Hoist Test

NOTE: A test on the hoist may produce different vibrations and noises than a road test because of the effect of the hoist on the rear axle. It is not unusual to find vibrations on the hoist that were not found in the road test and many times these may be ignored. If the condition that was found on the road can be duplicated on the hoist, performing experiments on the hoist may save a great deal of time.

After a road test, it is sometimes useful to do a similar test on a hoist.

1. NOTE: Use a frame hoist and use axle stands.

Elevate the rear wheels slightly, check to make sure that both are turning and run the engine up with the vehicle in gear.

2. Explore the speed range of interest using the drive/cruise/float tests.
3. Perform a coast down in NEUTRAL. If the vehicle is free of vibration when operating at a steady speed and behaves very differently in drive and coast, an axle concern is likely.