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Random intense vibration at freeway speeds... (08 LE 4x4)

12K views 13 replies 8 participants last post by  Qx56 Black Knight 
#1 ·
Hi guys,

New to the club and new to ever owning a Nissan. Picked up an 08 Armada LE 4x4 with around 100,000 miles on it last week. Love the truck so far but having some scary issues after our very first road trip with it.

Within 20 minutes of leaving our starting destination (both directions), the truck would experience INTENSE ( I mean feeling like the tread has separated from tires requiring an emergency pull off the road). The first time it happened I pulled into a parking lot inspected all four tires, made sure lugnuts were tightened and continued on with our trip. Feeling satisfied the wheels were inflated and lugnuts tight I went on... The car drove flawlessly buttery smooth for the next 2 hours and well over 100 miles. Did the same thing on the return trip home... intense vibration, pulled over to a stop, continued and the vibration was entirely gone and the car drove fine the rest of the way home.

SO in short, the problem is this. Drives perfect -> intense vibration starts randomly @ freeway speeds -> come to a stop -> car drives perfectly....

I had brand new tires installed at discount tire when I bought the truck so I am reasonably confident they are balanced and not the problem.

Some searching has mentioned a possible front brake issue to maybe something worn joint on the drive shaft. Just trying to get any more information before I start dealing with DIY repairs or asking a mechanic to blindly throw money at an intermediate problem.

Thanks!!!
 
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#3 ·
I'll also add that my first one that went out there was a constant howl similar to having aggressive tires that got louder with speed. The second one was quiet until sporadically a sudden a very loud vibration/buzzing sound would occur and then go away. If yours is like mine the frequency that this will occur will increase until replaced.
 
#6 ·
X2 on hdcd's reply. Unit bearings will hum or grind before they go out. It sounds more like a driveline problem though. I'm new to nissan so I'm not sure how the auto 4x4 system works, but maybe it's possible yours is trying to engage into 4wd at high speeds?
 
#7 ·
Almost all vibrations a highway speeds are going to be tire\wheel related....that having been said there are a couple of things you can do WHILE IT IS OCCURING that will help you figure it out....first shift trans to neutral see if that changes anything, try changing lanes to put a load on wheel bearings, try braking while maintaining speed to see if that changes anything....will need some more info before we can go any further
 
#8 ·
Thanks for the replies guys. Since posted I have been very busy, the truck has pretty much sat still.

I crawled around under the truck and the only red flag I saw was the front pinion seal was leaking, so I replaced the seal this morning and filled the F. Diff with 75w90 royal purple.

Took the truck on the freeway for the first time in a week or so and it did the same thing, twice. Like previously, coming to a stop fixes the problem and the truck drives perfect for the duration of the trip. Having followed the advice on here I shifted into neutral while the problem was happening, and nothing changes. Braking has no effect what so ever (unless the vehicle comes to a stop).

My friend is a mechanic and suggested the ABS system is malfunctioning. I think next I will try switching around tires and see if there is any effect.. The last thing I want to do is have the dealership start throwing money at an undiagnosed problem
 
#9 ·
Check u-joints especially on front drive shaft.
 
#10 ·
I have an 07 with 99k. Had the weird vibrations start at 50k. Baker Jackson Nissan in Houston recognized the vibration but refused to check anything out under warranty. Long and aggravating research determined it was the front bearing hubs. They were defective from Nissan. Completely worn out at 50k. Shot at 25k, and finally replaced at 98.5k. - after replacing everything else in the front end....Also, on previous recall, when Nissan replaced the control arms, they didn't relube or antiseize the axle splines or bearing hubs on reassembly. But they made great excuses! 4 whl drive, driven easy, maintained meticulously.
If- when you start out and apply a little bit of throttle, the front end seems to lift or jump a bit, the bearing hubs are gone. Also, the inner and outer tie rod ends might remain operable, but by 75k, they are completely worn out due to weight of car. So, no matter the mada, if you are at 100k, it's time for a suspension rebuild!
 
#12 ·
Well guys the dealers best guess was an alignment adjust and re-balancing 3 of the 4 tires which were supposedly "severely out of balance" Will it fix the problem? Time will tell I guess...

On a side note, keep an eye on those discount tire guys! I love those shops but lately we have been having poor service. They overfilled one tire on my wife's car by about 10 PSI and don't seem to bother balancing tires unless you make a special effort to complain about a poorly balanced wheel...
 
#14 ·
Well guys the dealers best guess was an alignment adjust and re-balancing 3 of the 4 tires which were supposedly "severely out of balance" Will it fix the problem? Time will tell I guess...

On a side note, keep an eye on those discount tire guys! I love those shops but lately we have been having poor service. They overfilled one tire on my wife's car by about 10 PSI and don't seem to bother balancing tires unless you make a special effort to complain about a poorly balanced wheel...
Have you ever found the problem?
 
#13 ·
Hi.Mr Turbo. Wanted to ask you. Did you found what was a problem with your Nissan Armada back in 2014. I have a same issue, changed wheel hubs it still happening but vibration now is more tight. Took front driveshaft out to eliminate. Didn't drive enough yet to get shudder but it feels like it is there only not catching amplitude yet. Tires are new and balanced. Wheel alignment is done. Any thoughts?
Thanks.
 
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