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

Discussion in 'Wheels & Tires' started by MoreCowbell, Apr 18, 2019.

  1. May 2, 2019 at 10:22 PM
    #61
    realtorblake

    realtorblake Tundra Thunda

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    Redneckistan... aka Cypress, TX
    2019 Crewmax Platinum 5" Zone lift Fox 2.5 /OME suspension 12.5x35x18 ProComp's
    Yeah...GM torque converter on the 6.2L with the 8 speed... :annoyed:
     
  2. May 3, 2019 at 12:36 AM
    #62
    ZappBrannigan

    ZappBrannigan The mind is willing but the flesh is weak

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    GM ...he who shall not be named!!
     
  3. May 6, 2019 at 5:18 AM
    #63
    MoreCowbell

    MoreCowbell [OP] New Member

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    Update 5/6/19 - After driving my truck over the weekend the shaking steering wheel issue appears to be resolved. Multiple roads and speeds and no more shaking steering wheel. He also adjusted the front caster to positive on both wheels. He also checked the run-out on hubs and rotors,. No defects found. I guess that it took an engineer from Toyota to finally fix my issue. My theory is that the engineer showed up a lot earlier than 5:00 pm (our appointment time) and went ahead and aligned and balanced it after re-calibrating the Hunter. That would explain why my test drive with him could not show a problem. Can't prove it either way but she drives like a different truck now. There is still a jarring whenever I hit a rough bump but the other new 1794 that I drove as a comparison did the same. So, I guess that it's a Tundra thing. I can live with that but a shaking steering wheel is another story. Now I plan on keeping the truck and enjoying it for many years to come. Thanks to all for reading and replying to my posts.
     
    joonbug, RoujePN and Wynnded like this.
  4. May 6, 2019 at 5:29 AM
    #64
    ZappBrannigan

    ZappBrannigan The mind is willing but the flesh is weak

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    Congrats on getting that sorted out!
     
  5. May 6, 2019 at 5:46 PM
    #65
    RoujePN

    RoujePN New Member

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  6. May 6, 2019 at 5:51 PM
    #66
    MoreCowbell

    MoreCowbell [OP] New Member

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    Yes, she’s definitely fixed. I left work today and there is a patch of road where she always, historically, had the issue. Not today. Yay.:bananadance:
     
  7. May 6, 2019 at 6:29 PM
    #67
    markg

    markg New Member

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    Hi,
    My 2018, 1794 does this also, no big deal, but if anyone knows how to stiffen this up a little, I'm all ears.
     
  8. May 6, 2019 at 7:28 PM
    #68
    MoreCowbell

    MoreCowbell [OP] New Member

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  9. May 6, 2019 at 8:15 PM
    #69
    markg

    markg New Member

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    You to ? :confused:
     
  10. May 6, 2019 at 8:42 PM
    #70
    shackleford rusty

    shackleford rusty New Member

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    TEXAS!
    very glad to hear that you got it worked out OP.

    weird vibrations and chirps/squeaks on pickups, especially brand new, drive me crazy.

    finally figured out that the spare tire on my '19 was the cause of some chirps; co-workers '18 did the same. he never thought to check the spare tire.
     
  11. May 7, 2019 at 3:57 PM
    #71
    MoreCowbell

    MoreCowbell [OP] New Member

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    Read my earlier posts. Yes, I actually had two issues. Steering wheel shake above 50 and a steering wheel jolt whenever I hit a bad bump. I thought that the two were related but apparently they were not. The other 1794 I drove as a comparison did the same so I assume that’s just the way it is. I can live with that. A shaking steering wheel, no.

    BTW, I drove home today and the shake is definitely gone now.
     
  12. May 7, 2019 at 4:00 PM
    #72
    MoreCowbell

    MoreCowbell [OP] New Member

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    Thanks, me too. That would’ve been the last thing that I would’ve checked too.
     
  13. May 8, 2019 at 6:26 AM
    #73
    unscripted4fun

    unscripted4fun New Member

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    Same issue with my 19 tundra platinum. Has a shake and shimmy after every bump. Never had this issue with any trucks before this. Driving me insane ............
     
  14. May 8, 2019 at 8:22 AM
    #74
    MoreCowbell

    MoreCowbell [OP] New Member

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    After the engineer fixed my shimmy/shaking wheel my truck now feels solid at all speeds unless one wheel hits a bad spot. Then my wheel has a left-right or right-let jolt, depending on which wheel hits it first. Not sure why they do this. Design issue? Cheap struts? Would a stabilizer fix this? I Dunno:notsure:. To make myself more clear here, if both wheels hit a deep rut in the road then it's not as bad. Still has a jarring but the steering wheel doesn't move left or right. However, if only one wheel up front hits a bad bump (pothole, deep rut, etc) then it's pretty bad. That's why I told the engineer and the dealership that I suspected a faulty tie rod and /or strut. The engineer checked these out and no fault found. This was documented by him. I can live with the jarring but the shimmy/shake, no way.

    Like I mentioned earlier, I have been driving these same roads for years with a variety of trucks (I trade often) and no truck that I owned during this time frame did this. The piece of junk 2014 F150 4x4 that we utilize at work doesn't do this. But, at least I feel more confident now that an engineer has gone through my truck and he documented everything that he checked. I was just concerned that something was going to give way while cruising, therefore causing me to lose control. BTW, I spend most of my commute each day between 65 - 75 mph. As I stated earlier, they let me drive a brand new 1794 and it had the same jarring as my truck whenever one wheel would hit a bad spot.

    Here is a link that I read while researching my issues:

    https://www.tundras.com/threads/steering-wheel-shake.15331/

    He mentions adding a stabilizer to his truck but his truck is lifted. Mine is 100% stock.
     
  15. May 8, 2019 at 9:41 AM
    #75
    Gotyour6

    Gotyour6 New Member

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    I would go with the "I want a refund" deal with them.

    I wouldn't feel safe in it after all that bullshit.
     
  16. May 8, 2019 at 10:25 AM
    #76
    MoreCowbell

    MoreCowbell [OP] New Member

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    I tried that at first and I was told "no way" by the dealer. That's when we raised pure He** with Hendrick Corporate, Toyota Corporate, and the local dealership. They knew that I had a solid case against them and they dispatched an engineer to look at my truck in order to prevent a buy back. I warned all three that if the engineer could not fix my shimmying/shaking steering wheel then that would be my next step. But, alas, I really like the truck and didn't want to go through the buyback process with Toyota. That would've taken 3-6 months according to Toyota. I still felt that it could be fixed with the right person performing the work. Plus, if they did buy it back then they would probably stick it right back on the lot for some other sucker to go through the same crap as myself. The shimmy/shake is gone now so I am happy with it.
     
  17. May 8, 2019 at 11:12 AM
    #77
    RoujePN

    RoujePN New Member

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    I vaguely recall reading potential injury alert, bad habit or recommendation to keep fingers away from in between the SW spokes. Not certain if I read it as someones posted thread or owner manual. Only rings a bell b/c some drivers position hands on center of the wheel.
     
  18. May 8, 2019 at 11:33 AM
    #78
    RoujePN

    RoujePN New Member

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    found it.. owners manual

    "Do not grip the steering wheel spokes when driving off-road. A bad bump could jerk the wheel and injure your hands. Keep both hands and espe- cially your thumbs on the outside of the rim."

    Maybe applies to on-road bumps or old city pot holes as well?
     
  19. May 9, 2019 at 6:46 AM
    #79
    MoreCowbell

    MoreCowbell [OP] New Member

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    Wow. You guys are great and I have learned a lot from you all even before I officially joined up. I figured since the other new 1794 did the same, it is what it is. Now I feel even better since you found this mentioned in the owners manual. BTW, I am now on four days straight with no shaking steering while cruising 50+.
     
    RoujePN and BlackSheep like this.
  20. Jun 12, 2019 at 5:25 PM
    #80
    kylerocker10

    kylerocker10 New Member

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    Any chance you could post what your alignment specs were when the issue was fixed? I got new tires on my 2019 sr5 and after alignment I have the shake, usually between 60-80 mph. I am also wondering what to do first as I bought the tires at Discount Tire and got the alignment done for free at the dealership where I bought the truck.
     
  21. Jun 12, 2019 at 5:37 PM
    #81
    joonbug

    joonbug °°°°°°°°°°

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    Go back to check your balance. It won’t affect the alignment so if the balance fixes it, you’re good.
     
  22. Jun 13, 2019 at 7:03 AM
    #82
    MoreCowbell

    MoreCowbell [OP] New Member

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    I will be happy to. I'm at work right now but I will do this as soon as I am able. However, the alignment from the engineer did not fix the wobbling steering wheel because his alignment was almost identical to a local tire shop here. Something else fixed my issue but what it was only God knows. Some of my wheels had a lot of balancing weights on them but after he got a hold of it, they now have very few weights. I do know that he told me that the front caster was raised on both to reduce bump steer at speed.
     
  23. Jun 13, 2019 at 9:06 AM
    #83
    Leonides

    Leonides New Member

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    Don’t give up keep contacting Dealer no one truck should have issues especially a new one !!
    .
    I had a non related issue
    Window master switch caught on fire
    Contacted the The dealer and according to the vin number on my truck it was not under recall issue theN I reached out to the local Toyota representative/emailed back and forward with no solution same response at this point I was very disappointed in how they responded . I would tell every Toyota driver I ran into and everyone at the dealer what was going on ...
    One day I went to the dealer for A different recall and I don’t know if they felt sorry for me or just looking out for me they gave me a new master window. I installed it my self and windows were working again
    Backstory:
    One day I was driving on the highway I started smelling smoke I thought it was barbecue and realize my driver side door was smoking and small flames I am mediately pulled over realize where the issue was coming from so I yanked out the switch ( yes it was toast)and it stopped the electrical short/electrical fire .
    I think there was a recall on them for catching on fire .. Good lord was looking out for me that day ... could of been bad !!!
     
  24. Jun 13, 2019 at 4:28 PM
    #84
    MoreCowbell

    MoreCowbell [OP] New Member

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    Here ya go.

    03AC4BA6-6218-45B2-9111-F934D920468D.jpg
     
  25. Jun 19, 2019 at 8:05 PM
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    Skag1T

    Skag1T New Member

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    I belive you need to balance your wheels using a Hunter GSP700 Road Force Balancing machine. I have a 4Runner and had the same exact issue and went to many shops without any improvement until somebody mentioned the road force banacing method and that solved the problem. Discount Tire have this machine, and other shops too. Tell them that you want a maximum 15 pounds of road force on your wheels. That might solve your problem.

    I don't know about Tundras, but the 4Runner has lug-centric wheels, so the technician had to use a lug-centric adaptor to set the wheel on the balancer. I think this is caled a Haweka adaptor. I've seen this done and the GSP7000 is an amazing machine. Make sure you insist on your requirements and watch the techs balance your wheels. If they are trained, they will know what to do, but this requires more work than the usual spin-balance and they are typically lazy and don't want to put in the effort.

    This machine shows the tech the optimal POSITION of the tire on the wheel, so many times the techs have to mount the tire on the wheel, check the balance, then take the tire off, rotate it according to what the machine tells him, re-mount the tire on the wheel, put it back on the machine, etc. etc. This achieves an almost PERFECT balance when done correctly. Keep in mind, some tires are "bad" and CANNOT be balanced with this method and will have to be replaced. Here, "bad" means the tire has so many imperfections that the tech cannot achieve less than 15 pounds of road force no matter how many times he tries. The machine will tell him that as well. First time I put tires on the tech had to replace 2 tires (they carried it in stock so there was no extra waiting), and the second time 1 tire was bad and needed to be replaced.

    Even if they have to order the tire and you have to come back next day, it's worth it.

    I recently replaced all tires on my 4runner and had to go back and forth with the tech on the minimum road force (he didn't want to do the whole procedure, it was Friday night), etc., and finally i slipped him a $20 bill and he instantly became very motivated and did an excellent job. Took over an hour to balance 4 wheels, and I had to come back the next day to replace a "bad" tire.
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2019
    kylerocker10 likes this.
  26. Aug 24, 2019 at 12:21 PM
    #86
    smalls_ADV78

    smalls_ADV78 New Member

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    This is a very interesting thread. I just purchased a 2017 41k miles and it has a steering wheel shimmy/shake at 50ish mph. Initially thought it was because the current tires were well worn (BFG 285/55/20), with the front tires showing a slanted wear, like positive camber kind of wear with the outside of the tires being more worn than the inside. The truck has a 3/2 spacer lift. I just replaced all 4 tires and went with Falken Wildpeaks 285/65/20. Tires are much quieter. Had to remove the mudflaps for clearance, but other than that, no problems. The truck still has the shimmy/shake. I took it for alignment and they said it was "perfect" and didn't need any adjustment. Didn't even charge me because guy said they didn't need to do anything. So I just purchased some aftermarket UCAs thinking this might help. Haven't installed yet.

    The only odd thing...I test drove another 2017 without a lift with same miles and remember it having the EXACT same shimmy/shake...even thinking to myself if this is the truck I get serious about I should mention this to the dealer before purchase and have them check it out.

    So...I just wonder if the Tundra has this issue. This isn't the first thread on this issue.

    Hoping to resolve mine quickly.
     
  27. Aug 24, 2019 at 1:13 PM
    #87
    Moon Puppy

    Moon Puppy I'm not new!

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    Did you tell the alignment shop about the shaking or just told them to check it? It's cool they didn't charge ya but you still have something going on.
    I gave the guy a test ride so he could see it, he got the alignment right but there's still a bit of shake depending on road conditions. He said that's likely wheel balance, after market wheels are bad about balance. Told me to bring it back if I had the shake but I haven't had time.
     
  28. Aug 24, 2019 at 1:45 PM
    #88
    smalls_ADV78

    smalls_ADV78 New Member

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    I didn't mention it to the alignment shop because I had just gotten the new tires installed and literally drove it across the street from Discount Tire. It slipped my mind because I thought for sure the shake was because of the other crapped out tires. Just thought it was strange the alignment guy said it was all good, and he's probably right because it drives straight as an arrow.

    I brought up the UCA issue as a potential concern because when I put a lift on my Tacoma I definitely needed UCAs and once I installed the problem went away. The Tundra is different though. I don't have the drive issues I had with the Tacoma and stock UCAs on the lift. The Tundra drives great.

    All this said, I am seriously starting to chalk this up to a Tundra "just is what it is" issue. Mainly because of the other 2017 I test drove having the same shaky issue, plus the multiple threads I have googled on this same topic.

    I think I'm headed back to Discount Tire first and make sure the balance is good, then maybe a different alignment shop? Who knows...
     
  29. Aug 24, 2019 at 5:22 PM
    #89
    Moon Puppy

    Moon Puppy I'm not new!

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    I'd say you got a good alignment shop if he didn't charge you for putting it on the rack. Tell him what's going on, take him for a spin so he can see it. For what it's worth, my truck is not lifted, I had the issue bad before the alignment was fixed, now it does it rarely depending on the road. I"m in SC so most roads have a bounce to them anyways.
     
  30. Aug 24, 2019 at 5:57 PM
    #90
    smalls_ADV78

    smalls_ADV78 New Member

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    Yeah I'm upstate SC
     

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