting. The vibration is audible even on smooth asphalt. When I posted this thread I was looking for solutions not a place to whine. Since I posted this thread the GM claims persons, who by the way have been very cordial and genuinely interested, instructed me to take the vehicle to another dealer that they have "confidence" in. At the very least a second opinion is needed before they buy it back. As you may recall the selling dealership replaced all the tires. No resolution. The second opinion dealership just called me yesterday and advises that he discovered that two of the tires that the first dealership replaced were out of round. He had order 4 more tires, I believe Goodyear, just to find 2 good ones. And now, according to the service manager, the truck rides as smooth as glass. I have not driven it yet and I am quite anxious to do so. The proof is in the pudding and I will post the results tomorrow. I did not think I was dreaming when I had a smooth ride in my 1986 K5 and 1996 Silverado 1500 Stepside Ext cab that I drove for 10 years, 180,000 and 5 years, 58,000 respectively. Oh ya, they are also replacing the molding around the windshield because it rattles and they are repainting the right rear cab quarter that was damaged and repaired before it was sold to me as new. The dealership assures me that the repair was due to a scratched paint and not anything major. Opps! Am I whinning??? Dreamin on......

Man, it would be great if were a tire problem all along. Good luck dreamer56.

And in reply to GMMerlin - My panties are not in a wad as I stopped wearing panties a while back. LOL

Anyway - I still say GM is all wet with this beaming crap. I fully understand what a truck is designed for and know the difference between a vibration and a stiff ride from a heavy duty suspension. I don't care what kind of load you do or don't haul/drag your $30 ++++ dollar Chevy/GMC truck should not vibrate. It may not ride like a Rolls but it should not vibrate in your hands and feet. Hell I've driven old ragged out heavy duty trucks with no shocks that were smooth, not very quiet, running unload and loaded on the interstate. I think I should be able to expect at least the same performance from my expensive ass P/U Truck.

Well the story is in and.......I still belong to club shake. Next step is arbitration or hire an attorney. I hate doing this crap. It just another one of lifes complications. Although they replaced two mre tires it is still shaking and vibrating. see yall later. Dreamer

Well the story is in and.......I still belong to club shake. Next step is arbitration or hire an attorney. I hate doing this crap. It just another one of lifes complications. Although they replaced two mre tires it is still shaking and vibrating. see yall later. Dreamer

Theirs talk here in Detroit that GM is going to file for Bankruptcy.
News reporters at the North American car show Hammered Gm with this.
It looks like all the crap GM has been building is catching up with them.
I'll never buy another GM product. It's got to be the worse truck I have ever owned!!!!!!!!!!
And they thought out sourcing our jobs was a good idea.
Even us die hard GM guys won't buy another one..HAHAHA
TOO F**KING BAD GM.

Theirs talk here in Detroit that GM is going to file for Bankruptcy.
News reporters at the North American car show Hammered Gm with this.
It looks like all the crap GM has been building is catching up with them.
I'll never buy another GM product. It's got to be the worse truck I have ever owned!!!!!!!!!!
And they thought out sourcing our jobs was a good idea.
Even us die hard GM guys won't buy another one..HAHAHA
TOO F**KING BAD GM.
----------ahh shit i better got the paper work going let's see anyone interested in a lightly used chev silverado z-71 4x4 lt loaded leather heated seat's..asking price.........bla bla bla better sell befor anyone catches wind of that word BANKRUPCY................for real iam selling then.

If GM files for bankruptcy, it is going to do it because it can´t pay its pension plan to all the people that worked for them, built crappy cars and then retired on full benefits, so actually outsourcing has kept them from being bankrupt in the 1900´s (wow, I actually said 1900´s, ). :naughty:

hi i have 2000 silverado did have some prablems whitit
if i ever buy new truck its gone be made in japan and
i thing all us cars are sucks

If GM files for bankruptcy, it is going to do it because it can´t pay its pension plan to all the people that worked for them, built crappy cars and then retired on full benefits, so actually outsourcing has kept them from being bankrupt in the 1900´s (wow, I actually said 1900´s, ). :naughty:

Your right, they can't fund their pension plan.
The 90's are over and so is GM,they build junk and it's catching up to them. I think these forums have helped pass the word on what crap they have been building.
Everybody on here has tons of problems with their GM products.
And GM won't back nothing up.
42,000 for a piece of sh#t that you have to work on all the time.
I'm an idoit for even buying one.
If I was to build a home for a customer like that I'd be in court jonny on the spot and lose. WTF
I hope this pile of crap burns just so I can get rid of it............and buy a Jap. truck............Built like a KNOCK

Your right, they can't fund their pension plan.
The 90's are over and so is GM,they build junk and it's catching up to them. I think these forums have helped pass the word on what crap they have been building.
Everybody on here has tons of problems with their GM products.
And GM won't back nothing up.
42,000 for a piece of sh#t that you have to work on all the time.
I'm an idoit for even buying one.
If I was to build a home for a customer like that I'd be in court jonny on the spot and lose. WTF
I hope this pile of crap burns just so I can get rid of it............and buy a Jap. truck............Built like a KNOCK
-i agree somewhat with you but i dont think everybody has tons of probs but probs they DO have and your right about the building a house like this you'd be in court why cant we win court case's like that? iam currently really looking at selling my truck now iam getting scared to be honest what's next all that's left to break is the motor and or transfer case and front end everything else has being changed? where can we find more details on this bankrupcy issue? anyone

-i agree somewhat with you but i dont think everybody has tons of probs but probs they DO have and your right about the building a house like this you'd be in court why cant we win court case's like that? iam currently really looking at selling my truck now iam getting scared to be honest what's next all that's left to break is the motor and or transfer case and front end everything else has being changed? where can we find more details on this bankrupcy issue? anyone

There's a big write up on it in the Detroit News.com
GM is trying to say that it's not true,but they have lost over 56% of their
Revenue in the past few years.
It cost them over 5 billion extra a year just to try and fund their pension plan. Less sales = less profit. Sales of GM products are in the gutter due too high fuel cost and a junk product. Mi. has lost over 389,000 manufacturing jobs in the last two years and more cuts are on the way.
Total jobs lost here are over 990,000 in the last 4 years.
The Motor city is no longer the car capital.
China is kicking our azzes. The problem here is the Chinese can't even afford a GM product. So sales for GM are getting worse every month.
You can only screw the consumer for so long no matter how big of a corp. you are before it catches up with you. People that say the price of fuel doesn't matter are wrong. An suv that gets 13 mpg just doesn't cut it. And GM's profit comes from their suv's and truck line.
You can't give a truck away here or an suv, so I hope mine just burns......... also their health care cost are killing them too, 10% increases every year. They created this monster by sitting on their azzes and thinking we are the biggest #1 corp. not anymore, it's a global
market place now just what they wanted. so start backing up your junk GM............

I hate to be the nay sayer, because i find GM to be nothing but contemptable in the product service and manufacturing quality, but ...The federal bankruptsy court nor the usa gov will allow a company like Gm to go under... perhaps for no other reason then those pension plans you mentioned. More likly they will save the company because our economy is beggining to build and the executive branch will not take a hit to the bottom line right now...mark my words. Can you say bail out?....jj