Rear-wheel-drive vehicles which utilize constant velocity (CV) wheel drive shafts do not typically experience many vibrations originating from the shafts.

CV wheel drive shafts used on rear wheel drive vehicles are always operating in a straight-ahead path (unidirectional), and therefore do not exhibit many of the conditions which can be found on CV-driven front wheel drive vehicles. There are, however, a few noise and vibration conditions which may occur; requiring diagnosis and correction.

Launch shudder in a rear wheel drive vehicle may be felt as a torque sensitive shaking sensation in the steering wheel, the seat and/or the rear of the vehicle during moderate to heavy acceleration from a standing start. Launch shudder might also be described by a customer as a rocking back-and-forth motion in the vehicle during acceleration.

In rear-wheel-drive vehicles, launch shudder is typically caused by excessively worn or damaged wheel drive shaft inner CV joints.

Excessively worn, damaged, or imbalanced inner CV joints (enhanced double offset type) may cause launch shudder, but may be more easily detected as vehicle speed-related high-order vibrations.

If the inner CV joint is worn or damaged, the axle shaft (connecting the inner and outer CV joints) will NOT be rotating in balance, and will produce centrifugal force which may be felt, but will likely only be felt as launch shudder or high-order tire-related disturbance if the inner CV joint is EXCESSIVELY worn or damaged.

Momentary high-order wheel speed-related disturbances may be produced by excessive joint angles resulting from a powertrain mount that is damaged or misaligned.

Once the type of disturbance has been identified, visually inspect the wheel drive shafts for worn or damaged inner joints.

Rear-wheel-drive independent suspension hub and bearing assemblies can make a low, growling noise that increases with vehicle speed. Tires and bearings can make a similar noise and both are vehicle-speed-sensitive.

To differentiate between tire noise and bearing noise, drive the vehicle in a straight line and perform several turning maneuverers side-to-side. A worn wheel bearing will typically exhibit increased noise during turns. If the noise level increases during a right-hand turn, then the left-hand wheel bearing will generally be causing the problem. The opposite is true for a left-hand turn. If a bearing and not the tires is the cause of the disturbance, the noise level increases when turning because an added load is applied to the bearing at fault.