VIBRATION!!! I FOUND IT!!!!!!

[RECHRGD]

I feel for ya RECHRGD. I hate drivetrain vibrations, and having to fight one for two years just isn't worth having the OD unit in my opinion. I've considered purchasing a Gear Vendor's unit for my Super Bee for a few years now but after reading your story I think I'll hang onto my money. Have you considered asking them for your money back?

I'm not going to bad mouth GV at this point.  They've made thousands of these things with great success.  They've also been very helpful and interested in solving this problem.  There is a gremlin somewhere, whether it's GV's issue or mine is still unknown.  I've had this thing too long to expect them to refund my money.  Chasing the vibration has been an on and off thing.  I would definitely go down that road if I had just bought it though.  Bob

[mauve66]

hey brickster, are you going to MATS??  i used to live over there by Sam Boyd when Dan's shop was off sunset, looks like you guys have a new building now, are you in the same place??  you guys did my diff and driveshaft for my GV install but that was 7 years ago and hasn't turned a tire in anger yet.  if mine is messed up i'm gonna look you up

[Brickster]

I will have our charger at the show this year. last year i was invited to have the car in the Gear Vendors booth but i didn't think it was worthy. we have never been off of sunset but we were at main and owens about 14 years ago. I would be glad to have a look at your car when the time comes.


Back to the problem at hand. I have a good used GV in the shop. Do you want to try another one?

Brick

[G Force]

I would like to know if anyone has a 2nd generation Charger with a GV unit WITHOUT VIBRATIONS.
Please let us if you have had success with this unit in your 2nd generation Charger and GV.

[RECHRGD]

I would like to know if anyone has a 2nd generation Charger with a GV unit WITHOUT VIBRATIONS.
Please let us if you have had success with this unit in your 2nd generation Charger and GV.

Mr. Angry comes to mind.   I've never heard anything but good comments from Mike about the GV unit,  BUT, I've never specifically asked him and I doubt he's followed this thread.  Bob

[G Force]

I was inspired to purchase my  GV unit because of the good remarks from Mr. Angry's posting on the unit.
My car is back to the mechanic that originally installed the unit.
This is what he writes in a recent E mail reply:

"I believe we could fix the vibration be removing the Gear Vendors however I do not believe the vibration is in the Gear Vendors. The front yoke moving back 14" has changed a lot. We have installed hundreds of Gear Vendors and there have only been a handful of vibration issues. Some we knew would be an issue and we have never had an issue like this with these dimensions of shaft. There are only three things to try. 1. Driveshaft with constant velocity end 2. Add pinion shims and max out pinion angle (requires building special shims with long pins) 3. Removing the Gear Vendors "

[472 R/T SE]

I just found this thread.  I need to get out more.  Sorry Bob, I think I'm to blame for some of your grief since I bragged about my GV & hooked you up.

Not that you want to hear this but I didn't have any vibration until the GV was installed.  It's not real bad but it's there.  My blue Charger would vibrate until it was up over 60 mph so I basically wrote the GV off as part of the experience.

I will be watching this thread.  I hope your problems will be solved. 

I talked to the outfit where we bought our GV's at this year's Roadster Show about a group buy.  Kinda hard to have a group buy when there's no group.   

[Brickster]

Another thing I've heard of but not experianced is having a vibration at half of the drivelines critical speed. Do you know what your cener to center length is, and tube diameter and wall thickness? I could look up you critical speed.

Brick

[elacruze]

 

Still interested, I haven't had a driveshaft made for my GV yet, I've been considering whether to go Aluminum or Steel-critical speed...is there an online table somewhere to review?

[RECHRGD]

I just found this thread.  I need to get out more.  Sorry Bob, I think I'm to blame for some of your grief since I bragged about my GV & hooked you up.

Not that you want to hear this but I didn't have any vibration until the GV was installed.  It's not real bad but it's there.  My blue Charger would vibrate until it was up over 60 mph so I basically wrote the GV off as part of the experience.

I will be watching this thread.  I hope your problems will be solved. 

I talked to the outfit where we bought our GV's at this year's Roadster Show about a group buy.  Kinda hard to have a group buy when there's no group.   

Not to worry!!!  What would we do if we didn't have problems to solve?

[RECHRGD]

Another thing I've heard of but not experianced is having a vibration at half of the drivelines critical speed. Do you know what your cener to center length is, and tube diameter and wall thickness? I could look up you critical speed.

Brick

Never heard of that!  Is there a fix for it?

[RECHRGD]

I was inspired to purchase my  GV unit because of the good remarks from Mr. Angry's posting on the unit.
My car is back to the mechanic that originally installed the unit.
This is what he writes in a recent E mail reply:

"I believe we could fix the vibration be removing the Gear Vendors however I do not believe the vibration is in the Gear Vendors. The front yoke moving back 14” has changed a lot. We have installed hundreds of Gear Vendors and there have only been a handful of vibration issues. Some we knew would be an issue and we have never had an issue like this with these dimensions of shaft. There are only three things to try. 1. Driveshaft with constant velocity end 2. Add pinion shims and max out pinion angle (requires building special shims with long pins) 3. Removing the Gear Vendors "

Let me know what he tries.  I'm at option #3.

[charger Downunder]

critical speed new to me here is a good read and calculater.
http://www.wallaceracing.com/driveshaftspeed.htm

[RECHRGD]

critical speed new to me here is a good read and calculater.
http://www.wallaceracing.com/driveshaftspeed.htm

Hmmmmm.  According what I read there, the vibration would get worse the faster you go.  Mine goes away above 75mph, so I guess that's not my problem.  Thanks for the link.  Bob

[Brickster]

i don't think you've reached your critical speed but there is a vibration that occurs at half of the critical speed.

[Brickster]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=half+critical+speed++&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

[b5blue]

So your suggesting a change in lube? 

[Brickster]

So your suggesting a change in lube? 

Not me, I'm suggesting a driveshaft made in a different configuration; different tube size, aluminum, wall thickness, something... Do I think it will work? Don't know, but if the current vibration speed is near half the critical speed then it might be worth a try.

Brick

[Sublime/Sixpack]

Anything new?

[TylerCharger69]

I'm thinking a rear axle issue....not adjusted properly??....Bearings?   (outers)   And please explain doing the test with no driveshaft.  How was that test conducted?  Just curious

[b5blue]

Keep in mind he found a part with at best a sloppy tolerance that seems to be the culprit in my book. None of this bodes well for my (albeit long range)  plan for this modification. I assumed for the price of this unit flawless operation. If you remove the unit and the problem goes away.....the unit is the problem plain and simple. B bodys are not finicky, highly sensitive, high tech automobiles in nature. I've worked on and run overdrives in old Triumph TR 4's with IRS rear ends in well worn, rather tired condition and never seen this much aggravation.   

[RECHRGD]

Nothing new yet.  I'm out of state for the holidays.  GV dropped the ball and didn't send the unit back to me before I left, so I told them to hold on to it until my return.  Bob

[RECHRGD]

I just spent about an hour on the phone with Rick at GV (the President).  He's very helpful (as is everyone I've talked to there) and wants to get this problem resolved.  He's going to keep the unit for a couple more days to ponder things.  I had him come here and read this thread, so he may chime in at some point.  We're leaning towards the problem being just a rpm (engine, pulleys, etc.) related minor vibration that gets multiplied with the added mass and weight of the GV unit.  He said he ran into that once before.  I know I have stated that there was NO vibration without the unit installed, but it may be so small that compared to the real vibration it could have felt like nothing.  The car is in storage right now, but there may be some good dry weather in a few days, allowing me to play with it again.  Also, he may just send me a whole new unit to be able to take that out of the equation once and for all.  You can't ask for better customer service than that!  When I reinstall it he wants to know how it goes at every step.  Bob

[tan top]

 thats sounds like good service !!    would be intresting to hear & feel it run with another G/V though    fingers crossed 

[G Force]

The mechanic that I am working with, and installed my GV unit states that he has been involved with hundreds of the Gear Vendor installations and has not had any problems with the units.
Being that I am going through similar vibrations issues, I requested that he send the unit back,, he feels strongly that its not the unit itself that is vibrating but the unit could be the cause of the vibrations.
My 70 Charger is in his shop and I am hoping that the problem will be resolved in the next few days.