4Runner4Leon
Senior Member
Pretty sure it's not the freeways - I've driven it well out of town, on asphalt roads without the concrete seams, and it behaved exactly the same way.
Rate your truck's highway manners
- Thread starter 4Runner4Leon
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Pretty sure it's not the freeways - I've driven it well out of town, on asphalt roads without the concrete seams, and it behaved exactly the same way.
4Runner4Leon
Senior Member
Great info, thank you! Are the Falkens considered pretty good tires for a mostly daily driver? ( I wasn't planning to be buying tires this soon so I haven't done the research - maybe I can capitalize on the knowledge of posters on this thread). I also heard good things about General (?).
thezentree
Senior Member
I've only put around 1k miles on them but they are night and day better than the KO2s for road manners. I have an 80ish mile daily commute with about half on the interstate. They also have a 55k or 60k tread life warranty. I never had either off road.
Just for clarity though this isn't quite an apples-to-apples switch - the KO2s were E load range 285s and the Falkens are SL 265s, so they are a slightly smaller and much lighter tire.
ridefast
New member
I keep thinking about that, but why does mine get smoother once I get above 75 mph?
Maybe you get the RPMs in the powerband that gives more torque and HP. I agree when im on the gas it will get up and move but around 2000 rpms it takes some effort to get movin. We have big hills on the interstates in NM so I gotta plan for it if i want to pull a hill and keep up with traffic.
John7M7
New member
My rig doesn't ride very smoothly, but OME heavy duty coils and Dick Cepek Fun Country E load don't help, let's be real.
I read the thread and it is very interesting. Here is my main issue with the 4Runner: when driving over a pothole or a bump on the highway or at medium speed, it feels like the car will steer itself away, kinda like the wheels are loosing it.
It is difficult for me to describe, especially in English. The steering wheel doesn't vibrate much but you HAVE to keep both hands on it when driving over ~40mph, and when hitting said bumps or irregularities on the road the car will sometimes steer away as the weird feeling in the wheels/tires happen. Definitely feels like a wheel-steering issue.
What's wrong, is it the steering rack bushing? I'm not very mechanically inclined, so I apologize for that probably stupid question guys!
Btw, I've done an alignment, and my tires are new and well balanced.
Thanks for the help!
I read the thread and it is very interesting. Here is my main issue with the 4Runner: when driving over a pothole or a bump on the highway or at medium speed, it feels like the car will steer itself away, kinda like the wheels are loosing it.
It is difficult for me to describe, especially in English. The steering wheel doesn't vibrate much but you HAVE to keep both hands on it when driving over ~40mph, and when hitting said bumps or irregularities on the road the car will sometimes steer away as the weird feeling in the wheels/tires happen. Definitely feels like a wheel-steering issue.
What's wrong, is it the steering rack bushing? I'm not very mechanically inclined, so I apologize for that probably stupid question guys!
Btw, I've done an alignment, and my tires are new and well balanced.
Thanks for the help!
thecole1098
New member
It could very well be the steering rack bushings, however it could also be your tie rods in addition to that.
John7M7
New member
Thanks, I.guess I'll have to look into it soon! I'll look on the forum for how to "assess" them and know if they're bad.
4Runner4Leon
Senior Member
An update to my original post. I put on a new set of Falken Wildpeak AT3W's and had them road force balanced, just in case. I drove about 50 miles on the highway today, and my new rating is... drumroll...
A solid 9!!! No vibration, no steering wheel shimmy, a pleasure to drive anywhere up to 80 mph.
The only thing that keeps me from giving it a 10 is that it still seems to not track straight, as in I can't possibly take my hands of the wheel (not that I do, but you know what I mean - it needs to be constantly pointed to go straight). But that may be due to my overtightening the rack guide, I'll loosen that and see what happens.
Also, after hitting a bump at highway speed, I get a short duration shudder that I feel both in the seat and in the steering wheel - maybe that's shocks?
Anyway, I'm ecstatic, and wanted to thank you all for telling me to do tires before investing hundreds of $$ into all sorts of suspension components.
A solid 9!!! No vibration, no steering wheel shimmy, a pleasure to drive anywhere up to 80 mph.
The only thing that keeps me from giving it a 10 is that it still seems to not track straight, as in I can't possibly take my hands of the wheel (not that I do, but you know what I mean - it needs to be constantly pointed to go straight). But that may be due to my overtightening the rack guide, I'll loosen that and see what happens.
Also, after hitting a bump at highway speed, I get a short duration shudder that I feel both in the seat and in the steering wheel - maybe that's shocks?
Anyway, I'm ecstatic, and wanted to thank you all for telling me to do tires before investing hundreds of $$ into all sorts of suspension components.
Last edited:
octanejunkie
Elite Member
Sounds like bump steer. Check your steering components and if you are lifted, have you addressed your panhardbar/thrust angle? Also, how old are your LCA bushings?
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