transmission problem?

[gotmojo]

i have a '99 F350 7.3L powerstroke 4x4 with 82,000 miles i recently bought it with 78,000 on it and it drove great until recently, at first when it would first shifted into 3rd and 4th gear the whole front end would vibrate, but after going up a few hundred RPM's it would stop.right after this started i left out on a 1,000 mile trip(home for thanksgiving) and after a few hundred miles it just started perfect again, ran like a top the rest of the trip.(i drove straight through) then after parking her for a while it started again and now it seems to be getting worse, the tranny seems to not be shifting at the right time , and the vibration has moved into the other gears and seems to be lasting longer, thanksgiving is over and i need to go back to work, (1,000 miles away) any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanx, GOTMOJO

[RedneckGirl]

A vibration could come from other sources, not just the transmission. I was having front end issues with my Ex, and all problems were due to a toe-in problem/allignment issue. It started at 40-50mph and then spread to other speeds. A hard acceleration would move past the point of issue.

Another source could be the U-joints wearing out-they progressively get worse the more "worn out" they become.

I just replaced a tranny and didn't have any of the symptoms you have described-however that doesn't mean that it isn't the cause.

Good luck!

[gotmojo]

Thank you that makes alot of sense I will check it out in the AM, how did you diagnose the
"toe-in problem/alignment issue"

[mrnecsteve]

Originally Posted by gotmojo

Thank you that makes alot of sense I will check it out in the AM, how did you diagnose the
"toe-in problem/alignment issue"

By looking for scalloping on the outside or inside of the tires. The ujoints ,as mentioned,are the most likely cause. The ujoint most likely ,is the one with the sharpest angle.

[RedneckGirl]

I paid the 60 bucks for an allignment-Lots of places offer them-Even Sears can do an allignment.

With the suspension I run along with the huge expensive tires and lots of miles on rough dirt roads, I try to get an allignment every 6-8 months. The one time I slacked off since I was doing more highway driving was the one time I ended up having problems.

[RedneckGirl]

Originally Posted by mrnecsteve

By looking for scalloping on the outside or inside of the tires. The ujoints ,as mentioned,are the most likely cause. The ujoint most likely ,is the one with the sharpest angle.

I was running large tread mud tires and had a strange wear pattern where every other "knobby" was starting to wear on the inside of the front tire. Had I not gotten things fixed the tired would have been ruined in no time.

[mrnecsteve]

Originally Posted by RedneckGirl

I was running large tread mud tires and had a strange wear pattern where every other "knobby" was starting to wear on the inside of the front tire. Had I not gotten things fixed the tired would have been ruined in no time.

Yep...it dont take long. On brand new tires ,at about 500 miles,I inspect the tires by running my fingers along the inside and outside edge of the tread foot
print , in a forward and reverse direction. It can be felt ,sooner than it is noticed by eye. One part of the lug edge will be rounded the other will feel sharp. Some wear is normal on the steering tires. When it reaches a certain point.....rotate the tires.

To extend the life of the front tires , I have had success asking the alignment
mechanics to modify the toe in /toe out setting from factory settings. I usually ask the mechanic to halve the toe in setting. (if one degree before zero ...set for one half of a degree) Most of my driving is highway and I always keep the front end with minimum slop in the wheel bearings .

[NCHornet]

This sounds like something more than alignment, but maybe you'll get lucky. It sure sounds like a bad Ujoint to me, could also be the TC, if you notice the RPM's increasing (above45 mph) and the speed not you have a TC problem. Does it sound like marbles in a can? I would crawl under and look at the drivetrain, if you can get the rear end up in the air have somebody bring it up to speed and see if you can recreate the noise.
Good Luck
NCHornet