# Ass end shakes between 35 to 40 mph.



## fifty9singlecab (Aug 19, 2008)

I have a 1995 Nissan ex-cab 4x4. When you drive it at 35 to 40 mph the rear end shakes like a tire that has a belt broken in it. But when you push the clutch in it stops and the shake quits. I had a guy tell me that I need to replace the u-joint. But before I do that I want to know if that sounds like my problem. The truck sat for a little over 2 years outside. If you throttle fast and get above 40 mph quickly you can't really tell it but if you drive normal it gets on your nerves. Thanks for your help.


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

It could very well be the drive-shaft U-joints; very easy to check. If the U-joints are OK, then check for worn rear wheel bearings. Also make sure the wheel lug nuts are tight.


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## dvdswanson (Nov 6, 2005)

check the center bushing on the drive line if it has one, this is the usual culprit. if no center bushing then check the u-joints.


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## fifty9singlecab (Aug 19, 2008)

Ok I will check these things. Thanks alot!


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## lumbee (Mar 20, 2005)

...auto or manual trans? I had a similar problem that was trans (manual) related....


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## fifty9singlecab (Aug 19, 2008)

Sorry about the delay, It is a manual transmission.


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## characterboat (Jun 1, 2008)

U-Joints are a lousy job on this truck. It sounds like a problem I had after I replaced mine, I ended up tack welding them in (there were no c-clips and I couldn't seem to get inner c-clip ones that would fit) but it was tough to get them perfectly centered. I got the runout within spec but the shaft was still out of balance. It was quite similar to your problem and that may be it. If that is the case you balance the shaft on your own with pipe clamps. At each joint on each side you mark the shaft in quadrants and put a clamp with the screw side on one quadrant, spin the engine up, then you try a different quadrant and see if it is better or worse. Work your way through and you will eventually have a balanced shaft. It worked quite well on my truck. My thought is that if the truck sat for a few years mayhaps the shaft rusted more on one side or the other rather than evenly over the entire shaft.


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## lumbee (Mar 20, 2005)

...is the shaking effected by what gear you are in? Get in that 35/45 rang where you feel the shaking, then shift between 3rd/4/5th, and see if the shaking changes any. If it does, then it could be trans related. I blew the 5th gear out on mine, and had the herky jerks, but only in 5th gear.


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## fifty9singlecab (Aug 19, 2008)

No, it doesn't matter what gear you are in. Id did it with the stock wheels and tires and I thought it may have been a broken belt and when I put new tires on it, it still did it. If you accelerate and gain speed quickly you will never feel it. But it won't last long driving it like that. I'm taking it to a Nissan mechanic on Wed. so hopefully I can get a few querks fixed on it then. Thanks to all of you for the help.


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## lumbee (Mar 20, 2005)

...sounds like you can rule the trans out then. Good luck at the dealer. Mine was shaky and getting progressivly worse over about a year. I finally got fed up with it and took it to the dealer. They call me back and say, oh its the motor mounts, trans mounts, and shocks..."They'r shot"...he told me. $1500 smacks with parts and labor  Truck is barely worth that much, so I as how much just the motor and trans mounts are. Those were about $150 bucks, so I decide I'll just buy them and do th work myself...then went to sears and found a sale on $200 set of shocks. So I do all that, and of course it doesn't fix a dog-on thing. So I'm out a couple hundred bucks...just think how I would have felt if I'd have dropped 1500 at the stealership and nothing to show for it!!! I think I drove it like this for another 6 months or so before diagnosing it at the transmission. Took it to a transmission shop to confirm, and they agreed. Ended up buy and rebuilt trans which I swapped out myself...runs like a dream now. I guess I say all this to say the dealership is not always real good about diagnosing the little odd ball shimmys and shakes. Some times it best to just keep driving it the way it is til it gets back enough that you are clear on what the problem is...


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## joemh22 (Jun 2, 2009)

It is probably the carrier bearing (center driveshaft support).


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