Steering ocassionally loose feeling at high speeds.

[humbucker87]

Hey guys.

Background: About 6 months ago bought a 2004 4Runner Sport V6 with 125k on the clock. I've been doing rounds of preventative maintenance and so far love everything about it except one thing...

At highway speeds, 65mph+, the steering occasionally feels like it has excessive play and the car seems to wander a bit more than usual. I can't seem to attach it to any single event or speed. Even stranger, other times the steering feels fine at those speeds. When it feels loose I can usually jiggle the steering wheel back and forth and the car doesn't move all that much...whereas when it feels normal and I wiggle the steering wheel it weaves back and forth.

Another symptom that may or may not be related is a slight vibration in the steering wheel that again only happens occasionally...not all the time.

Any ideas about what the problem might be?

I've tried searching and found this thread that talks about the steering rack guide, but it's written for 3rd gens and I can't tell if the same part was used for the 04's or not.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/70884-how-replace-steering-rack-guide-pictures.html

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

That is a weird one, the intermitent part makes it odd. the 3rd Gens use a reciprocating ball steering while the 4th gens have rack and pinion, so that won't help you.

-What kind of roads/conditions do you normally drive at?
-Is it high speed only?
-Do you have stock tires equipped?
-What does the alignment look like? (If you've had an alignment done)
-How mechanically inclined are you?

 

[Dominic]

Mine used to get like that when going beyond the speed of 60, I took the 4runner to walmart and had the tires balanced and rotated. The next thing we did was took it on I-20 and floored the hell out of it to 110+; no steering wheel play and was completely responsive. Conclusion: tires balanced and rotated fixed the problem for me.

 

[humbucker87]

Thanks guys for the quick responses.

Maybe I just need to go get the wheel balance and alignment looked at. Tires are fairly new and put on by the previous owner a few thousand miles before I purchased it. An alignment was done, but I don't have the specs.

90% of my driving is around town (<50 mph) so it hardly ever bothers me. When on the highway, it's a combination of asphalt and concrete, and seems to happen equally on both.

Definitely only happens at higher speed....I would say it hasn't ever happened below 60...but at the same time doesn't occur at a specific speed.

Tires are Toyo Open Country H/T

Lastly, I would consider myself fairly mechanically inclined...dropped a transmission to replace a clutch/flywheel, dropped oil pans, performed valve adjustments, etc....but don't have a ton of knowledge of steering components. Always willing to learn however.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[LTDSC]

may need to get road force balanced.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

may need to get road force balanced.

I would get the tires balanced at a place that can do road-force balancing and see if that helps with the problem, if it doesn't I would check the alignment. Those are the first things I would do before getting to deep in anything else.

 

[Gatafly]

Mine used to get like that when going beyond the speed of 60, I took the 4runner to walmart and had the tires balanced and rotated. The next thing we did was took it on I-20 and floored the hell out of it to 110+; no steering wheel play and was completely responsive. Conclusion: tires balanced and rotated fixed the problem for me.

This!! I started getting that and it was near time for rotation. Took it in to NTB and they balanced and rotated the tires. All of them were out of balance by 1-2 oz. The 4R feels like a new rig again. Very smooth and tight with no wondering feel in the steering wheel. It would come and go for me also, but now it is great.

 

[ryanarcane]

Hi what was the problem did you figure it out. I'm having the same issue. Thanks in advance.