5th Gen Steering Wheel Shake: SOLUTIONS ONLY

I see you are a Ford Explorer engineer circa late 1990s.

 

That sounds like a good shop that explains their method and doesn’t charge for work not done.
The way I understand it is that the road force pre-testing phase is quick and easy. If the results are bad enough the tire is removed and re-positioned on the wheel, or another one of your wheels, to get the best combo among all four with minimal problems. Then tested again and balanced with weights as needed.

If the road force pre-test results aren’t too far out of spec, as in your case, they just perform the traditional spin balance.

As far as your previous not so great balance, what I’ve seen is the techs get the spin results, apply the weights, remove wheel, and go on to the next wheel. Just because they’re in a hurry. The good techs will apply the weights, spin it again, and tweak the weights maybe several times to get a more perfect balance.

 

Funny how I never get balance reports or paperwork like they do for alignment

 

Same here...once it got into the 70’s 80’s it’s really there now when it wants to be. It was 55-65 degrees here today and towed a 70 mile round trip above 55 to 75 mph and it wasn’t there, but when I picked up my 4 wheeler and got it on the trailer on the way home it seemed the trailer and wheeler combined with wind sent all of its feelings to the frame. Weird. Random vibrations at time. These 4 runners are more sensitive than some of these young adults these days!

 

Maybe the 4Runner is not for you. I have had a tacoma 2006, had some vibration, have a 2017 TRD PRo (Wife vehicle), zero vibration and even putting bigger tires. The current 2020 4Runner, just upgraded the suspension and go figure, a little vibration. These vehicles are not like a ROLEX, they have their own issues, and some have differences. Keep trying all the suggestions, but please don't stress yourself out over this. This vehicle is safe and won't leave you on the road because of this vibration.

 

This is exactly what mine does. With SL Wildpeaks. It's funny because it sits overnight and shakes a little in the morning, but it sits for 9 hours while I'm at work then doesn't shake in the evening...

 

They weren't able to road force balance it.

 

Balance the wheels and tires! I had them balanced, when in for an oil change, and then had a huge steering wheel shake.. I called them and turns out they rotated the tires! They didn’t even pay attention to where they needed to go. *SMH*

 

That suggests one or both rear wheels were out of balance before the rotation. The shimmy and shakes are much more noticeable when the badly balanced wheel(s) are on the front.

 

Yeah they did the “balancing” and the oil change at separate times so they are really the problem lol So I went elsewhere to have it fixed.

 

https://youtube.com/shorts/Sc3XVFggRV0?feature=share

Another fun drive in today, seemed pretty intense after taking a turn onto a over pass...

 

Some vibration in the wheel is normal and to me is preferable to the numb steering we get in most modern cars, where little or no information about the road surface gets transmitted up through your hands.

In most new cars these days, operating the steering wheel is like operating a computer joystick. There’s little sense of it’s mechanical connection to the rack, suspension, tires and road. Drivers who find that normal or preferable are going to really notice the difference in the 4Runner, and think it’s a sign of something wrong.

A body-on-frame vehicle with hydraulic steering, off road suspension, and shaped like a brick with a high center of gravity, is likely to have significant vibrations and steering that’s talkative and sometimes puts up a fight.

Personally, this honest, mechanical and tactile character is one of the things I absolutely love about my 4R. I recently took a new Honda Passport on a long drive, and I can’t tell you how relieved and happy I was when I was able to park the thing and switch to the 4R. The Passport has an impressive motor and trans, and the motor sounds sweet when you put your foot down, but gawd does the rest of it lack any sense of soul. And that’s because of the lifeless steering.

It’s perhaps hard to tell on my phone, and probably more pronounced in person, but in the video above I see an amount of vibration that’s “over the line” and would bother me, but not markedly so. There’s a continuum of vibration leading to shimmy and this to me seems to just edge into the shimmy side of the spectrum. Unfortunately I have experienced much worse, with my wheel dancing side to side a few degrees. If mine was only occasionally as bad as I see in the video, and never worse, I’d prob get used to it and put it out of my mind. It’s just not that big a departure from what I think is normal and desirable for a vehicle like the 4R.

 

Yep this 4 runner is a new breed for me, it’s certainly worse in person vs a shitty cellphone video but if it’s seen in the video, then in person can be imagined. I just try to document it on it’s bad days so the dealership doesn’t think I am full of shit every time I bring it up there. My 2001 Tahoe with 201,000 miles & oversized ko2’s doesn’t send any road feed back to the steering wheel at all. I was used to that nice highway drive in the Tahoe. 4 runner certainly isn’t as smooth, which to me is wild for a $48,000 suv that’s not the ‘off-road’ trim.

 

I get it. I do think there’s a design flaw somewhere. Front frame or suspension mounts or steering rack maybe not rigid enough. Something like that. It shouldn’t happen. Was just trying to say that a certain amount of vibration in the wheel is normal, even desirable. I want my steering wheel to be a bit talkative. It just shouldn’t be talking gibberish lol.

 

A flaw somewhere, that’s for sure...I would accept some vibrations, my buddies frontier steering wheel vibrates at idle in park. Every vehicle is weird in its own ways but what I have going on is unacceptable to me.

 

There’s the case of extreme shimmying that could not be corrected where Toyota issued a replacement 4Runner.

 

I would accept that at this point after driving it of course for a few trips to make sure it’s not the same damn thing, or put credit to a different style vehicle. With a V8 and better highway manners

 

I have not followed this thread but save your documentation and after three attempts, if your vehicle is still not suitable and possesses the same symptoms....hire a lemon law attorney. The process is simple and there is generally never any cost associated for you.

 

That’s my goal, it’s on every receipt from the dealer so far at this time...and everytime they have ‘can not replicate at this time’ of course. Now that it happens damn near every day that it’s warm out i plan to drop it off and leave it until it’s replicated. I think they need to experience the issue and attempt 3 or 4 repairs with no good outcome or have it for 30 days + in my state for a case.

 

Lemon law is an option. I did it once and it worked out pretty well, though it was a bit lengthy with some hassle. You might consider selling instead, given the great prices these days. That might actually work out better for you. And way quicker. Of course, you have to be ok with selling something that you yourself would not find acceptable. But maybe the new owner won’t care / never drives highway / will figure out how to fix it.

PS sorry if you’ve already said so, but what tires are you running and how many RoadForce balances have you tried? I wouldn’t give up before a few serious balance attempts at different shops or at the dealer. The dealer in particular may be very motivated to try to do a good one.

 

BTW, yesterday was hottest day of the year so far. Mid 90s. So I took my rig for a short highway run. From 55-80 mph, up and down. PSI got up to 38. Only the slightest shimmy. Not really annoying. I honestly haven’t noticed any correlation with temps or PSI for shimmy. Yes for PSI and body vibration, but not for the shimmy.

 

Not definitive I guess, but that story suggests that even the Toyota brain trust does not know why this happens. Look at all the expensive parts they replaced without fixing it!

 

1. Left dealer with 3 miles took it back they stated all 4 wheels unbalanced and corrected tire pressure (probably never lowered it from shipping) road force balance done. Make it 95% better because was real bad before all the time and now it comes and goes
2. Tried selling it back with 150 miles on it, they offered $2000 Less vs what I paid, and I would loose about $4,000 in taxes paid unless I purchased another vehicle. Gotta make it to a friends off-road leaning shop and have them check the balance and alignment.
3. running the stock duncrap AT 20’s

 

Ok. I think it’s too soon for you to give up. Gotta try balancing again.

By selling i meant to someplace like Carmax. They sometimes offer as much as you paid out the door. Or close. I could sell mine today and have spent almost nothing to have owned it for the past 15k miles. Well, not counting my investment in the new wheels and tires.

 

Maybe if I go in person, I tried the online estimate thing and they offered $230 more vs the dealer lol

 

My shake (50-60 mph) started when my dealership put on 4 new K02s, mounted, balanced and aligned. 30k. After 2 trips back to the dealership, they offered to align it again, if I paid again. I took it to a real tire shop; it was not aligned properly (pulled to the right) and 3 of the 4 wheels were almost balanced. The 4th had no weights on it, at all. Problem solved.

 

Hate to pile in as another who has been lucky to have no shimmy…

As I rotated my tires yesterday, the thought occurred to me that contamination between the wheel and the face of the rotor could be a cause or contributor.

If there is built up gunk, grime, or rust on the mating surface, it could be the wheel is just not mounted perfectly flush/flat against against the rotor. i had a mechanic use a thin film of antiseize when mounting tires onto new rotors (so they didnt stick the next time you take the wheel off). Maybe after a few rotations it could build up. I prefer to mount mine dry and give them a swift kick if it gets stuck.

Hell, maybe even the rotor itself is not flat!

Worth checking if nobody can find the problem.

 

Weirdly, after all the balancing not solving anything, I’ve hardly had any hint of shimmy after my last tire inflation. The numbers all track each other closely throughout each drive (increasing at the same rate as they warm up). Super even tire pressure helps?

 

Dropped my runner off at a reputable shop for a balance & to have the alignment checked @ 2300 miles...fingers crossed. As mileage got higher as well as the temperature outside it got worse.

 

Have a appointment June 9th to have the regional engineer rep? Come to the dealer & investigate this vehicle...should be interesting!