Steve..did they check the king pins? That seems to be something most TA's don't know how to do...checking the KP's. King Pin starting to fail will give the shakes to the truck, like what your describing.

 

Be sure to keep your pants on Steve. :P
Updates are fun to read. 8)

 

Does it shake very fast or slow? Check your ride height. You might be destroying your u-joints.

 

It's not the fifth wheel as this happens at even a lower speed when bob tail. My drivers side front tire went bad real quick last week with the appearance of an out of balance tire. My steers were replaced and the shocks. I'm now hearing a squealing sound right before I come to a stop and the frequency of the sound matches the speed of the truck as in one squeak per revolution. I suspect either the drum, shoes, motor mounts or the shackles. Trouble is finding out which one wihout replacing everything.

I'm probably going to mount my digital camera inside the engine compartment and take a video of different parts as I drive. I'll beep the horn twice when it starts to shake and once when it stops so I can play it back and see and hear when it happens. It's either that or stuff a Keebler Elf in there with a camcorder.

I'll bring it to the dealer next week when I'm home. At least I can try it out after every attempt to find the problem.

 

I like the camera and horn beeping idea.

Post the video, please. I can give you a place to host it, if you need one.

 

I can do that. I have a place to host it. The only problem is that I don't know how to compress it. When I'm done it will be like 50 meg or something. Anyone help me?

 

50mb isn't ridiculous, but if you want to change formats I need to know what format the camera records in. I'm guessing .mpg

 

youtube I believe gives you the option of converting it to flash video... vid quality will suffer a bit, but will offer a smaller bite for users without broadband to view it.

 

Steve...How are the new tires looking now. You've put some miles on them by now..since replacement. Is the left steer wearing the same way the one you took off did?

At this point I am willing to wager $50 that it's the kingpin. Also..you could have bearing problems coming into play..thus the squealing at low speeds. If it is determined that one kingpin is bad...bite the bullet and do them both..put in Kaisers...HD version. Good pins...and they take the abuse that flatbedders see.

:moose:

 

Depending on the type of wear, you might want to check your drag link. When they go bad, you can sometimes feel a drift and hesitation as you steer. I think the king pins are a good thing to check as are the tie rods. My would suspect the king pins after the drag link.

I thought I recalled something about Roswell. If I remember correctly, there is a truck stop on the north side of town. There isn't much after that. If memory serves, there seems to be some sort of botanical garden either in or near Roswell. It has been several years since I last visited the area. I think it is getting time to check back with the mother ship. :wink: By the way, Steve, the aliens are the ones with the black cowboy hats.