wheel shaking solutions thread

So I know there are countless threads on this issue. Truck shaking at highway speeds but I figured I'd start a thread for the people who actually solved it to post in. Seems all the threads are just miles long of everyone agreeing they have the same issue and people just throwing out ideas of what it could be. Figured if people who actually solved the highway shakes actually post in one thread it will help everyone out

 

does it still need to use the Haweka adapter etc. when road force balancing?

 

hopefully this thread will help alot of people (Like my self too)

 

Not sure if it has anything to do with ft end shaking, but a really cost effective mod is to replace steering rack bushings w/a Energy Suspension urethane bushing kit. Cheap and easy to do. +1 on the force/speed balancing

 

I had the problem, once upon a time, your tires need balancing.

Is it just the wheel shaking violently?

 

If they are muddy clean them out really well. Sometimes the mud can throw them off balance.

 

My wheel vibrates slightly at around 70 and the shifter vibrates quite a bit at the same speed. I think thats normal though My tires also need replacing though.

 

I have a shaking through my steering whell since I bought my 04 last year. I only have about 55,000 miles but I replaced the steering rack bushing last year anyways after reading the original suck. I've had an alignment done twice and the tires rebalanced as well but I still have a shake at highway speeds. Don't know if the cheap tires that came on the truck is the problem or I just need a better balance. Maybe it's the original shocks on the truck? I've been thinking lately that they might be bad. Would like to know what every one else thinks as well

 

Yup this is my problem. people say to have the tires balanced but I think it has not been done correctly. I'll look into the road force balance. I have a slight wobble right at 70mph. Never offroad my truck, babied it since I got it. I'm sure it's a balance issue because everytime I get them balanced the wobble moves a couple MPH in each direction.

 

Is the road force balancer only found at specialty shops, or do any chains carry it?

 

Wheel balancing is easy and done all the time. Hmmm, what if you get your wheels balanced and they still shake? 1st thing is you might have a messed up rim. Your wheel balancer should really mention it to you since he can see that plain as day. 2nd. There could be a problem that is almost NEVER talked about.... You have water in your wheel. This could be caused by using an old can of fixaflat or water in a air hose from condensation or water getting in there on the install. Yep, it can happen and is VERY hard to diagnose. The only way is using an old spin wheel balancer that spins the wheel on the car OR you have to break the tire off the rim and check it. I HAVE seen this happen before.

 

Well if it is so easy than why can't none of the tire guy's get it right and why is it that whenever I go to another tire guy he ALWAYS say's the tire's are way out of balance from the previous shop? I think alot of the balncer guy's are lazy.

 

I don't think its as simple as having a messed up rim. If that's the case then its a defect from the factory, as this is an ongoing prob with these trucks, in addition to some older 4runners. You could be right, but I doubt that every 1st gen tacoma that has a wheel shake isn't caused by a messed up wheel or water in the tire.

 

Here is a solution story without speculation.

After having new Michelins mounted, mine shook the steering wheel at about 60 +. Sometimes minor, sometimes really bad.

The solution was to take it to a different shop with an excellent reputation. They knew about "these wheels" (alum. TRD) and knew about the Hakewa adapter, but did not have one. They also had a road force machine. But they didn't need to use either.

They were able to balance them correctly on a standard dynamic balancer without the adapter. They did use clip weights on the outside edge of the rim.

The original shop must have done a static balance, and were inept. They had also used adhesive weights inside the wheel, and clip-ons on the inboard rim edge. Fail.

If this had not fixed it, I was going to have them road force balanced.

 

x2

and balancing can be as much art as it is science. I always keep and open mind and look for inexpensive solutions. Some folks find my methods offensive but they work.

On problem tires I use BB's
V E R Y
S U C E S S F U L L Y....
The proper weight of BB's installed in the tire is key.
Proper Weight of BB''s based on Equal's chart :
http://www.imiproducts.com/equal/quantity.aspx




If I wasn't such a tight ass I'd use Equal ~ The real thing.
http://www.imiproducts.com/equal/index.aspx


Having worked in the automotive field (Road force was after my time). Our old spin balancer generally balanced the tires at 300RPM. A Bad rim / Bad wear pattern / or a tire slightly out of true and you were screwed.

Basically the planets had to align just right to get a used truck tire to ballance correct.
Add to the fact that an out of ballance condition is multiplied on bigger tires and all to often it just doesn't work.

I have my own tire machine and I have a bubble ballancer, and I run used tires exclusivly on everything but the trailers and Wifey's truck (Too many vehicles to put new stuff on everything). Over the years I've become proficient with bubble balancing and those that will not ride smooth with the bubble (or ask for more then 3oz) get the BB's.

Just dumping in BB's doesn't work. I use the specific weight given for the packets of Equal (over the road / big truck) powder balancing. I measure out the proper weight of BB's on a postal scale. This works to improve tire balance 99% of the time and rebalances ever start & stop. + Works on untrue / blems and tires with cupped wear patterns. While it will not eleminate every bad balance situation BUT it will mask most issues and make them tolerable.

I would not run BB's on stock tires or on new trucks as a first solution. Get it right and road force balance if necessary, but if all else fails just know their other options.

On problem trucks with big biased tires / swampers / 33's and up / or used tires I will run BB's every time.



More on Equal :

 

I'd be curious to know if all these balance problems are specific to the 2001 and up 1st gens with the 16" aluminum wheels? Could it be the older 15" wheels were not as sensitive to balancing?