Shaking/Vibration 3rd Tacom

Hello, I’m back still trying to figure out a problem I’ve had with my Tacoma since I’ve bought it back in February.

Tacoma 2014 TRD Pro 2WD
87,000

I’m having a major vibration/shaking when I do anything over 65mph. I also get a lot of feed back (vibration) for the steering wheel when going over bumpy roads at any speed. It feels as though it’s coming from the steering shafts which were replace but made no change.

Things I can verify that are working properly or that I’ve replaced:

-LCA (replaced w/ stock)
-Rack and Pinion and Bushings (replaced w/ stock)
-Sway Bar and bushing (stock)
-Upper and Lower steering shaft
-UCA (SPC aftermarket ball joints)
-Front Shocks (stock)
-Tie rods (stock)

Thing that I haven’t really payed much attention too

-Brakes and rotors. Doesn’t seem to be the brake since the shaking happens with my foot off the brakes
-Wheel bearing. Haven’t been able to check it my self but my mechanic (trusted) says there isn’t anything wrong with those.

This is my final attempt to try to get this right. Otherwise im trading it in. As much as love my Tacoma I don’t want a truck where I feel unsafe taking it on the HWY.

Other things to note are that I’ve taken it 5 times to different shops for alignments which never seem to make a difference. I’ve also played around with my PSI which I currently have at 32 PSI. If you have a thoughts or recommendations please let me know.

 

I had a vibration at about 55MPH that I could feel in the steering wheel. Some might say try Road Force tire balancing, but bought Michelin LTX Defenders at 40K miles (even with a fair amount of tread left). My vibration is gone and I love my Defenders.

 

So I have the Atlas Parallel AT. I’ve never heard about them since that’s what came with my truck. They have about 95% life still. I may buy some used tires just to see if that makes any difference. Thanks!

 

Sure sounds like a bent rim or tires to me

 

I’m leaning towards more it being the tires as well but I’m having a hard time shelling out more and more money on just guesses at this point

 

Check local listings, someone may be dumping OE wheels and tires. Furthermore- they may even let you just swap em to test for lunch or beer money.
Or you buy new, known good, tires- what’s the worst that happens; You have a good truck with good tires?
Yeah, I’ve never heard of those tires. Used car lots often put the most broke D no-name shit on trade ins.
My buddy put some Fookieshangs on his Infinite SUV and the ride and road noise was terrible,,, as was wet traction.
BTW this is the 3rd gen section, not that vibrations are generation dependent.

 

Okay think about it. You go to trade it in… they take it for the customary test drive, it vibrates.. they figure it’s bearings or tires. They subtract their over inflated cost for those repairs. You could take it to a very good tire shop and have them speed balance them. They find one bad tire and your done. It’s likely a broken belt. Have you run your hand over each tire or looked for weird wear pattern? Sticking with tires

 

I once was able to say new tires are a lot cheaper than buying a new truck, but those lines are blurred now. A rocking back and forth vibration in the steering wheel is typically from your tires literally bouncing down the road. A vibration that feels like someone is hitting your steering column with a steel hammer could be something totally different. If it's bouncing tires, as already stated, improperly balanced tire or a bent wheel. It could also be a tire that is out of round although that will usually manifest itself at lower speeds. The 60mph vibration is usually a harmonic imbalance. There could be another factor in this and that is your wheels. Are they hub centric? If not, they can create a harmonic imbalance if they don't seat properly. They could also be a problem with balancing if they don't center on the shaft properly. Without spending half the day explaining, the simple solution and logical first step is to go to a reputable tire shop with a tech that knows what they are doing. You do not need to seek out and pay extra for a road force balance. That is a total joke and waste of money (unless of course you can't find a skilled technician then it might be worthwhile).

If it is a pinging type vibration then it is likely a driveline issue. Could be wheel bearings. Those are easy to diagnose. When you feel it, if you turn to the right or left and it goes away, you know it is a wheel bearing. Could also be your needle bearing if you haven't swapped that out. That usually also hit at lower speed. Depending on your lift, it could be over extended axles not happy.

Lots to check, but should be easier than getting a new truck.

 

You have checked all of those items and never suspected the tires/rims ???
Rotate front to back.

 

Junk aftermarket wheels?

For the record, alignment doesn’t do anything to correct shaking going down the road. More alignments isn’t going to do it. You probably have poorly balanced tires, or junk rims. Some tires are prone to not balancing also so maybe list what tire and wheel you have.

 

You haven't mentioned ball joints.. all tight? Failure would be pretty catastrophic at speed.

 

I'll throw my two cents in... have you checked U Joints? Easy to check, jack up the rear, trans in neutral, turn by hand... give it a check.

 

U Joints are in good condition

 

Ball joints are all good. LCA ball joints are good. UCA aren’t new but show no sign of wear and tear. The UCA are after market SPC ball joint but I haven’t read anything bad about them

 

The tires are balance as far as I was told. The wheels are junk in regards of brand. I’m currently running TRD Pro wheels. So if they are junk it may because a bent or cracked rim. Nothing I can currently see with the naked eye. Going to take it to my tire guy this weekend for a further inspection on wheels.

 

I have rotated tired with no noticeable difference. I say noticable because at first it does to help for a couple days but I soon start noticing the problems again. It’s like my truck is playing mind tricks on me lol. It’s the same for alignments. It’s seems to help but only for a few days