At a loss involving vibration

Check your tie rods, ball joints, and wheel bearings for slop. Any slop is bad in ball joints and tie rods. Wheel bearings should be smooth with very little play.

 

I'm not looking to go for a lawsuit, not yet

So I'm thinking I may have a suspension issue. Although, I'd figure that worn bushings would cause a shimmy at ANY speed greater than 60. Don't know why it smooths out at 70. But my recent offroad troubles and wobble are beginning to make me think I have worn bushings or a loose part. I'll check for play when I get home today. I'll also check all bolts. Could just be a loose bolt. This will be after I take the skid plate off. Im hoping it's either the plate or just a loose bolt. Money is tight right now and worn or damaged parts would not help things as you can imagine

 

Ok issue is not the skidplate.

Went under truck, gave everything a good tug. Nothing loose. Steering column and u joint in steering column has very little play in it. But, when sitting in can, engine on. I can wiggle the wheel considerably without the tires moving.

Also, considerable bump steer.

 

Did you check power steering fluid that might be the reason for the play in the garage. If possible jack the front end of the truck up and see if there is play with the tire and in what direction.

 

Have not checked fluid yet. I will when I pop the hood today when it's light out.

The only thing I have left to try is an alignment. Which Im avoiding based on my symptoms and its intermittence, I doubt this would be the problem.

Because my symptoms are intermittent, no real cause or solution. I've ruled out alignment, or a balancing issue. Im gonna play around with the air pressure tomorrow and make sure all the lugs are torqued to spec. I'm gonna check the fluid as well. I'm also gonna tighten all available bolts.

The only tire wearing I see is on the outside and inside edge corners. But this would coincide with normal wear from turning.

The steering is also tight in park. I rolled down my window in park. And watched and felt the wheels closely while I wiggled the wheel. They moved tightly and were in tune with the steering.


I am going to get new shocks once I move down to south Carolina for nuke school for the navy. I'm sure they will check all bushings when I have that done.

A friend of mine said this entire issue could be due to harmonics. But I doubt it.

 

i THINK i'm getting it too i have a 07 DCSB trd OR 4x4. with 26'5**k and i'm getting it at like 65 to 70mph. (and NO thats not speeding.) the exit i'm at on 1-75 the speed limit is 65. and just north closer to KY it goes up to 70. i know the terms of the site!!

 

jack up your truck and see if there is wobble in your wheel.

 

I'm gonna jack it up tomorrow.

But play in the wheel would be felt consistently, no?

 

Not necessarily, its like a spinning toy how when at certain speeds it moves differently than others.

 

not ready for a lawsuit yet racer..

BUT TO EVERYONE NEW INFO

Ok, so ran a few tests today..

1. NO Steering play without wheels turning. At all. I can wiggle the wheel very insignificantly and the wheels wiggle.

2. NO Wobble today, at high speeds. There is always a vibe and what feels like it could be a very slight wobble at all speeds.... Maybe im being hypocritical.. but overall the steering doesnt feel "stable", like its too ready to move. When i hammer it tho, the steering straightens right out. feels solid. cruise or coast, always a bit of "flirtness" and "jumpiness", hard to describe


BUT, It "feels" too easy to turn the wheel. Like there just isnt enough resistance when i turn it. I feel like at high speeds, this lack of resistance could be causing the wheel to wobble.

Any info??? Can i simply tighten the steering gear?? Or should i NOT play with that...

 

I know the feeling on to easy steering, drove future mother in laws expedition today, and it was kinda scarry with no wheel resistance. MIGHT have to consider pulling and investigating the steering box, you CAN rebuild then yourself for cheap (usually).

 

What your experiencing is pretty common it seems. My 2010 has a vibration between 55-65. I brought it in last week to check the balance and one tire was out of spec and they called and said the vibration was gone. Sure enough it's still there. I should hopefully be putting on new wheels and tires tomorrow so we'll see if that changes anything which I doubt. Unlike others mine does not go away by dropping it into neutral. Mine seems to be coming from the rear but I can feel it in the seat, steering wheel and gas pedal and nowhere else. It's annoying because now it seems like every time I drive the truck I feel like I am looking for it.

 

Tackling my steering box is not something I'm mechanically able to do yet. I can do the basics and some driveline work. But the steering box is not something I'm ready to tackle just yet

 

There is a TSB for updated trans mount. Wheels must be balanced using a hawkena cone & 6 stud lugcentric adapter. Theres a TSB for that also. Has the gear oil been changed? LSD or open diff? Wrong gear oil can cause vibrations in a 3rd order & worsens as the natural frequency of the various metals are met.

 

noticed mine is doing this at about 70 for only a range of about 5mph.. wth

i have 3100 miles on the truck

 

Honestly. I could care less with the wheel shake at this point. It's the too easy turned wheel I'm concerned about. May have to get physical with the bolts on the rack and parts



Anywho, beginning to think my worn to hell stock SR5 non trd shocks may have to due with it. Getting those replaced in the fall anyway, since my truck will be driven maybe once a week by my father while I'm away at basic training in Chicago. And yea I had em balanced using the adapter. Don't really care anymore. I'm gonna wheel the he'll out of it till it breaks. THEN I'll know what's wrong

 

One more thing. My steering "return" isn't firm. After turning, upon accelerating. The wheel didn't return perfectly to straight usually only to a point where the Toyota logo faces 10,11,1, or 2 o'clock. I can give it a little tug and it will go straight. If I'm not mistaken, isn't this a symptom of bad caster? And couldn't a bad alignment cause a steering feel that is too unstable and requires correction alot? Obviously I could have screwed the alignment offroad. But I would of thought that if I screwed it that bad. I'd have other problems like pulling or drifting.

 

put shocks on it.. then check it out. i swear.. i thought there was more wrong with my truck than ever.. and all i had to do was change out the shocks (i left the bad ones in too long and it took its toll.. but initially.. it was just some wore out shocks)

 

My 06 4cyl prerunner was the same way. Very light steering, very pushed around by the slightest cross wind, and highway speed wheel shake.

New shocks (TRD Bilstein), front end alignment, and new tires worked wonders.

Its steering was never as tight as my current TRD O/R. It feels like it weighs 10,000 lbs, and is on rails compared to the prerunner.

EDIT: I should note, I did the alignment before putting the new shocks on. Had I done it after, it probably would have tightened the steering up more... NO the truck did not pull, even with the alignment off.

 

My 08 Prerunner still has the intermittent steering wheel shake at 50-70 mph even after TSB leaf pack & new shocks. I also got new tires & alignment last month, shake still there. I take the same route on the highway daily. Some days it shakes like a son of a bitch, others it doesn't or is barely noticeable. The steering still feels really light & feels like lots of play at these speeds but is fine at lower speeds. I've had the steering & front suspension checked by dealer, tire & alignment shop, all have found no defects or worn parts. They have said all bolts are tight & properly torqued.