shaking 4runner - more advice please!!

[andycook]

Some more advice please on my shaking 4runner,
shakes above 50mph, can be felt in whole vehicle and steering wheel.


took peoples advice from earlier posts, inlcuding

1) wheels balanced correctly using lug adaptor,
2) wheel bearings checked a tightened

I have also noticed its WORSE on more uneven roads, and often kicks in after going round a bend in the road.
It is not present all the time - this surely rules out some possibilities??

My latest possibilities are

1) tyres distorted
solutuion: borrow some wheels to test

2) prop shaft u-joints
- very little if any loosness

3) checked idler arm and pitman arms this evening, with truck on jackstands, and someone pulling steering wheel to left and right sharply,
I felt a jolting in the ball-joint where the pitman arm meets the relay rod,
and noticed slight movement in the idler arm where it meets its housing.

So - suggests pitman arm balljoint may be worn,

questions:
- is it easy to changed pitman arm? - it looks like it needs a different tool to remove it from spline
(Incidentally i have replaced all track rod ends, steering shock, and all upper/lower baljoints myself.

- could a loose pitman arm balljoint cause this violent shaking of the 4runner at 50mph+ ?

thanks
Andrew

[stara]

don't know the answer to your question, but (i had this on an audi coupe once) with the wheels off the ground and spinning, either 'sight' the wheel by looking along it as it's spinning, or user a gauge to check for wheel, tyre, or hub distortion. it was a distorted alloy wheel on the audi, as aresult it wasn't sitting on the hub right.. worth a try?

[andycook]

thanks - when i got the wheels balanced, i was watchting it been done in a direction so i could sight along the wheel and noticed that the tyre, wasnt straight as the wheel was spun on the machine - even when balanced, i.e. it kicked to oneside during the spin - andrew

[stara]

well i'd definately put some new rubber on it to eliminate tyre distortion and to feel a bit safer. the thought of a dodgy tyre on a high vehicle is a bit worrying.

[exmee46]

I think its most likely a tyre fault. Suggest you change each in turn with the spare and see if it makes any difference each time.

Cheers

Kev

[biglift]

thanks - when i got the wheels balanced, i was watchting it been done in a direction so i could sight along the wheel and noticed that the tyre, wasnt straight as the wheel was spun on the machine - even when balanced, i.e. it kicked to oneside during the spin - andrew

Hi Do you have nobbley tyres on?

I have nobbley tyres on mine and I get a slight wobble.

Steve.

[andycook]

yep - mud tyres

swapped them last night for a completely different set of wheels and different tyres - still shaking

reckon now its the prop u-joint and/or pitman arm - or both!
as discussed on another thread