Another Steering Shake Thread

Okay, so I've got a front end shimmy on my 2006 Double Cab 4x4. It seems to have gotten worse recently and can no longer be ignored or written off as bad tires.

The problem generally happens at highway speeds, but has occurred as low as 45 mph. It is inconsistent - sometimes it will drive smoothly, and the shimmy seems to be initiated after coming out of a turn or hitting bumps. It goes away under moderate to hard braking.

Tires have been balanced and rotated multiple times, and the problem has happened on both sets (summer and winter) tires. Each set has its own wheels.

LBJs, LCA bushings, tie rods, and steering rack, are all relatively new and tight. Upper balljoints feel tight, but I replaced one for good measure since it can sometimes be hard to judge balljoints with the truck on stands. There was no excessive play in the old balljoint.

The wheel bearings feel tight and are not making any strange noises. However, last week I got a front left wheel speed sensor error. There was some grease/gunk accumulated between some of the teeth on the tone ring. I cleaned it out and the error went away. The left side did not have as much grease/gunk. Weird.

OME shocks with a low lift (883) coil up front, and I recently added AALs in the rear. The AAL on only the passenger side works its way out of alignment with the leaf pack (see picture). I've tried resetting it and re-torquing the u bolts, but it has returned to the same location. Not sure if this is related to shimmy issue but its worth mentioning

The front brakes, including calipers, were replaced about two years ago. Calipers are from the parts store and the rotors/pads are Powerstop heavy duty. The inboard pads on both sides are now significantly more worn than the outers. Also, one of the pad backing plates had shifted and was really crooked on the pad. I moved the backing plate back to position, cleaned the brake components, and put on new glide pins with liberal amounts of brake grease. None of the caliper pistons were seized per se, as they could all be pressed in by hand.

I'd like to think the problem is brake-related, because it certainly feels like brakes problems I've had before, except that:
1. The problem goes away under moderate to heavy braking.
2. The problem is initiated by bumps or turns
3. Pad wear is similar between both sides of the truck (although the inboard pads are wearing more quickly)

So, questions for the hive mind:
1. Any reason for the faster wear on the inboard pads? Is this normal?
2. Ideas on the shimmy?

Thanks

 

Does it shake the body or the steering wheel? Does it do it when you're not braking?

 

Thanks for the reply. It seems to be steering wheel only. If I hold the wheel tight enough, it is generally enough to stop the vibrations.

And yes, it happens when not braking.

 

My money would be on wheel bearings then. Maybe the cv axles. It can be narrowed down to rotating mass in the front somewhere.

 

Thanks. Anyone have tips on inspecting wheel bearings besides listening for noises or grabbing the tire at 12 and 6 O'clock and checking for play? The gunk on the front left tone ring seemed suspicious - I assume this would have been grease from the bearing?

CV Axles were replaced about 30k ago. I recently replaced the front left CV again because the inner boot was torn and I read a convincing description on another Tundra forum about how CVs can cause intermittent out of balance rotation. Was able to warranty the old axle so it was no skin off my back, but alas it did not solve the problem. The left shows no visible signs of damage so I didn't see any reason to replace.

 

Jack the truck up and pull the tires off. Give the hub a spin and listen close. Make sure it has the correct torque spec on the axle nut.

 

Is this the 4WD thing that you can test by driving at 45mph or so and get the shimmy going, then engage the transfer case into 4hi and if it goes away it's a transfer case or bearing issue? Read about it somewhere.