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Member
Posts: 26
| Help! I just bought a used 2004 Chevy Silverado 1500 from a dealer. I had it checked by a mechanic and it seemed to be running fine. Dealership fixed a couple of minor issues with it. I drove it to work this morning (about 15 miles on the highway) and noticed a slight shake to the vehicle. I haven't hooked it up to my horse trailer yet, as the brake controller can't be installed til tomorrow. But now I am just really concerned about this truck having the same issue as my last tow vehicle....mainly as it got older it lost a lot of its original power and kind of struggled to pull the trailer. I don't know any mechanics that are expert tow vehicle mechanics; my mechanics are decent, but its hard to describe to them what is going on when the trailer is not attached. I guess I am wondering if I should try to get out of this deal, if that is even possible. Any advice would be appeciated! BTW, I am only pulling a 2700 lb 2 horse with one horse so truck should be well within towing limits. |
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Veteran
Posts: 188
Location: Ingalls, Ks | What kind of shake?? When shifting or when driving? Tires balance would be the first thing to check if it's just at driving speed. If it's shaking during shifts, then you might have reason to worry, otherwise have the tires balanced and rotated or replaced??? |
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Expert
Posts: 5870
 
Location: western PA | Tire balancing, wheel alignment, worn shock absorbers, tire cord breakage, flat spotted tires, worn suspension or steering components, worn "U" joints, a bent or unbalanced drive shaft can all attribute to "shaking". Most gas drive trains can produce in excess of 90% of their initial horse power, with well over 150K of mileage if properly maintained. Replacing worn components, fluids and filters will go a long way in maintaining the drive trains' reliability and power. With the relatively small decrease in power over a lengthy time period, most people would not recognise any degration in performance. Much of the change could be reflected in carrying additional materials in the trailer, traveling new routes or pulling different equipment. Maintaing proper tire pressures on both the truck and trailer, will also lessen differences in towing abilities over time. Upgrading from trailer biased ply tires to radials, will lower the effort needed by the towing vehicle. It can be surprising to notice the change in how a truck feels, when towing a different trailer. Some are barely noticeable, whilst others always let you know you've really got a hold of "something". A good mechanic should be able to source the truck's vibration. It may be a simple fix or a complex drivetrain difficulty. A professional should be able to tell you exactly what is wrong. |
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Member
Posts: 26
| Thank you for the information. That is really interesting, and something I wished I known before I had traded my old truck. Maybe I could have gotten a year or two more out of it. The tires look good to me on the new truck, but I don't know if they are balanced. The truck also pulls to the left. It did it during the test drive, they said they took care of it, but I noticed it again as I was driving at higher speeds. I know this is an older truck, but I still don't want to have to put a lot of money into something I just paid a lot of money for. The deal isn't finalized yet, so I'm feeling a bit conflicted as to what to do. |
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Member
Posts: 26
| Also, truck was shaking as I was driving at 65-70. Shifting seems pretty smooth. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 447
Location: cedar rapids iowa | If you drive on gravel a rock in the tread can make it shake like that. Take it to a tire store and they can help you figure out what is wrong. |
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Expert
Posts: 5870
Location: western PA | Take the truck to a mechanic you know and trust. Have him evaluate the truck before you finalize your sale. Do not trust the dealer and his service dept for the mechanical determination of suitability. In all likely hood, the wheel alignment, the tires or their pressures, the steering linkage, wheel bearings or front brakes need attention, if the truck is consistently pulling to one side. Any of these problems could eventually lead to expensive repairs. Have them checked before you purchase the truck. On a level, non crowned road, you should be able to take your hands off the wheel at speed, and the vehicle will maintain a straight course, If it doesn't, it needs attention. |
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Member
Posts: 26
| Thank you! I will do this tomorrow. I did take it to my mechanic but they were busy and didn't have time to test drive it. The dealership said they fixed it, but if I take my hands off the wheel, it eventually always goes left. |
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Expert
Posts: 3853
 
Location: Vermont | Originally written by OnTheRoadAgain on 2011-09-29 12:15 PM
Thank you! I will do this tomorrow. I did take it to my mechanic but they were busy and didn't have time to test drive it. The dealership said they fixed it, but if I take my hands off the wheel, it eventually always goes left. While you are waiting for your mechanic CONFIRM that both front tires have EQUAL air pressure and make the test again, this would be the cheapest solution...like gard says if this doesn't solve your problem be prepared for a potentially LARGE REPAIR BILL... Also, HOW MUCH SLOP, if any is there in your steering?...While you are sitting in the truck have someone look at your front wheels and tell you when they start to move as you slowly turn the steering wheel...lots of turn on the wheel before tire movement is NOT GOOD...
Edited by PaulChristenson 2011-09-29 1:53 PM
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Member
Posts: 26
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Member
Posts: 26
| Will check that out. I called the sales guy to let him know what was going on. He was very nice about it and took it for a drive to see what was up. He thinks it is a problem in the tires. They are truck tires with thick treads. My old truck had normal treads. He said there may be a flat spot in them or something. He pointed out the steering wheel is not vibrating and thought that was a good thing. He said it could be a balance issue. He is confident there is nothing wrong (of course!) but said I should take it to the mechanic to confirm.
Thanks so much to everyone for the suggestions! |
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Regular
Posts: 78
| From my experience with Chevys...
Pulling to one side was due to misalignment.
Shaking at highway speeds, problems with the front end, ball joints, etc. A few years ago my truck had this and it cost about $1800 to fix. My mechanic mentioned something about the tire weight being wonky as also a common cause, but I wasn't lucky enough to have such an easy fix.
Good luck, I hope you get things going good.
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Member
Posts: 26
| Okay so the mechanic said the problem is in the tires, that they hadn't been rotated and will probably need to be replaced. But he also found a heavily rusted brake line, leaking power steering pump, leaking front axle seal, and both drive belts need to be replaced. I know that a used car is going to have issues, but this car seems to have a lot of them. Any insights? |
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 Expert
Posts: 1880
Location: NY | all I can say is if you are going to haul with this then it has to be right Do you have usrider? just in case |
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Member
Posts: 26
| You are right; I am worried about towing with a vehicle that may not be right. I can get US Rider (had them before, they are great!), but I guess my question is it a wise idea to pay $12k for something that I am that concerned about? UGH!! |
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Expert
Posts: 2958
Location: North Carolina | 2004 truck will have a few issues. The previous owner didn't repair them because he was getting out of it. When you take care of all the little issues, you'll have a great tow vehicle. If you wanted an issue free truck, you would have had to paid the new truck price.
What's the price of a new truck similar to yours?
Between the depreciation and the mark down from new, you should have enough money to fix the problems. |
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Expert
Posts: 3853
Location: Vermont | Originally written by OnTheRoadAgain on 2011-09-30 11:23 AM Okay so the mechanic said the problem is in the tires, that they hadn't been rotated and will probably need to be replaced. But he also found a heavily rusted brake line, leaking power steering pump, leaking front axle seal, and both drive belts need to be replaced. I know that a used car is going to have issues, but this car seems to have a lot of them. Any insights?  |
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Member
Posts: 26
| Okay after giving it a lot of thought, I returned the truck. It may have been a great tow vehicle with a little work, but I just couldn't get to the point where I felt safe about driving it. Wish the new ones weren't so darned expensive! Thanks for all the help everyone! |
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Expert
Posts: 3853
Location: Vermont | Originally written by OnTheRoadAgain on 2011-09-30 4:06 PM Okay after giving it a lot of thought, I returned the truck. It may have been a great tow vehicle with a little work, but I just couldn't get to the point where I felt safe about driving it. Wish the new ones weren't so darned expensive! Thanks for all the help everyone!  |
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Member
Posts: 26
| That's tempting!! I'd love to get a new truck. I can't believe how much they have gone up in price though. I got my 1995 Z71 Silverado with all the options for $23k new. They have almost doubled in price. :( My salary has not. ;) |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 447
Location: cedar rapids iowa | Originally written by OnTheRoadAgain on 2011-09-30 4:06 PM Okay after giving it a lot of thought, I returned the truck. It may have been a great tow vehicle with a little work, but I just couldn't get to the point where I felt safe about driving it. Wish the new ones weren't so darned expensive! Thanks for all the help everyone! |
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Tow Vehicle-Need Help!!!
