rear end shimmy/vibration?

[IMADOGMAN]

Originally Posted by trucknewbie

Just wasted my time at the dealer. What really concerns me is I think the technician was being as honest as he could. He dismissed the problem as something I must accept, get used to and live with it because they all do it. Which says to me one of two things - they all do it, which is a basic desgin flaw, or some do and some don't and they don't have a friggen clue where to start. Either way, it means I can no longer attest to being a satisfied new owner and am starting to question my choice of this truck over others on the market.

If this is the price to pay for all that power and towing capacity, then I'm not sure it's worth it, especially since I'm not planning on towing anything. Just loved the engine and tranny, but the so far the ride sucks!

Do like others have suggested and have a tire expert check them...Or, put about 500-600 lbs in the back and see if it helps...

[trucknewbie]

Thanks - that's my next step. Looked up Hunter GSP9700's locations on the Hunter site and guess what? My dealer has one and they didn't even use it to make an effort. This thing is only a week old with 300+ miles. I'll be ripping the salesman a new one tmo when he gets in. I can get it done at a tire speciality place for $25 bucks a tire, but at least 2 Nissan dealers near me have one, so why pay. I can see how the weight might help, but just something unappealing about hauling around a few hundred pounds of sand just to make up for design flaw on a $30K new truck. Kinda like using duct tape on interior rattles. If the sucker needs weight in the rear, seems like it ought be Nissan's problem to address, not mine.

I really do appreciate all the good advice, just really chapped that these things can roll off the assembly line like this with all the technology improvements over the last several years. Dealer service is another story......

[trucknewbie]

In reference to the above to whomever may read this, my reaction is more to dealer treatment and Nissan customer sat efforts, not the vehicle itself. I really do love this truck. Suffering from GCSD syndrome (great car/sh**ty dealer). Have had none of the other problems cited on here by other owners, and more convinced every day that mine is tire/wheel related and will ultimately get addressed.

As far as overall satisfaction, what else out there is this big, this powerful, this fast, this sexy and intimidating looking, handles this well, and is this practical? At that's at any price...

[juma]

Originally Posted by trucknewbie

In reference to the above to whomever may read this, my reaction is more to dealer treatment and Nissan customer sat efforts, not the vehicle itself. I really do love this truck. Suffering from GCSD syndrome (great car/sh**ty dealer). Have had none of the other problems cited on here by other owners, and more convinced every day that mine is tire/wheel related and will ultimately get addressed.

As far as overall satisfaction, what else out there is this big, this powerful, this fast, this sexy and intimidating looking, handles this well, and is this practical? At that's at any price...

the Lightning...well, maybe not quite as practical. but, it is a hellova ride. juma

[pciley]

won't last as long... I see alot more lightnings parked behind the service dept at Ford than I do on the road. That's why they are such a steal used.

(I know you were kidding anyways Juma... )

[juma]

Originally Posted by pciley

won't last as long... I see alot more lightnings parked behind the service dept at Ford than I do on the road. That's why they are such a steal used.

(I know you were kidding anyways Juma... )

yes but I found out most of the lightnings were in to get the driver's visor mirror cleaned of zit poppings. juma

[jdm]

My Titan doesnt have this problem @ all. I love my Titan.
My wife's 4Runner had this exact problem.
After countless trips to the dealer I ended up buying aftermarket rims & tires & the problem was fixed.
It is pitiful that products of this price have these types of troubles

[pciley]

ahhh.. but if only life were perfect. Don't you feel like a guinnea pig? The '05 Titan owners have us to thank for their trouble-free pickup ownership experience. We should all get wall plaques for our offices that say "Yeah, I took one for the team."

[trucknewbie]

That's assuming Nissan actually addresses these in the 05. Best I can tell, their biggest problem is consistency. You have a small nuimber of owners with all kinds or problems, what seems like a majority with absolutely no problems, then some of us with one or two hopefully minor issues that would be nothing if only dealers and Nissan were responsive.

I'm waiting with interest to see just how many issues Nissan has addressed in the 05. For whatever is better, the 05 owners definitely owe us some gratitude. But then again, what new problems might Nissan have introduced........? I'm not willing to concede that the 05's are that much better than our 04's until we see a little history.

[juma]

Originally Posted by trucknewbie

That's assuming Nissan actually addresses these in the 05. Best I can tell, their biggest problem is consistency. You have a small nuimber of owners with all kinds or problems, what seems like a majority with absolutely no problems, then some of us with one or two hopefully minor issues that would be nothing if only dealers and Nissan were responsive.

I'm waiting with interest to see just how many issues Nissan has addressed in the 05. For whatever is better, the 05 owners definitely owe us some gratitude. But then again, what new problems might Nissan have introduced........? I'm not willing to concede that the 05's are that much better than our 04's until we see a little history.

actually, I think they will start detuning the titan in '05, if they haven't already. They always want the first ones to be strong running so the word will go out. then, they detune to keep the warranty costs down. this is probably what is at the heart of the spin-no spin rear tire discussion. plus, they may think kerry is gonna win and hi-hoss vehicles will be banned. juma

[trucknewbie]

When it comes to engine and tranny, I like mine just the way it is...don't mess with success. If they detune, we'll be one of the lucky ones that got the hot 04's while they lasted....

[trucknewbie]

UPDATE on this issue for anyone who cares or having similar problems. Finally got to the right people at the dealership and a test drive with an ace technician confirmed a real problem, he road forced tested using Hunter GSP 9700 and turns out I have two defective tires (Goodyear's too much out of round to balance). So the remedy is on the way with two new tires ordered. Cudos to Juma for calling this one, and thanks to Imadogman and others for contributing some sound advice as well. I'll post a final hopefully when the new ones are installed as she's riding smooth as silk. Persistence pays off, so anyone else with a similar concern insist the dealer road force test the tires. The tech confided that they have replaced a few of these Goodyears (no such problems with the BF Goodrich with the OR package).

I admit she's not as quick feeling since I let air out of the tires down to 35psi. At 38psi, the truck certainly felt quicker, although it may be my perception. With the new ones, I will bump it back up to 38psi and see how she rides.....

Other than this, 900+ miles and counting with no other problems as of yet.

[IMADOGMAN]

Newbie, Glad the dealer took some interest. Too bad you have to brow beat them to get things done. I am going in for my first (and probably only) dealer oil change, cause the first one is on them. Only problem that I have is an emergency brake that could use some adjustment, and a trim piece that needs some adjustment. Otherwise, everything is fine. I had my Titan at 85 mph on a smooth (unlimited visibility) dirt/gravel road yesterday. I didn't even realize that I was going that fast until I looked at the speedometer...then I slowed to a "less crazy" 70 mph. No shimmy or shake at all.
My Dad got a new 1967 Suburban...the tires were all 1/4 inch or so out of round...and yes, it shook a lot.
One item of note: A "round" yet out of balance tire in our diameter, tends to shake the worst at 55 and 77 mph...so it's best to just keep 'er at 85

[slideclyde]

Next time you feel the vibration in the rear, try shifting out of 5th gear(OD) into 4th gear by manually. My Titan shudders/vibrates at around 45-50 in OD with little or no pressure on the gas pedal. It feels like a tire balance issue but I think its the torque convertor not locking up properly. I have yet to take mine in to Nissan because most likely they won't be able to remedy it. I am waiting for a TSB to be published. I drove several Titan's and they all seemed to exhibit this trait. Good luck.