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ZQ8 vibration

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#22 ·
I pulled my shaft out at the shop today and sent it to our trusty
driveshaft shop today and gusee what we found out.
The shaft was over .40 thousanths out on EACH end. He also told me that every shaft that he sees with a three rivers sticker on it is that way. Check yours out and see.My vibration is 90 percent gone ,I have a 2/2 drop with belltech blocks made for the xtreme.I am now going to try and add 2 degrees more angle scince mine is only measuring out to be one degree with the blocks in and see if that fixes the rest of it,Im sure it will. I would encourage everyone with the common vibration to take it out and have it balanced.You wont regret it 50 bucks is well worth it to me.

Good luck
JIM
 
#24 ·
7/16 wrench unbolt the straps on the rear u joint ( 4 bolts )
Take a screwdriver and pry forward on the middle of the u joint
towards the front of the truck.Once the u joint clears the yolk pull it out from the tranny.Be sure to put a pan under the tranny you will lose a little fluid, Not much:D
 
#26 ·
I talked to NJ at work today (June 16th). Weird thing is I didnt know he was on this website, I just thought it was someone who had a problem with their truck, saw my truck and thought maybe I knew what was up. He told me that GMC is buying back his truck.
 
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#27 ·
Thats insane man, I like my truck i dont want to get rid of the damn thing, I am still waiting to get the shaft balanced this week i have been lazy, but i really do think ill be able to get rid of a 99 at this point, im just really afraid im gonna have to go back to stock height, but it still vibrates there too, I dont know balancing is the last straw for me, well i might try 2in blocks and see if it chills out but then after that im gonna cry!
 
Discussion starter · #29 ·
Mr ...696- I'll tell you what's insane, dude. Putting up with this GMC BS for two months. That's what's insane! Guilty as charged, your Honor!
OK, guys - here's the update - they've replaced the wheels and tires, axles, and drums...NO CHANGE. They sent it to the local driveline specialist wizard. He pronounced the driveshaft balanced and the angles OK and said it comes in at about 2400RPM, so it must be wheels/tires.

They drove from there straight to the local wheel/tire specialty shop. The guy there (who happens to be the same guy that does the work on my daily driver and my English Austin Mini) high speed balanced them and said the worst one was off a quarter ounce. NO CHANGE. He asks if the rear axle vibration damper has been removed. SAY WHAAAA?!?
It seems, the MANUAL transmission units have a vibration damper hung off them, but not the A/T's. It's in the GMC parts book as a "Rear axle vibration damper". They didn't have a manual box on the dealer's lot, so they couldn't try that.

So... it's not the axles, wheels, tires or drive shaft by themselves, but some wierd harmonic combination that does it.

At this point, they've had enough, threw in the towel and said they'd offer to trade me into another truck (NOT another ZQ-8!) or re-purchase the vibrator. It took the area Service Rep. another week to show up and start to make good on the word. Frankly, I think he was trying to get me to blow up so he could write me off as a nutcase.

I took the buy-back because the incentives are $500 more than when I bought it and I have a couple of hundred bucks more on my GM card than when I bought it. Now it goes to the "Re-purchase group" for them to, get this, "...make (me) an offer."

Great! Now I'll have to deal with another faceless drone with no idea how much pent-up anger I have over a month-and-a-half of being jerked around. (I don't count the month the local Service Manager really tried to get my truck straight, just the time the factory a$$holes denied the problem then dragged their feet making it right.)
I've been warned they'll try to smoke me on the sales tax. WRONGO! The GA lemon law says "...and all colateral and incidental costs." If they don't give it all back, it will become a legal matter and I will NOT buy another GM product, GM card be Dam*ed!

I'll let you all know the end game once it's played.
In the meantime, my simple advice to anyone considering a ZQ-8 package on an ex-cab: NFW!!! You FOOL, You FOOL!!!
 
#31 ·
Well heres my news as of today, took it to a drive shaft specailist place and they said there was no reason to balance the shaft because there was nothing wrong with it that they could tell. So I called belltech back again and they said loosen up the carrier bearing bolts on the crossmember there, and i did it and it helped a little, still not much, so I called back again and said im running 3in blocks 2degree shims, and he said take em out, I said i had it that way before, and he said well you need to measure the pinion angle, you probably should have used 2degree shims, I say what the **** are you serious that 1 degree of angle can make that much of a difference? He seemed to think so, so that is my only anwser as of now, im gonna bust out a pinion angle gague, and yeah im not sure what you just mentioned about that
vibration dampener, maybe they forgot to put mine in, where did they tell you that it is located? thats wierd this is gonna be never ending crazy nuts, Im gonna get to the bottom of this and i dont give a f*ck who is at the top!!!!!!!
 
Discussion starter · #33 ·
On the rear axle. I don't know what it looks like. The GMC Service Manager looked in his parts book and says "Sure enough; it's right there. It's called a 'rear axle vibration damper'."
My guess is they've learned something along the way but won't share the knowledge for fear that everyone will line up, recall-style, wanting one. I mean, the problem is for real... they wrote "unrepairable" on the service slip and now they'll buy it back or trade it for a non Z-Q8, so there you have it.
If he'll give me the part number, I'll pass it along.

PS-
I might also be able to let you know how the blown Nissan runs. Tough to find one, though.
 
Discussion starter · #35 ·
Maybe has to do with the age of the article?
Ref: "My guess is they've learned something along the way but won't share the knowledge for fear that everyone will line up, recall-style, wanting one."

Dunno. I'll let y'all know if/when I find out.

N. J.
 
Discussion starter · #36 ·
OK, here's the latest.....
First, the vibration dampener.

"Rear axle vibration dampener"
GM part number 22064821
It's a shock absorber. It's part of the Z-Q8 susupension package on manual trannys for '99-'02 and on automatics from '98-'00. The brackets should be there. They are on the one that GMC is buying back from me. Which leads me to:
Second, the buyback.

It has been two weeks today since I was told they would buy it back and until 15 minutes ago, I'd heard NOTHING, ZERO, ZIP. NADA, NIL. Yesterday, I went to the GM of the dealership. I told him I apparently needed more leverage and as much as anything else, I was there to find out "Who is supposed to give me my kiss?".

As of noon today he still hadn't received a call back from the Regional Service Rep., so he put in ANOTHER call. Tonight the buyback agent called and asked me to Fax a copy of the title and registration so she could finish the paperwork. SHE DIDN"T GET THE CASE UNTIL THIS AFTERNOON! Guess who declined to take that very information from me a week ago! Aw, you cheated.

Right!! The #$#@%^& Regional Service Rep. I'm going over to the dealership tonight and use their FAX. Now we'll see how long it takes for them to SHOW ME THE MONEY!!
 
Discussion starter · #37 ·
This just in....
I FAXed the documents to GM from the dealership.

Now, as regular visitors to this site will know, the word seems to be that not all ZQ8's vibrate and that it seems to be specific to the two-piece driveshafts on the ex cabs. There was another Z-Q8 unit on the showroom floor, a black sportside. Sweet. I thought WTF, maybe mine is a rarity, so I drove it. The Service Manager was working late, so he went with me.

As this one was also shaking our butts off between 45-67 MPH, his comment was, "I can't believe they think this is normal! I wish one of those Engineers would stop going by vibration readings that don't tell you anything, get on an airplane, fly down here and actually DRIVE one. I don't think that's too much to ask."

So there you have it, gang. I'm officially cured of the ex cab Z-Q8 disease. To anyone thinking about buying one: Caveat Emptor, dude, Caveat Emptor!
 
Discussion starter · #38 ·
Well, they contacted me from the buyback group and the surly $%$#@^ ("...I jes' tol' you four times!") offered me less than I paid for it. She claims the Service Rep sets the price, he says the buyback group sets it.
Tennis, anyone?
The General Manager at the dealership says he'll handle it. The beat goes on....... Will advise
 
Discussion starter · #39 ·
Well, two days short of a month since the $%^%$#@ said he'd authorize a buyback and no check yet. The General Manager of the dealership has gotten no results with the buyback biotch and the regional Rep went on vacation without the courtesy of a call, so he called the Regional Rep's Supervisor. The Supervisor says he'll settle it next Monday after the holiday.
Will advise.
 
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