Car shudder/shake

[lpwaller]

Hey guys, I've had my 4runner for going on 10 months & have been lurking around here for awhile but this is my first post. I've got a 2004 Sport Edition 4WD with the V8. Closing in on 200k miles. This weekend I replaced the spark plugs, oil filter & oil, removed the HCF, & got a new air filter. I drove it around a couple times with no problems. The engine lights have been on for a couple weeks as well as the both of the VSC lights (due to the engine lights if I understand correctly).

When I was driving home on the freeway, my car started to shudder right around 65. It seemed like there was a sweet spot right between 60 and 65 that it started to shake pretty bad with. Not super intense in the steering wheel as much as the car in general. It felt like it was in the front end possibly? But it could be felt throughout the whole car. When I was nearing home I discovered that it became much more intense when I was braking and slowing down (less that 5MPH?) and again after taking my foot off the brake slowly after being fully stopped.

I've been searching everywhere for a solution and everything I have come across hasn't had a definite fix. Does anybody have any idea if it might be from something I did incorrectly? Or if it may just be coincidental that I worked on it then the problems started.

Please get back with any info/advice you may have. Thank you!

 

[Vols77]

Maybe tire out of balance

 

[preacher35]

Hey guys, I've had my 4runner for going on 10 months & have been lurking around here for awhile but this is my first post. I've got a 2004 Sport Edition 4WD with the V8. Closing in on 200k miles. This weekend I replaced the spark plugs, oil filter & oil, removed the HCF, & got a new air filter. I drove it around a couple times with no problems. The engine lights have been on for a couple weeks as well as the both of the VSC lights (due to the engine lights if I understand correctly).

When I was driving home on the freeway, my car started to shudder right around 65. It seemed like there was a sweet spot right between 60 and 65 that it started to shake pretty bad with. Not super intense in the steering wheel as much as the car in general. It felt like it was in the front end possibly? But it could be felt throughout the whole car. When I was nearing home I discovered that it became much more intense when I was braking and slowing down (less that 5MPH?) and again after taking my foot off the brake slowly after being fully stopped.

I've been searching everywhere for a solution and everything I have come across hasn't had a definite fix. Does anybody have any idea if it might be from something I did incorrectly? Or if it may just be coincidental that I worked on it then the problems started.

Please get back with any info/advice you may have. Thank you!

So, can you definitively tell if the "shuddering" is coming from the motor having issues, or drivetrain/wheel issue? It could possibly be a warped rotor, or a seized brake caliper (which the 4th gens are notorious for). If the check engine light is on, however, you should really have some check which codes your rig is throwing. There is a slight possibility that your head gasket going.

Please check back and let us know what you find.

 

[4xt4r]

Hey guys, I've had my 4runner for going on 10 months & have been lurking around here for awhile but this is my first post. I've got a 2004 Sport Edition 4WD with the V8. Closing in on 200k miles. This weekend I replaced the spark plugs, oil filter & oil, removed the HCF, & got a new air filter. I drove it around a couple times with no problems. The engine lights have been on for a couple weeks as well as the both of the VSC lights (due to the engine lights if I understand correctly).

When I was driving home on the freeway, my car started to shudder right around 65. It seemed like there was a sweet spot right between 60 and 65 that it started to shake pretty bad with. Not super intense in the steering wheel as much as the car in general. It felt like it was in the front end possibly? But it could be felt throughout the whole car. When I was nearing home I discovered that it became much more intense when I was braking and slowing down (less that 5MPH?) and again after taking my foot off the brake slowly after being fully stopped.

I've been searching everywhere for a solution and everything I have come across hasn't had a definite fix. Does anybody have any idea if it might be from something I did incorrectly? Or if it may just be coincidental that I worked on it then the problems started.

Please get back with any info/advice you may have. Thank you!

Did you check U-joints by chance?

 

[lpwaller]

I ended up figuring out what it was. I had just changed my sparkplugs and one of them wasn't connected properly. This made the engine "shake" at certain RPMs and when it was idling or moving very slowly.