07 FJ Front end shaking Need HELP

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R

rick418tech

10 Year
Joined
Mar 7, 2013
Threads
2
Messages
3
Location
Virginia
I have a problem with the front end shaking at about 60 MPH. It does not always do it! No one can figure it out. The steering components, axles, brakes, rotors, wheels and tires all good. The FJ is stock except for an ARB bull bar. It has never been wrecked and only off road in snow and on the beach. No real abuse. I have searched the web some but have not found where anyone else has reported this problem. Thank you in advance for any assistance or ideas as to what could be the cause.

Rick
 
I'd take a harder look at the balancing on your tires. Try a different tire shop.

Or, drive shaft out of balance or u-joint crapping out?
 
Like Rick said, troubleshoot one component at a time, starting with your tires.

I'd swap front to back, then left to right, just to see if it follows a tire or goes away when the fronts are on the back. How are you running the ARB up front on the stock suspension? Got any pics?
 
I had a problem just like that (on a different truck) and it drove me crazy for days - until the mud caked on the inside of the rim finally dried and fell off. The point being, your wheels and tires are very sensitive to even minute changes in weight affecting the balance. You might have just thrown a tire weight.

Beyond that, re-torque the drive shaft flanges, inspect your tie rod ends for slop/wear, inspect your front CV joints, and inspect the upper and lower control arm bushings and ball joints for wear. An even more remote possibility would be the diff pinion bearing or the transfer case out shaft bearing.
 
Use an actual torque wrench on your lug nuts as well. I've had Toyotas in the past that would vibrate if the individual lugs varied by more than 3 ft/lbs of torque.
 
A Common problem. I have a 2010 and it sometimes does it usually between 40-55 mph. If you look on the Blue room on the forums you'll see alot of discussion about it.
 
land cruiser kid said:
A Common problem. I have a 2010 and it sometimes does it usually between 40-55 mph. If you look on the Blue room on the forums you'll see alot of discussion about it.
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Hmmm, common problem? Then, what is the fix or do we have to visit there to find the answer...
 
BMThiker said:
I'd take a harder look at the balancing on your tires. Try a different tire shop.
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This.

Mtbcoach said:
Hmmm, common problem? Then, what is the fix or do we have to visit there to find the answer...
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Good luck. There four hundred whine threads, some abandoning, due to the "shakes", which I'd bet money are all tire balance related or piss poor alignments after lift.

Seems my FJC was hyper sensitive to tire balance issue in OE width, so much so that a trip through the rocks, that'd result minor chunking, would make for a miserable drive home.

On a 250 mile return trip from Superlift, I thought I'd bent a front axle shaft, or tore a bushing due to the violent shakes. Turned out, chunked enough of the BFG ATs to throw tires out, but you have never experienced a ride quality in any vehicle, due to balance, like the FJC. It was spooky.

Running LT, Trail Ready's, and KM2s with airsofts now, and it's the only means I can see to combat the balance issues from chunking, yet still occasionally get the shakes. (Probably when Airsofts are froze together).

Regardless, the road force balancing has seemed to help some folks. Don't think it's a common practice at most shops.
 
I know Chris, just funny that if it is such a common problem, there must be an answer. Yet, as you stated, many more details need to be offered before one can come up with the right answer. I was being a smart @ss.

I also agree that the FJC is very sensitive to changes in front end geometry. I never ventured into the long travel world, with big tires like you and FJNewb have gone, didn't want to get into even more leverage on the already sensitive front end...
 
Mtbcoach said:
I was being a smart @ss.
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I gathered.

I find it odd that dealerships are continually dealing with this issue on brand new, stock FJCs, yet I've heard little about similar on the other 120s.

Still contend it's a balance issue. Not sure why the front end is hypersensitive, but it is.

The LTs been great. In hindsight, wish I had left the King's on the OE width, put the money towards the 80, but it's align-able, rides like a dream, handles well, but I'm chewing through CVs like tic tacs.
 
Hey Chris how about inner tierods? Met a guy at K2 that ate 2 tierods in 24 hours. He was running the big LT kit (3.5"?).
 
Can see that on older, lifted, LT, no doubt.

It's the folks with shaking 2010s that is baffling.

I'm due axles and tie rods, AGAIN!

Once focus returns, may see what the 100s have that may be adaptable, in the steering department.
 
Delancy said:
Can see that on older, lifted, LT, no doubt.

It's the folks with shaking 2010s that is baffling.

I'm due axles and tie rods, AGAIN!

Once focus returns, may see what the 100s have that may be adaptable, in the steering department.
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That should be interesting...
Looking forward to what you come up with!

Daisy
 
To continue this hi-jack...
While at the Round Up, me and Travis (Metal Tech) brainstormed an idea to make the tie rods less prone to bending on the long travel kits. It should also work for standard tie rods without making them completely bomb-proof and pushing the damage "fuse" upstream to the steering rack. If the prototype and testing goes well, news will travel fast I'm sure.
 
From blue.


Rraiderr said:
Not your normal complaint thread.

On my 100% stock 2012 I have noticed that the wheel shake issues does not occur in Winter temps. Winter temps being Mid West 30F and below.

I did nothing different and used the same tire pressures and no shake when it is cold out no matter what speed I go.

In the summer it is shake city.

Any ideas or theory as to why?
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Hadn't considered this (keep in mind, mine has a little " shake" but running 35s with Airsofts, so it ain't noticeable).

Thoughts?

I suggested adding a cooler and flushing to run Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF, IF viscosity was determined degraded once warmer, but only based on experience with 80.
 
I don't have the answer. I'm running 33's and there doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason when it does it. My initial thought would be the balancing but why wouldn't it do it all the time? When I run my mud terrains which are 33's also, it shakes all the time but I believe they should be rebalanced.
 
I know that when I ran the Swamper SSR's in 35 x 10.50, they would need time to "warm up" after they sat over a cold night. Mine wasn't my DD so it would sit for days not being driven and the tires would feel "square" until they got warmed up and round again.

Another 2 centavos worth of speculation...:beer:
 
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