Steering wheel shimmy

I've had my truck for a couple days now and I notice a slight steering wheel shimmy. It doesn't pull and seems to ride smooth....but my steering wheel shakes a little bit when driving down the road. Is that normal? It's a 4x4...

 

I don't know if it is normal, but I picked up my '10 DC TRD Sport a week ago and have noticed the same thing. It seems to be most noticeable at 60 mph.

 

The stock tires?? Get the balanced checked.

 

may have to adjust the tire pressure. I know they have the recommended psi but it may differ alittle for a smooth ride.

If you haven't heard of the chalk line test, it goes as follows:
1. draw a chalk line across the tires
2. drive a short distance, stop, and look at the chalk lines.
3. if the center of the chalk line is worn more than the outsides, you have too much psi. if the outside edges are worn more than the center, you have too little psi.
4. it may take several tries to find what psi works for your truck/tire set up.
you may also find there will be a difference between the front and rear.
5. while trying the different psi, you can also check to see at what psi the truck drives the best.
6. your trying to find at what psi gives you a even chalk line wear and the best drive.

You may be surprised with the results. welcome to the site



Also it could be the surface you are driving on. Does it seem to only happen at certain locations?

 

Yep, most likely the balance.

 

Start with balancing them (and make sure they're using the lug-centric adapter per the TSB). If that fails, there's a TSB out for the shimmy at 60 mph because the taco is ultra sensitive to flat spots on tires when they sit.

 

Moose , what can a TSB do for flat spotted tires ? I have noticed my MT's give me a bit of a shimmy when they have sat overnight , and it quickly goes away after about the first couple miles after they warm up .

OZ

 

my truck did this when new also. I have 60000 km on it now and it has stopped. I think it could possibly be tight ball joints that just need to break in. I used to notice it within the first 5 miles from home then it would go away. I honestly wouldnt worry about it.

 

TSB Attached. Read for yourself. Not sure if it really fixes anything or not since I've never had it done. I just lived with it. However, different tires/wheels do make a difference. I've always had problems with the stock wheels which is why I replaced them with aftermarket wheels recently. One thing that really points to the shimmy and not tire balance issues is what you experience when you get on the freeway (and how you do it). The flutter can be diagnosed by getting up to freeway speeds (65 mph) two different ways and comparing. Get up to speed quickly and you'll have the steering flutter. Get up to speed SLOWLY and you don't have it. That's a good indication of the steering flutter. If your tires were out of balance, you'd have the flutter in both cases, not just one of them. BTW, this test has worked for not just me but several others that had this problem. And the reason I say it can be impacted by tire choice, some tires affect it more. I had the least problems with the BFG AT (Load Range D) than with Dunlops or Rugged Trails. Can't compare to my current tires (Michelin LTX AT2) since I now have new wheels and don't experience the flutter/shimmy.

 

Moose , thanks for the helpful info !

Rep coming your way my friend ,

OZ