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Steering wheel vibration that the dealer can’t fix

Discussion in '2.5 Gen Tundras (2014-2021)' started by robatumd, Sep 21, 2022.

  1. Sep 21, 2022 at 5:46 PM
    #1
    robatumd

    robatumd [OP] A_B_C

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    Need some help from the pros…

    I have a 2020 CM TRD Sport w/ 17,500 miles. All factory maintenance has been done in regards to oil and tire rotations.

    A couple weeks ago I started to notice some steering wheel vibration at highway speed between 60-70 mph.

    The vibration kept getting worse so I took it to the dealer. They did a tire balance and said it was fixed. Well it wasn’t. The vibration is now even worse. The weirdest thing is that it comes and goes. Usually when accelerating onto the highway it starts up, then getting up to speed it gets worse and after a few mins gets better.

    I know another cause here is ‘cupped’ tired but when I look at them they look just fine.

    I’m taking it back to the dealership tomorrow but I feel like I need to direct these guys.


    Any ideas? Anything besides another wheel balance or bad tires (which would suck if they only lasted 17k miles).

    B34C01FD-796F-4FC9-A523-D983DC2D3DA0.jpg
     
  2. Sep 21, 2022 at 6:32 PM
    #2
    Winning8

    Winning8 New Member

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    parked too long and flat spot the tires...
     
  3. Sep 21, 2022 at 6:55 PM
    #3
    TTund16

    TTund16 New Member

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    hopefully it's not drivetrain related.

    I had a faint pulsation in steering wheel and only in 5th gear and certain RPMs ... I haven't noticed it in a long time! Maybe I got used to it. lol

    My research showed that some have reported or noticed it with Tacoma or 4-Runners as well. also reported with some other cars (not Toyota).

    Can't recall now but I think it had to do with drivetrain and/or combination of even exhaust system & powertrain and certain resonant frequencies.

    if all else (tires, balance , shocks , suspension , brakes , etc.) ok, read my thread if interested but your vibration could be different. Mine was a very faint pulsation and hard to reproduce:

    https://www.tundras.com/threads/pulsation-in-steering-wheel-in-5th-gear.15217/
     
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2022
  4. Sep 21, 2022 at 7:02 PM
    #4
    texasrho83

    texasrho83 DGAF#1

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    Swap another set of tires on and drive it then see what happens
     
  5. Sep 21, 2022 at 7:12 PM
    #5
    TundyMcTunra

    TundyMcTunra Irrational people are not often convinced by facts

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    Sounds like something within the steering or suspension may have worked itself loose. Check all nuts and bolts and do a complete visual inspection of the front end undercarriage.
     
  6. Sep 21, 2022 at 7:15 PM
    #6
    dt325ic

    dt325ic Member

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    Take it somewhere else and let them balance the tires. It might help. Sometimes the balancing machines are off. That has happened to me before.

    Try rotating the tires front to back to see if that helps. If it does, that can help narrow it down.
     
    robatumd[OP] likes this.
  7. Sep 21, 2022 at 7:16 PM
    #7
    fugazi

    fugazi New Member

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    Check to see if they are using a plate and finger type adapter and not just cone adapters on the wheel balancer. High end machines can also do a road force balance, which may require dismounting and rotating the tire on the wheel. Sorry, I know those are both directly related to the tire balance that you just had done. Also wheel lug torque and pattern are very important on the 5 lug wheels
     
    robatumd[OP] likes this.
  8. Sep 22, 2022 at 4:09 AM
    #8
    batman900

    batman900 Yep

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    Most tires we've had will flat spot a little overnight with temp changes and it works itself out after a few miles. Does it eventually go away after you've been moving for a bit? Even my wife's Venza with Michelin Defenders will flat spot some and cause some steering vibration in the morning for the first few miles. My Coopers do it as well. Have you played with tire pressure at all? Certain PSI could make it more or less noticeable. If it doesn't eventually go away as you drive then yeah it may be a different issue.
     
  9. Sep 22, 2022 at 4:14 AM
    #9
    AgileTundra

    AgileTundra New Member

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    alignment
     
  10. Sep 22, 2022 at 4:16 AM
    #10
    batman900

    batman900 Yep

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    I was thinking that as well if it's not just simple flat spotting. We've had persistent wheel shake issues in a current gen 4Runner and Tacoma. Both were only fixed with a GOOD alignment, it wasn't the tires in those cases.
     
    AgileTundra[QUOTED] likes this.
  11. Sep 22, 2022 at 4:27 AM
    #11
    robatumd

    robatumd [OP] A_B_C

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    Appreciate all the ideas!

    Dropping it at the dealer now. If they can’t fix it I’ll take it to my Indy guy.
     
  12. Sep 22, 2022 at 4:31 AM
    #12
    robatumd

    robatumd [OP] A_B_C

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    It comes and goes but never fully goes away.
    I have a video of it but can’t upload here. It’s a wicked vibration!
     
  13. Sep 22, 2022 at 4:31 AM
    #13
    Tundra234

    Tundra234 New Member

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    Alot of them
    Have the runout checked on the rotors. I had this on my 2013 and it was in fact the rotors. Does it shake more if you tap the brake pedal while it's shaking?
     
    AgileTundra likes this.
  14. Sep 22, 2022 at 4:33 AM
    #14
    Bammer

    Bammer I'm disinclined to acquiesce your request.

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    Use a tire shop for alignment and balancing. I learned the hard way, well a $136 lesson.
     
  15. Sep 22, 2022 at 4:38 AM
    #15
    timsp8

    timsp8 Former Tundra owner for 13 years

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    Also make sure all the lug nuts are torqued correctly and to spec. And that there is no rust or dirt between your wheel and the rotor. Try to rotate them and clean the contact surface while they are off.
     
    texasrho83 likes this.
  16. Sep 22, 2022 at 5:11 AM
    #16
    DannyD303

    DannyD303 New Member

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    I doubt this is the issue but I had a car once that had a real bad vibration that would come and go. Turns out my brake caliper was seizing and not releasing the rotor. That car had well over 100k on the clock so again, doubt that's what's going on here.

    My 2019 4Runner Pro had a similar issue as well and the "fix" was to change the alignment and add a degree of toe-in. According to the dealer it would load up the front suspension a bit more. Seemed to help and I had 60k miles on my original tires with plenty of tread left.


    Just 2 more things to look at
     
  17. Sep 22, 2022 at 7:40 AM
    #17
    BroTun13

    BroTun13 New Member

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    Good luck in finding the issue. Please update if you get something figured out. My Tundra and my wife's Highlander both have this issue and I've grown tired of throwing money at fixing. She is still questioning my decision to move to the Toyota brand because of how her car drives. :frusty:
     
  18. Sep 22, 2022 at 7:47 AM
    #18
    xtyfighterx

    xtyfighterx New Member

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    Same issue with mine tire was out of round they had to road force balance it to find the issue tires had around 5k miles and wouldn’t warranty it so I’ve been stuck with it since I lowered my psi and took away a lot of the vibes but as the tires are now 50% worn you can feel it even more can’t wait to replace these coopers .
     
  19. Sep 22, 2022 at 8:00 AM
    #19
    Winning8

    Winning8 New Member

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    I need to do road force balance too, since I change my tires to KO2 it have shakes comes and go, but if it’s shake on factory tires, I think it’s alignment or flat spot. If dealer cant fix it, may have to go American tires or any shop that have a road force machine, and ask for road force balance.
     
  20. Sep 22, 2022 at 4:27 PM
    #20
    robatumd

    robatumd [OP] A_B_C

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    Got the truck back from the dealer….

    On my short drive home (all highway, 65-70mph) the vibration was much improved. It’s not 100% perfect as I could still feel a very small vibration but it is much much better.

    Here’s what they told me they did:

    1. Rebalanced the tires. Test drove and it was still bad
    2. Put the fronts on the back. Test drove and it was better but not perfect
    3. Final rebalance. Issue mostly fixed. The tech said he thought it was 90% better and that I wouldn’t notice.

    The tech also mentioned that he saw some ‘light cupping’ on the outside of the edge of the front tires. He thought that replacing the tires would make it 100% but wanted to leave that to me.

    So I will continue to monitor it. The sucky part is that when I go for my next tire rotation in a year I guess I have to get new tires right? Assuming the cupping won’t go away by having them on the back? Maybe I need to do some burnouts to level them out :)

    Appreciate all the ideas and thoughts. Such a great community us Tundra owners have here!
     
  21. Sep 22, 2022 at 4:35 PM
    #21
    Winning8

    Winning8 New Member

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    oof. tire rotation every 5k.. I think alignment make your tire cupping
     
    AZBoatHauler likes this.
  22. Sep 23, 2022 at 3:49 AM
    #22
    Bammer

    Bammer I'm disinclined to acquiesce your request.

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    Go to a tire shop and not a chain, a good well respected local place. I got the same explanation when I had an alignment issue. The dealers words, we did the alignment and it was close, once we swapped the tires from front to back, it was perfect. Yeah right, to a tire shop, alignment done = 100%
     
  23. Sep 23, 2022 at 8:48 AM
    #23
    frichco228

    frichco228 Valued Member

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    Ditto on the tire rotation every 5kmiles. That makes a huge difference in keeping them wearing well and riding smooth.
    Tundras are sensitive to wheel balance and alignment. Skip the dealer for those services and find a tire or suspension shop that can do it right. The alignment being off just a hair will induce vibration that comes and goes based on speed, road conditions, etc.

    keeping air pressure correct, 5k balance and rotation of tires and alignment whenever needed will keep your truck driving as smooth as possible and extend the life of your tires.
     
  24. Sep 23, 2022 at 9:21 AM
    #24
    Winning8

    Winning8 New Member

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    P rated tires you could go anywhere to balance, when you change out to LT tires, you may need shops that do road force balance.
     
  25. Sep 23, 2022 at 10:26 AM
    #25
    Tbrandt

    Tbrandt I read it on an internet forum, it must be true.

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    Are you still on stock tires? The Bridgestone Duelers that come stock on 20" wheels aren't known for their longevity. Could be getting worn and out of balance.

    I had a u-joint in the driveshaft of my old T100 go bad and it made for a god awful vibration throughout the whole truck. It had about a 1/2" of play and depending how far off axis it would get stuck at, the truck would vibrate worse. I would hope the shop checked that sort of thing, but always worth going through and making sure all your driveline components are tight.
     
  26. Sep 24, 2022 at 4:18 AM
    #26
    agrestic1

    agrestic1 New Member

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    Get an alignment done at a reputable shop...Ask if they do printouts of before and after the alignment, with factory recommended specs.....I'd leave the tires on the front if worn evenly and not rotate them.... I had a continuing steering vibration problem at all speeds, .. Took it to a tire shop for Road Force balance, tech recommended don't waste your money.. Needs alignment.. drive it till the tires wear out, come back install new tires and align...Which took care of my problem..
     
  27. Sep 25, 2022 at 11:26 AM
    #27
    34ford

    34ford New Member

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    I always road force balance, even on my Hot Rods w/ street tires. Makes a big difference , if anyone ever explains to you how it works you will always spend the extra$ and get it done right the 1st time. 34ford
     
  28. Sep 25, 2022 at 11:43 AM
    #28
    Winning8

    Winning8 New Member

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    agrestic1 likes this.
  29. Sep 25, 2022 at 11:47 AM
    #29
    agrestic1

    agrestic1 New Member

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    Agree after alignment get them Road Force Balanced if available.. I found that even if a shop is listed on Hunter Road Force web site, call ahead to be sure..
     
  30. Sep 25, 2022 at 11:49 AM
    #30
    Winning8

    Winning8 New Member

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    Most local, small shop don’t have it, it’s a very expensive machine.
     

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