2022 with Steering Wheel Shake - Need Advice

Hi all,

I recently purchased a 2022 Off Road (non Premium). It came with the XP Gunner package, which meant that it has the 20" wheels instead of the regular OR or TRD wheels.
I purchased it on a Saturday night, as the dealership was closing (by design, as we had been negotiating for a couple of days). I took for a brief test drive, with no issues.

The next afternoon I was driving it, and got up to 55Mph, and I felt and saw the steering wheel shake. It was a small amount - moving back and forth about 1/4". Still - it bothered me.

So, over the next few weeks, I have been trying to feel out the entire situation.

I start to feel something in the steering wheel around 50, but it does not really shake until about 55, and then by 62ish its gone. I read all of the information on the forum about it being a tire related issue.

I went to the dealership this week (still only about 300 miles on the 4R). The master tech and another suspension (or maybe tire) specialist drove the vehicle at varying speeds. They determined that this was "one of the smoothest" 4Runners they had driven in recent memory.

They went on to tell me that the truck was designed for off roading, and that the geometry of the suspension components lend itself to being susceptible to slight vibrations, or as they called it, "flutter". They felt that the guys at the port did an "outstanding" job with balancing the wheels, and cautioned me against make adjustments. They stated that if they did any adjustments, they could potentially make things worse - which naturally concerned me.

My chief concern was safety (have a 1500 mile trip next week), and they were confident it was perfectly safe, and that this was simply a "nuance" of this vehicle.

They offered to attempt to balance the wheels and tires, but again cautioned me against opening Pandora's box of other issues it could create. He stated that all 4Runners and many Tacomas have these type of issues. (My Wife's 2021 Tacoma does not have this issue).

I ultimately plan on putting the OEM 17' TRD wheels on eventually - but they said that those would likely have the same problem. I would fast-track this if it could fix it.

So, my question to the brain trust here is this: How much of this is BS, and how far should I push the issue? I am not afraid of causing a scene about it if necessary - I just don't know much about this vehicle to begin with, and if it is really going to change anything. I am coming out of a fleet Ford Taurus, which was a pretty smooth ride.

Will driving more miles even out the tires potentially creating a smoother ride in the 55 mph zone?

TL;DR - 2022 with Steering Wheel Shake - Need Advice.


Thanks for reading!

 

I go with tires need better balancing. But I agree you could be making it worse if some one changes what they did and can’t get it better. If you don’t mind paying for it, find a place known for balancing and talk to them.

 

They are full of crap, take it to a reputable tire shop.

 

Bring it back until it’s fixed. You paid for a warranty, use it up

 

Someone here mentioned road force balancing. You might consider checking it out.

 

These trucks seem to be sensitive to wheel and tire vibration. I heard some people say their issues went away when they upgraded the shocks. I would try road force balancing first.

 

Thanks for the input guys. I agree - I feel like this isn’t an issue that I should have to deal with.

Do any of you have a shimmy, or is it smooth all the way up the speedometer?

 

There's a similar thread for a 21', same issue. OEM's 99% of the time use the cheapest tires they can get away with. It's just business. I picked up my 21' SR5P in July and on the way home it was a bit squirrely. I expected that on the stock tires but to add to it they didn't adjust the tire pressure down from when it was shipped. I've read they over inflate them to keep them from flat spotting during shipment. Anyway, even properly inflated the stock tires were not to my liking. I'm picky when it comes to tires. I need performance in snow and have very little need to be off-road. I put a set of Michelin Defender's on it and life is good. No complaints. Sold the take-offs on Craigslist. Good looking truck, that was my second color choice.

 

I've got no advice (other than the road force balance already suggested) but I think this is fairly common. My first 4Runner had it..right between 50 and 60, especially if I was "coasting" at those speeds. Below or above that "window", it was smooth as butter.

 

Definitely the tires being slightly out of balance. I have it on mine and had discount re-balance a few times. It made the shake better but it didn't go away entirely. I figured I would live with it. 5000 miles later I rotated my tires and no shake at all, so now I know it's one of two tires

 

This simply isn’t true. The process for selecting tires manufactured for OEM use is more onerous. They are inspected and marked at the radial high point so they can be mounted for better balance than any aftermarket tire set you’ll put on. OEM use tires are put through more scrutiny at the factory and subject to more inspection processes than other frequent flier bitch mile tires.

That said, my daughter in law has a 2017 with aftermarket suspension components and the exact same symptoms described by OP. I’m interested to see if anyone has any suggestions other than balance the tires again because she has had this performed at least 3 times. I have a 2020 OR and do not have this issue, bone stock suspension/tires/wheels.

 

My 2017 taco was nice and smooth, until I changed the wheels and tires, now I get the 50 mile an hour shakes. After having the tires rebalanced it got better, but it’s still there.

 

This may be a dumb question. Do you know what the bore of the new wheel is?
Are the 106.10mm or possibly 108mm?
I put new wheels on that have a 108 bore. Two shops mentioned would not be an issue. 4Runnes have a 106.10mm.
I put on thin 2mm hub rings and any vibration/shimmy is gone.
I have treated the spacers with alodine to inhibit any corrosion and carry an extra set.
Every rotation I have the tire shop inspect these also.

 

+1 for rebalancing the tires. It seems that some shops aren't able to get the perfect.

I would say this could be an issue, but I believe the OP has OEM wheels. All of the OEM wheels should have the proper bore..

 

He had mentioned the XP Gunner package. Have not seen that package down south central US. Maybe not OEM but distributor installed? You would still think they should be spot on as you mentioned.

 

This is what I am hoping...after more mileage, it will go away.

 

I wish I knew, and I am not sure how I can find this out. Where/how would I measure this?

 

The XP Gunner package is installed at the Port is what I was told. It is a Southeast Toyota Distributor package.

 

This morning was our first cold morning - about 44 out. Tire pressure was 31-32 psi when I started driving, and the shake was nearly gone at 55 mph. The other day after driving for a while, the tires were 36psi, and the shake was prominent.

I see a correlation here. what pressure do you guys run? Sticker says 32psi cold for mine. I might tinker with this a bit.

 

The dealer doesn't know what they are doing sadly. I bought a 21 ORP. They vehicle didnt wobble/shake of any sorts. I purchased TRD Pro wheels a little after purchasing the vehicle. I swapped the existing tires onto the Pro wheels. Again the vehicle ran smooth. No wobble or shakes. I took my vehicle to a tire shop to remove the factory tires and put on Falken Wildpeak AT3Ws. Again. No wobble or shake.

 

What brand and model wheel is it? Should b able to look up spec's. But I would think they would be spot on.
I'm running Fuel Vectors with LT KO's @ 37-40 PSI. Stock size LT265/70/17
Good luck

 

If the wheels are not the proper bore, It's possible they're just being installed sloppy and creating the wobble. That could explain why it went away after a rotation.

My wheels are a slightly larger bore than stock, so I am very meticulous about mounting the tires. A "tech" at a dealership is less likely to take their time.

It's still possible they're out of balance, of course.

32 PSI for 265/70/17 SL load range.

Here's a good tool for finding the proper tire pressure based on sized and load range. It's based off your OEM tire size and the manufacturer's recommended pressure. I run 35 on LT/E 295/70/17's. I ran 32 in the stock tires while I had them.

 

The xp gunner wheels are Ultra wheels made for Toyota with Toyota specs. They usually have the 106 bore and take factory lug nuts. There are a few different models between the 4Runner and Tacoma.

 

Having same issue with my 2021 TRD. Did it with factory tires and with Nitto Ridge Grapplers I just had installed. Appointment at dealership Monday to have them check and road balance.

 

My KO2s mounted on stock OR wheels are dead smooth whenever they don’t give me a slight wobble in the steering wheel

I think the balance on mine can be thrown off intermittently by various things, including the arrangement of pebbles stuck in the tread. My wobble is slight though, and just comes up for a little while, not too predictably

 

My 2021 is still doing this, even after the dealer telling me they fixed it. Said it was alighnment. I rotated tires and it is back and does it every time I drive it. Between 58-62 mph the steering wheel shakes and you can visibly see it vibrating when you take your hands off of the wheel. This is frustrating to say the least. Toyota is supposed to be calling me soon as they issued me a case worker yesterday because I emailed corporate. Dealer can't replicate it every time I go. Mine came stock with 17" TRD rims and Nitto Terra Grapplers. I am starting to think it could be the tires. My buddy has a 2021 SR5 also and his does the same thing. This is obviously a problem that needs to be acknowledged by Toyota. Hope you figure it out. If you do, let me know. LOL. I am at a loss. Still love my 4Runner though.

 

I just had the same issue a slight wobble at 50-55 with KO2 and method rims. Did not notice it at first but after 4,000 miles or so it was noticeable. It was a balance issue, when the dealer rotated the front tires to the back it was gone. There is no safety issue with a slightly out of balance tire but the tire might wear a bit prematurely and it is a little annoying.

If it really started to bother me I would have one of the Hunter reps do a demo training force match on the tire/rim at the next new dealership facility that we complete.

 

It’s a balancing issue. Maybe go to an alignment shop worst case?

Having said that, I’ve only had mine for a week - 300 miles. Drives have been silky smooth, except one trip on Saturday afternoon. From 60-70 I felt the steering wheel shake. WTF?!? So, I let off the gas, eased back on and it was gone. Not sure why, but that method has worked for me before on my Infiniti, but quite possibly it could simply have been due to the tires warming up at highway speeds. Because with the Infiniti, it always lasted only a few seconds within the first few miles of driving, but less than a mile on the highway. Same speed range of ~55-70 mph, then it was gone.

 

I respectfully disagree. Peruse any tire selling website and take a look at the reviews of the tires OEM's are shipping their vehicles on. I am not saying those tires are unacceptable, they are just not for me. I consider tires safety equipment. I do not work for a tire company or have any interest in them. I want the best tool for the job and that's what I get, no compromises. That's also why I have a 4Runner. Happy motoring!

 

I'm on my second 4runner, both running Michelin Defenders, and no balance issues at all. I've also had zero issues with my Michelin X-Ice winter tires.