Vibration Question

[gmata]

Hello guys!

I've had this anoying vibration since i got my 4runner about 2 years ago with 184K now it has 201K and the vibration still there after all the maintenance i have done.

Here is a list of things i have done just to discard them from possible causes:

4 new BF A/T tires (1 year ago) (Alignment and Balance did not corrected the problem)
4 new Rancho 5000 series Shocks 4 months
Replaced all R&P bushings (4 months ago)
Replaced Tie Rod end (4 months ago)
Replaced all front and rear sway bar bushings and stabilizer bar links (2 weeks ago)
Replaced trans mount (1 week ago)


Symptoms

I start to get this high frequency vibration at about 50 mph, it seems to me that the vibration is coming from the from but you can feel it everywhere in the car.

The vibration gets a little bit stronger when i turn slightly at high speeds IE. changing lanes.

Also some times the vibration disapears after a while.

Any ideas of what could be causing it?

I am getting ready to make a long 2200 mile round trip from Arizona to La Paz in Baja Mexico and i would like to have my truck running at 100%

Thanks!

 

[quicksilvr]

U-joint. Or an out of balance driveshaft. But probably a u-joint.

 

[A.Wilson013]

Does the steering wheel shake with it...? Raise the back of the truck off the ground and get it up to speed (slowly, safely) and see if it still does it...

Is there any play in the rear driveshaft?

Perhaps the steering rack is going bad?

 

[gmata]

Does the steering wheel shake with it...? Raise the back of the truck off the ground and get it up to speed (slowly, safely) and see if it still does it...

Is there any play in the rear driveshaft?

Perhaps the steering rack is going bad?

The steering wheel definetly shakes with the vibration, I will buy some stands tomorrow to try this and see if i get the same vibration, I have tried moving the rear driveshaft back and forward and i don't feel any play

 

[A.Wilson013]

The steering wheel definetly shakes with the vibration, I will buy some stands tomorrow to try this and see if i get the same vibration, I have tried moving the rear driveshaft back and forward and i don't feel any play

Don't put your money on me, but I am going to put my money on the steering rack... A friend of mine had a VERY similar (see also: exact same) issue going on... New steering rack was her cure.

 

[20034RunnerV84x2]

Does it do it when you hit the brakes?

 

[A.Wilson013]

Does it do it when you hit the brakes?

I like where your head is. :banana:

 

[gmata]

Does it do it when you hit the brakes?

Not really, it is not the disk i had them checked befored if that is where you were going

 

[gmata]

I like where your head is. :banana:

I always had that feeling that it is the steering rack too.

When they changed the bushings, i had the guy checked the whole thing because i also have some play in my steering wheel he said it was ok, but some of the teeth where worn out, he said that could be the cause for the play and i could still use it like that. It would make sense that theres where the vibration is coming from. Just wanted to check any other cheaper causes first.

 

[gmata]

So what would be the easiest way to make sure is the rack and pinion? Lifting the back and accelerating and if it dosen't vibrate then it is not the U joints or the driveshaft out of balance right?

Any other way i can be 100% sure that is the problem before i spend the cash?

Thanks

 

[the great him]

so im not saying this is your problem, but id change out your LBJs, you have over 200k miles on the truck, i bet they havent been changed, so they could probably use it. when the go bad the steering gets really sloppy. so if your steering is sloppy or kind of "numb" feeling then its time to change them. its best to fix this problem before it breaks, trust me, and use a high end part like a toyota OE part.

 

[gmata]

Cool thanks for the advice, since i am going to be removing all those parts should i just replace the LBJ's and R&P? How about CV Joints and Upper ball joints i don't know if they have ever been changed.

Also, is there any other brand other than OEM that you guys would reccomend for the LBJ's and CV joints?

thanks!

 

[the great him]

no sense in replacing your CVs unless they are broken or the boots are broken or they are making noise. but now that i see this thread and the other one with the drive shaft making a clunking, id say yeah go ahead and replace the Ujoints as well. i dont think that your R&P/steering rack is bad, but the bushings might be worn out and need replacing. and you might want to replace the tie rod ends. i know this is a lot to take in but when you buy a vehicle with this many miles and it has this kinda issues you should be prepared to throw down some $$$ to fix some things. as far as the upper ball joints i dont think they are such a pressing issue and dont see the need to change them at this point.

 

[gmata]

no sense in replacing your CVs unless they are broken or the boots are broken or they are making noise. but now that i see this thread and the other one with the drive shaft making a clunking, id say yeah go ahead and replace the Ujoints as well. i dont think that your R&P/steering rack is bad, but the bushings might be worn out and need replacing. and you might want to replace the tie rod ends. i know this is a lot to take in but when you buy a vehicle with this many miles and it has this kinda issues you should be prepared to throw down some $$$ to fix some things. as far as the upper ball joints i dont think they are such a pressing issue and dont see the need to change them at this point.

Hi thanks for the response but if you read my original post it says i have replaced the rack and pinion bushings they are almost new and the tie rod ends, so i am sure that is not the problem i am sure.

 

[iowajosh]

It kinda sounds like they didn't balance your tires that well.

 

[the great him]

Hi thanks for the response but if you read my original post it says i have replaced the rack and pinion bushings they are almost new and the tie rod ends, so i am sure that is not the problem i am sure.

sorry yeah i forgot that/over looked that. but i would hold off on buying a new steering rack just yet, might not be the issue and its costly. the other items mentions should be replaced regardless if they are in fact causing the vibrations you are experiencing. its better to replace the parts now for a few hundred then save that few hundred for a couple weeks or month and have to thousands of dollars worth of damage cause by the old parts failure.

 

[gmata]

It kinda sounds like they didn't balance your tires that well.

Thanks, i've had this problem since i bought the vehicle and i bought for new tires had them balanced twice and still the same, balancing is also out of the question

 

[gmata]

sorry yeah i forgot that/over looked that. but i would hold off on buying a new steering rack just yet, might not be the issue and its costly. the other items mentions should be replaced regardless if they are in fact causing the vibrations you are experiencing. its better to replace the parts now for a few hundred then save that few hundred for a couple weeks or month and have to thousands of dollars worth of damage cause by the old parts failure.

And by the other items you mean just the Lower ball joints and U joints?

Thanks,

Gonzo

 

[the great him]

lower ball joints at least, and make sure you get new bolts too when you do this.

 

[gmata]

Thanks, i will do and see if that fixes the problem.

Any brand recomendation? or should they be OEM?

Thanks