This just started happening in my '10 this week. Dead on at 60mph it starts. I thought the tires were off balance so I took it to Discount Tire. They put them on the Road Force machine and they were only off an ounce each. Added the ounce, and the feeling is still there. I am not sure at this point what to make of it. I am far from stock, so the dealer will most likely point to something else as the culprit.

can we get a moderator to sticky this? this is a common issue

This thread is just like several threads on this subject. Answers to many questions are in the stickies but nobody reads them before asking the same questions over and over.

This issue needs to be abstracted out from the bowels of the forums and displayed at a higher level. It's repeated because there probably isn't a sticky thread on it. Seems like a big issue with these 5th generation 4runners as you've stated with the large amount of threads. It's simple data modeling.

Thats what I had and did, rep looked/drove it and he acknowledged it and they road forced balanced 2 times. It was still there intermittent but has gone away since the tires has 24,400 on them now. I get it sometimes in the morning if the car has been sitting but goes away shortly thereafter. Stock bridgestone Tires suck, that's all I can come up with.

If it goes away after a few miles, it is the tires flat spotting and is no problem.
I'm thinking most people with this issue probably came from vehicles with recirc ball steering and torsen suspension.

This is about the 5th or 6th thread on it over here on the 5th gen side and plenty more over on the other 4runner ,FJ and Taco forums for years so if we ever come up with a definite fix....then sticky it.Seems different fixes are all over the charts.

Here's a couple of the latest ones over on the FJ forum .....Shakey FJ *FIXED* - Toyota FJ Cruiser Forum

AT LAST, STEERING WHEEL SHAKE GONE.....almost - Toyota FJ Cruiser Forum

IMO ...Toyota truck wheels, as that's what you are balancing ,not just the tire ,are just hard to balance and takes a experienced technician as the machine is only as good as the person running it. This is nothing new on Toyota trucks for years with balance problems and seems like all kinds of "badgeman on the grassy knoll" theories .Seems to me most have oem wheels which are hub centric . We need to start looking at common denominators. Hub centric wheels? Low Caster angles can make steering looser and shimmy like a bad wheel on a shopping cart? Your dealer should at least put some on from another truck on his lot that is known for a fact not to have the problem and try that to rule out your rims aren't bad is the first thing I would have done.

Knock on the balancing wood as I'm getting new 34 inch KM2 tires put on tomorrow morning. I'll see what special adapter they use as they did tell me they had some expensive special adapter,I just forget the name of it. 7th or 8th set of tires I've had and only time I had a balance problem is when I had some put on at another tire shop with kids working there because my regular Discount Tire was slammed.Learned my lesson and next day took it it my Discount tire and they balanced no problem as they know what they are doing.Now in saying that ,I've had some that were out a little at a certain speed and I felt it thru the steering wheel and is the nature of the beast when dealing with big azz truck AT and Mud tires. As long as it's only at one speed,let's say 55mph ........then, I can't drive 55.

Ok, I have read your report on what has happened to date.
Sadly, there will be no math here just logic. First let's talk about what can cause a steering wheel to wobble at speed on a new vehicle:
1. Tires
2. Wheels
3. Steering components
4. Any other rotating mass (brake discs, axles, transmission, etc)
5. Suspension components
6. Environmental factors such as types of roads, temperatures and such.

I think this list pretty much covers it. If I were you I would start with the most likely culprits first, which would be tires, wheels and road conditions. If your vehicle was older with a lot of miles I would look at the other items listed but for now start with the most likely causes.
Most of the time (most, not all) when you have a vibration in the steering wheel this signifies the front of your vehicle doing something. If the vibration is in the seat this could mean the cause is in the rear of the vehicle. This is a rule of thumb that I have observed to work only most of the time, not all the time.
You have apparently only worked with your dealer and that is fine. It sounds like they have been willing to help and try a few things to fix your problem. I personally would follow Harper's advice and get them to put a new set of wheels on there and see if it cured the problem. If you eventually get no satisfaction from the dealer then you have to go elsewhere and bill your dealer. Sometimes a new shop brings better or different people and ideas.

There is no mystery on steering wheel vibration on a new vehicle. Most of the time it is the tires. When it is not the tires, it is the wheels. In a very few cases it could be something else, like an axle or something. The way you describe it though as being intermittent it has to be wheels or tires and this is why: If it were an axle or brake disc or something like that the problem would be continuous or at least at a certain speed every time so I would save that for when all else fails. Tires (and of course wheels) contrary to popular belief, do not rotate at the same speed during normal driving and sometimes they could interact with the other tires and cause a vibration if something is bent or out of round (non concentric lol).

Good luck and hopefully your dealer will get it resolved. If not do not be afraid to take it somewhere else and bill your dealer. I would experiment some and drive it on different surfaces (new concrete, old pavement, etc) and see if the surface or speed cause the shake to get worse or better. The more information you have the easier it is to troubleshoot.

Edit: Have they checked your alignment? I would have them check that too.

I'm on Duratracs

No differentiation between stock and modified vehicles makes this a very messy discussion. Tire and suspension mods will invite wobble issues and recent gen toyotas are notoriously susceptible (Taco boards went nuts over this issue). Stock vehicle owners need look no further than thier tires IMO (replace or rebalance multiple times till they get it right). Modified truck owners probably best to accept some minor wobble issues or revert back to stock.

I have posted in another thread as well, but I have 2012 Trail with KDSS with less than 3,000 miles. I have already had an alignment and replaced the tires with Michelin LTX AT/2. The vibration is better, and gone at times altogether, but does still come and go.

Has anyone seen that Toyota posted a bulletin for the Lexus GX on steering vibration? It seems to document our exact symptoms, and the fix appears rather involved. I wonder if Toyota will release this for the 4Runner?

I will try to post the doc shortly.

Lexus GX service bulletin attached. Steering Wheel Flutter at highway speed.

Attached Images

L-SB-0020-12.pdf (1.78 MB, 2783 views)

yup

almost 60% of people who responded to your poll don't have this issue. As Harper said, sticky when there is a fix.

I find this humorous at best. Do mechanics/techs really expect us to believe this stuff? I assume some people buy these excuses because he's probably used a line similiar to this. I mean you've got an issue that hasn't "healed itself" in 3859 miles, yet he expects you to believe in the next 1141 miles the Toyota gods are going to strike health into your vehicle. And mechanics/techs wonder why people don't trust them.

UPDATE: According to my service writer: Service manager and the Toyota engineer drove my vehicle and were able to replicate the issue. The writer also said they "drove a new one off the lot and it did the same thing." I told him, well they both have issues then. He says "The engineer says it's normal for all of these vehicles since the other new one did it too." Service writer then asks me to "Give him a good grade when the survey somes out as anything less than an A is failing for me." OK, my vehicle is still exhibiting the same issues as my initial complaint and you want me to give you an A? Sure thing, I'll get right on that.

Apparently there are currently 34 (according to current poll) vehicles without vibrations that, according to the almighty engineer, are "broke." You who don't have vibes--you know who you are--need to go to Toyota to get vibrations installed on your truck.

I didn't say anything earlier when I read "Toyota Engineer" in your post. I might be wrong, but you probably had a "Toyota District Rep" drive your truck. These are the actual "Toyota" employees who go to dealers within a small region and take care of issues and such. He could have went to school to be an engineer but my bet is on business or finance as this is more their field. Chances of him being an engineer hired by Toyota to go to dealerships and work on customer complaints = slim. I know a few of them and they are NOT engineers lol but they do good work helping their dealers. Quintin could chime in as he is an engineer who works for Toyota and a good mountain biker to boot! Quintin?