Frame Beaming(Vibration 50-70 MPH)

[mcontrols]

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

[Silver X]

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!!!

[GMMerlin]

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.

[rustcal]

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.

[joe mopar]

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.

[jumpingjack66]

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

[jumpingjack66]

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

[GMMerlin]

Originally Posted by jumpingjack66

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)

[GMMerlin]

Originally Posted by Silver X

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

[GMMerlin]

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

[gschretter]

[quote=dr_of_lovephd]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.

Originally Posted by 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.

[gschretter]

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

[gschretter]

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.

Originally Posted by GMMerlin

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

[dreamer56]

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......

[mcontrols]

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.