alignment issues need help.

[MuddyButt]

I've been in for an alignment twice now and I still have a pretty bad steering wheel shake above 60 mph. I have a 2.5 inch lift in the front with stock UCAs. Can anyone tell me what the specs need to be for that amount of lift and stock ucas so I can tell the alignment shop what I want? Or is the steering shake not an alignment problem but something else. (I have new outer and inner tie rods.)

 

[Mynameistommy510]

Steering wheel shake is a front wheel imbalance. Have the wheels balanced

 

[IBallEngineer]

Your shake is not alignment related, as has been stated. But you do have a Caster issue, right front is way low. Yup

 

[MuddyButt]

Steering wheel shake is a front wheel imbalance. Have the wheels balanced

I suppose they could be out of balance. They only have 4000-5000 miles on them but before i got the alignment done it was WAY off. Didn't have any steering shake though. I noticed the steering shake immediately after I got my tires rotated. If it's not my tires I can definitely see it being my rotors they look pretty thin so could be warping.

 

[fourfive]

If the shaking isn't happening while you're braking, you can probably rule out the rotors being the issue. If you just had your tires rotated, one of your wheels may have gotten bumped out of balance in the process.

 

[MuddyButt]

If the shaking isn't happening while you're braking, you can probably rule out the rotors being the issue. If you just had your tires rotated, one of your wheels may have gotten bumped out of balance in the process.

Thanks. It shakes slightly when braking but not as much as it does while going 70 mph. It also doesn't do it all the time. It comes and goes.

 

[ARC]

Does the inside of your wheels look like your butt? Dried mud inside wheels commonly throws them out of balance. It's definitly a balance issue.

 

[fourfive]

^damn bro, thanks for that mental image.

But that is true, several years back I did have dried up mud caked up on the inside of my wheels (on another truck I had) & the balance was thrown off...never thought about it being the dried up mud at the time, I always thought it was from everything I had to do to try to get my truck unstuck.

 

[absalom]

I agree, 99.9999% of the time it's a tire or wheel balance issue. However, I've heard excessive amounts of toe can cause vibes.

Now, get that caster fixed!

 

[angus]

First look for loose balljoints and tie rods.

Second - adjust the steering rack.

 

[shootmymime]

First look for loose balljoints and tie rods.

Second - adjust the steering rack.

First: read what his issue is. its wheel balance issue.

 

[SilverRidgeRunner1]

Dam gremlins.

 

[Mynameistommy510]

First look for loose balljoints and tie rods.

Second - adjust the steering rack.

Those issues would make a wheel balance issue must more obvious but not solve the shake.

 

[angus]

Those issues would make a wheel balance issue must more obvious but not solve the shake.

They have solved it for me many many times. I actually just adjusted the rack on thursday and it solved the shake - the guy said it had a vibration for over 3 years and nothing solved it.

My opinion is that if everything is ok with the vehicle (most vehicles) can have a slightly out of balance tire and it won't be felt, I've balanced hundreds if not thousands of tires in my life and cars come in with no complaints (I'd even test drive them and no vibration) but we balance the tires for free or it's requested by the owner and they are out.

 

[angus]

First: read what his issue is. its wheel balance issue.

Upper balljoints or tie rod ends will cause vibration at highway speed as will the rack adjustment - as I just said, a very small imbalance on a vehicle with no other issue will usually go unnoticed.

 

[IBallEngineer]

Upper balljoints or tie rod ends will cause vibration at highway speed as will the rack adjustment - as I just said, a very small imbalance on a vehicle with no other issue will usually go unnoticed.

Not that I'm agreeing with you, because I don't care how many tires you've balanced, tie rod ends do not cause vibrations. Now if we are talking about death wobble, steering wheel shimmy type of shake, then yes, worn out parts will exacerbate the shake. NOT the vibration of imbalance. So we must have the OP define the term, to which we are speaking.

:couch2:

 

[Mynameistommy510]

Upper balljoints or tie rod ends will cause vibration at highway speed as will the rack adjustment - as I just said, a very small imbalance on a vehicle with no other issue will usually go unnoticed.

I'm not disagreeing with you either. Issues can be solved in ways that are hard to interpret for people.
Since the 3rd gen is body on frame, every balance issue is harshly noticed. Can you explain the steering rack adjustments? I was under the impression that if everything is "tight" and the toe is set correctly, you're good to go.

 

[jhuerta22]

I also noticed a wobble after rotating the tires, and even more so when I installed wheel spacers. I checked the torque on the spacers and then the rims after 20 miles of driving and they're still properly torqued. I was told it was the wheels needing to be balanced. If it is the rack needing adjustment, how would I go about getting that tightened back up? I know it's not my ball joints or tie rod ends, as I have recently replaced those and had an alignment done after the install.

 

[Alabamaguy]

Also interested in the "steering rack adjustment".

 

[angus]

Not that I'm agreeing with you, because I don't care how many tires you've balanced, tie rod ends do not cause vibrations. Now if we are talking about death wobble, steering wheel shimmy type of shake, then yes, worn out parts will exacerbate the shake. NOT the vibration of imbalance. So we must have the OP define the term, to which we are speaking.

:couch2:

Yes, very true there are many types of vibration, shimmy, wobble shaking.

I think that the first thing is check for play in any joints and then balance the tires.

The steering rack is a notorious problem in Toyotas and I would look at it too.