My apologies in advance if this has been posted (i'm sure it has), but when I tried doing a search, there were various causes in various scenarios, so it was hard to filter it down.

My 2001 SR5 with about 184k miles has had a steering wobble since I got the truck at 180k. When the truck is going around 65 to 70 on the freeway, the steering wheel wobbles noticeably. Not to the point of the well-known F150 "death wobble," but enough to be annoying, and I'm sure it's not normal. I've had new Cooper Adventurers for about two weeks, and an alignment was done when I got the tires. BUT, the wobble was happening even before I got new tires. Weird thing is, the wobble is more pronounced sometimes than others. And, at times, the wobble goes away for a bit.

What are some of the common causes for this type of wobble, especially when it's not consistent? The road is nice and flat around where I live, and the tire pressure is equal. No bent wheels were reported by the shop.

Thanks in advance for your help and advice!

It's likely that your tires are out of balance, and possible the previous set was out of balance as well.

I had the EXACT same symptoms as you. Tires are balanced but I haven't done an alignment in a while.

Here's the weird part, it randomly/slowly went away and it essentially never does it anymore???

Warped rotors can do it. does it get worse under hard braking? Id check everything especially ball joints!, tie rods, tire balance, alignment.

I took the truck to have the last set of tires balanced, and indeed two of the were a little off, and while it reduced the amount of wobble, it didn’t go away completely. After getting the new tires, the wobble continues. Not worse, but the same.

While it is possible, I doubt it. I did a TBU back in October, and the wobble was happening before the TBU. The wobble didn’t get any better or worse after the TBU, FWIW.

What size tires and are you running a lift??

Sometimes there is play in the collapsible joint/tilt ball in the steering column.. could check that.

YouTube

This.

It could be so many things. I wouldn't rule out a bent rim until you're 100% sure they're all straight.

Mine had the exact same symptoms as yours right before I had some work done on it last May - I took it in for new tires and an alignment, and the mechanic called and informed me that not only did I not need an alignment, but that my sway bar links were broken.

I can't say for certain if it was the new tires or the new sway bar links that fixed the issue, but the issue hasn't been back since. Because your tires are new, check your sway bar links.

speed related vibration, especially THAT speed is almost always tire/wheel/balance related.


if you are still using the stock Toyota wheels, they are notorious for being difficult to balance properly. even some of the aftermarket Toyota wheels are tough to get right.


the fastest way to verify that, is bolt on a different set of tires/wheels. off of a vehicle that IS smooth at those speeds.

The truck is stock as they come. Stock 5-star wheels, running Cooper Adventurers A/T, in 265/70r/16 size. No lift.

I will check the collapsible joint. I didn't even think about that, and it makes sense.

I'll see what I can do, but I don't have that available immediately. This might be a calling for getting new wheels...

I just picked up a 2001 SR5 last weekend and whenever I let off the throttle at interstate speeds or give it throttle, it has a terrible sway. Almost like a motor mount is broken causing a shift.

This isn't quite a death wobble like jeeps or F-150s like previously mentioned, does anyone have any experience with something similar?

Check your rear upper and lower control arms. The bushings are probably shot. I had the exact same symptoms and new rear lower control arms fixed the problem.

Was it the same shop that balanced the previous set of tires which installed the news ones? Might be worth checking your bushings too.

No, not the same. Les Schwab did the first round of checking, while I got my tires at Pep Boys because it was a deal I couldn't pass up. Now, before you guys say anything bad about Pep Boys, I have had very good luck with them, as I have had my previous vehicles' alignment done by them, and they have always done a great job.

I thought about the inconsistencies in going to two separate shops as well, but I can't imagine them screwing up the balancing. I mean, it's done on a machine calculated by a computer, and the mark is defined pretty clearly. Unless they are unbelievably incompetent, I can't imagine them screw it up. My truck was actually worked on by one of their more experienced guys (He's worked on my other cars).

It's a head scratcher, for sure.