Hi Gang,
I have an 88 ranger 4x4 purchase about 3 months ago. since I have replaced the inner and outer tie rods and had the front end lined up, also put new tires on this truck. I had a pretty bad vibration, between 35mph and 45 mph. it would then go away then return at 55mph. I put new ujoints and a new center driveshaft bearing. this helped get rid of the vibration between 35-45 mph. but still had the vibration starting at 55mph.

Yesturday I spent a few hours dropping the rear drive shaft and rotating 1/4 turns at the rear axle and the transfer case this made no difference.

I then thought I wonder if this could be in the front end. So I locked the fron hubs and put it in 4x4 and drove straight down the street.. the vibration was terrible! I disengaged the 4x4 and left the fron hubs locked (they're manual) and drove it again terrible vibration also noticticed a clunking noise coming from the right side. I checked the axle u-joints they seemed to be okay. Any one else had a this problem? or any suggestions. I'm not sure if it's the wheel bearings. axle u-joints or the hubs.

Any help would be appreciated!
Dwight.

 

Little bump

 

The vibration you are decribing to me sounds like a front hub assembly. I drive an 05 and when mine went bad it produced a bad vibration like a tire was skipping down the road, but in the mean time it was just the extra slop in the hub assembly.

Mine started to make a chirping noise, such as a brake clip hitting a rotor kind of. that was the dead give away.