Steering wheel shake/vibration on my new 1794 Tundra. Please help.

Like others have mentioned here, I wonder if my rims or flanges have been damaged at some point while changing tires. I only bring this up because you said that your truck was great until new tires.

 

I wonder the same thing

 

They showed the front passenger wheel and was told the rim was outta round, should instart by swapping that wheel for the rear driver side or how should i start to figure out if its the rims? Also thinking about getting new tires to try to rule that out as well

 

I wonder if something could’ve happened during shipment of the truck. Either they bent the rim or bench and axle etc. I mentioned it before but I’m going to say it again. I think the run out needs to be checked on the hubs. Same thing with the rims.

 

A unbalanced wheel will not likely make your steering wheel shake violently to the point that it feels like someone is grabbing the steering wheel.

 

I have an update for you. Over the weekend I took my truck to another shop. I just had a feeling that it was a balancing and/or alignment issue. I also know the owner personally. I told him that I wanted him to check the alignment out and verify that it was good. Well, it wasn't. I told him to go ahead and fix it. Now it's like a brand new truck. No more vibration or shimmy. No more violent steering wheel jolts over bumps, etc. I forgot to mention it earlier but my steering wheel was cocked to the left slightly. I didn't really see this as an issue since it's no worse than my wife's Suburban or the RAM that I used to have. After the alignment it is level now.

I drove over rough roads and smooth ones and it feels solid. I put over a 100 miles on it over the weekend and it drives great. Even on the highway I tried to keep her between 55-65 and there was no shake or shimmy at all. I just can't believe it. I have asked the dealer the last 5 times that I have been out there have they checked the alignment out. They have assured me that they have checked that and balanced multiple times.

Toyota corporate will be calling me today for an update and I will give her an earful about how incompetent the dealership is. I don't believe that the dealer has done anything to my truck to try to resolve this problem. If there are any more updates I will post these. I appreciate all of your advice and hopefully you are not too confused by my ranting. BTW, I actually drove to work this morning with two fingers on the steering wheel.

 

Wow, happy to hear this outcome. Tis a shame however wondering how many individuals (from your various visits) at the dealership had their hands on the issue from day 1. Also makes me wonder the apprenticeship-journeyperson-master tech ratio in the Toyo dealership shops. The stories mount and raised my flag when dealerships were reluctant to install the smallest of mods for me (the Driver side OS handle). I prodded and poked them for information why the reluctance, especially since other dealerships offered to install for me. They gave me at least 3 weak objections why the "recommended" against installing it. I had no problem installing it in all of 20 minutes. I have read where the employees "out back" who washed serviced vehicles normal promotion to working maintenance issues. Another story where the master tech was away from the shop a few days but service went on under a S mgr who sits up front in a casual dress shirt. Many negative trends trickle down into major problems. Today CEO from United says ok, maybe we need to stop shrinking the seat size and find a decent wi-fi provider so we can get more competitive. Then Boeing pulling back from their "operator error" excuses on their grounded Max acft. Read a report on shoddy (better Sh$$y) production where bubble gum was used on door trim. What kinda crap is that. None of that crap would fly in my former AF maintenance days. Anyone with solid technician/engineer background has to be dismayed about this new "industry standard" that is being allowed to be developing today. There are many stories out there that Toyoya Senior executive MGT needs to get involved with. Im from the old "quality" standard. My long held complaint for them deciding to remove the maintenance manual availability or limiting service info to the TIS. More and moreso these days many techs are obviously either not applying themselves or into the TIS or heck even the old school principle of RTFM so we begin to suffer as the odds on the crap shoot of us taking our trucks into their maintenance bays are deteriorating. Give me the option to get the damn manuals I can take to any qualified shop and get the problems fixed.

Sorry for my rant, but very happy you had the resources to get at the bottom and resolution of this issue and out of another episode of Toyota maintenance shop . to you for your grit, patience and determination. Toyoya CA owes you compensation, in any event hope you give them buckets of feedback up the chain.

 

Wow!
I would hand the bill over to the dealer and make them pay for the alignment.

 

Worth a try.

I got the same problem but not as bad. I haven't had time to take it to alignment shop that I trust, need to make that time.

 

I had the same issue within 2 weeks of purchase, took it to the dealer 2 times before they fixed it. First time they said they balanced the wheels, NOT!
Second time they said they road balanced (I'm guessing this is a speed balance).
The service writer said the guys that did it first time were idiots so she got someone else to do it, correctly. And under warranty.

 

Another update and I'm sorry but this will be the last one from me unfortunately. The shake/shimmy came back with a vengeance yesterday so I took it back to the shop (not dealer) and had them check the balance. All four were out of whack so he road-forced balanced all four. One was even 3 oz off. Still shakes and shimmies. They suspect something to do with the drive train is causing it. At this stage I don't care. I'm done. BTW, Toyota corporate is reimbursing me for this since I told them that I have no desire to go back to the dealer. Apparently it's intermittent and just when I think that it's been fixed, it's not. Weary and tired of dealing with it. Two huge car payments and it's been in the shop more than my driveway.

You guys have been great, however, and it's been much appreciated.

 

I lied. One wheel was off 15 oz and another 4.

 

Are the weights falling off?

 

According to them no. The shop says that they put it up on lifts and took it to 55 and the drive train was vibrating. This was after they balanced the wheels and it was still doing it. I appreciate your reply however. I officially requested a buy-back from Toyota. I have been dealing with Savannah at Toyota corporate and she has been great. She's the only one who has apologized for this debacle. The service managers at Hendrick Toyota in Wilmington, NC have yet to apologize. Now, I'm stuck with the truck for 30-45 days more while they process my lemon law claim. I know that there is a bad apple in every bunch and apparently I got one.

 

I feel sorry for you man. It would be nice if they just grabbed another truck off the lot and said here try this one, if you like it keep it.

 

Thanks. I'm sorry that it's come to this. She is a beauty for sure.

 

Another update. After multiple road force balances, new tires, and an alignment, Toyota has dispatched a field engineer to look at my truck. I meet with him Thursday afternoon. So, we will see what happens. We contacted a lawyer in NC and we have a case with the Mag Moss Act. But, I do want to give the engineer a chance to get to the bottom of it.

I will let you what the engineer says Friday. Thanks for reading.

 

Damn. Subbed for updates. Best of luck with the field engineer...

 

Please keep us updated OP. My truck had a bad shimmy when I first got it and I changed out my steel wheels for alloy wheels and it mostly went away. I can feel a little shimmy at certain speeds and wonder if it is a drive-line problem. Let us know what Toyota does because more of us might be in the same boat.

 

I promise to give you guys an update this week. Hopefully, this will help someone down the road with similar issues.

 

Wow. What a cluster this has been for you. Good luck! Hopefully they can at least figure out what is causing this issue.

 

Wow, what a sucky ordeal. I just had tires put on my truck and also had a pretty violent shake. Turned out the shop that mounted the tires didn't even try to balance them. Took it to Discount Tire and they rebalanced them, and told me at least one of the tires required 15 ounces. That took care of the issue for me though. Sorry yours is so elusive, and that your dealer is less than helpful. We have a Hendrick Toyota here in KC as well. Makes me wonder if they're in the same family.

 

I’ve got a 2018 Platinum with 5,000 miles. I get a shake vibration from 65-70 MPH. Dealer drove it and compared to in stock model and agree that it was present but was same as in-stock model and offered no solution.

 

Tell them to balance your tires and when they’re done with yours, do the other truck in stock too.

 

Update 5/2/19 - Met with Field Engineer and he hooked up some equipment to my truck. Measures vibrations, etc. As my luck would have it, the truck performed flawlessly over a variety of roads. That is until I hit a bump. Then his software showed an abnormally high spike on his graph. Other than that, no shakes, shimmies, or vibrations at all with the steering wheel, even over rougher roads. I was dumbfounded to say the least.

Whenever we returned to the dealership I gave him the alignment printout from my second opinion that I mentioned before. He said that they looked good. I then handed him another printout of the road-force balance that was performed. He was amazed that one wheel was off 15 oz and another 4. These were both on the driver's side. Even though it rode great this afternoon, I told him that I want the front end checked out thoroughly anyway. Tie rods, ball joints, run out on hubs, rotors, etc. In addition to checking these tomorrow, he will personally calibrate the Hunter machine, balance the wheels again, and perform another alignment. He also told me that the violent steering wheel shake whenever I hit a bump could be caused by a caster issue. So, he will adjust this as well. He mentioned as close to zero as possible. I dunno, he's the engineer.

One last item to mention: I did notice that the multitude of weights on my rims were no longer there. There was maybe an ounce and a half on each wheel. Before, there was a multitude of weights, some more than others. I could even see the adhesive where they used to be located. I asked the engineer was he aware if the dealership had performed more work on her within the last six days that she has been sitting at the dealership. He said that he didn't know. The dealer claims that they have not touched her until this afternoon. Something has definitely changed between the last time I drove her and this afternoon.

Thanks for sticking with me fellas and I will keep you updated.

 

So the dealership put their best wheel balancing guy on it and finally got it right, and got it done before the field engineer got there? Lol

 

Possible. For the first time the truck felt solid at all speeds.

 

This topic is like my old Gm truck forum talk. Torque converters and driveshaft balances were always the problem

 

Wonder if they remounted the wheels then balanced.

 

Sorry you’re going though all this. Hope it works out in the end. Can’t wait to hear your next update!