So your car excessively vibrates. Is it a big deal or not? This depends. Certain brands of pickup truck like the Dodge D150 have issues with vibration. Whether this is bad or good depends on the specific symptoms of the truck and cause of these symptoms.
Usually, when a vehicle shakes and it's already old, motorists are quick to wave it off as a natural part of vehicular aging or a car showing its miles. However, sometimes it's also an underlying problem that requires fixing, especially if it's excessive and continuous.
Diagnosing the Symptoms of Excessive Shaking
- Aging and Mileage: In the case of the Dodge D150, the younger the truck the less likely you'll get the phenomenon of shaking. So this might be a D150 design flaw of sorts. Many other trucks just shake just right but not enough to warrant a visit to a repair man. Most motorists don't give vibrations a second though until it sounds or feels like your car is having a miniature earthquake inside.
- When It Happens: If your truck or car is vibrating excessively when you're driving up a hill or giving it more throttle, then you should get it looked at by a technician at a repair facility. That's not normal. Your vehicle is supposed to purr instead of act like it's having a seizure. In this case, this might be because of a broken u-joint.
- A Vibrating Steering Wheel and Seat: Is the vibrations from your vehicle reaching the steering wheel? Or has your car seat turned into an unintentional massage chair because of the excessive shaking of your vehicle? If the seat of your pants is feeling the vibration along with your feet, then this might be a problem with the brakes or hubs. Maybe your car just needs more grease.
- Rhythmic On-and-Off Vibration: If the vibration has gotten so bad that it feels like you're driving through rumble strips or rocky road even on paved streets, then your bushings might be shot. If that's not the case, check the sway bar. It could be rattling as well. The worst-case scenario is having your overdrive dying. Your car might drop off overdrive because your overdrive clutches are overheating.
Vibrations Are Like Fevers
The problem with the vibration symptom of cars is that it can be caused any number of issues. It's like fevers can serve as a symptom of a wide range of conditions (like stress or infection), so you need to pay attention to other symptoms to piece together what the problem is. If the shaking becomes irritating or unbearable, you should definitely call an expert to pinpoint its cause.