To go back to the OP (hi-jack a hi-jacked thread - woot!)
My NEW 2012 has the steering flutter (shimmy, shake, whatever). Not alignment (I intentionally dealigned it to several caster/camber settings, even cross-cambered it by a degree -- no change), not tires (just replaced them at 10,000 miles), several balances at same and different shops, road force included.
The ONLY thing that seems to have had an effect is the act of lifting the vehicle off the ground, extending the suspension to full down. After a couple of the service trips, the truck drove quite well, no flutter, for as much as 1,000 miles. This includes one such trip where all they did was lift the truck to inspect the undercarriage (no wheel removal, no balance, nada).
Several shops say nothing is loose - I've been under it but never when its fully extended - and when moving the alignment cams around I've never noticed anything odd. And it all seems tight.
Toyucka has a SB on a similar vehicle (the Lexus GS15) for steering flutter: requiring a major mechanical disassemble to change out a steering preload spring. So I changed steering fluid to something a bit heavier. No real effect (I imagined the flutter rate increased ever so slightly). Relax, the new fluid meets Toy warranty specs (same weight, but different cold viscosity).
But the issue - for all the tire balance fans - is the steering wheel ROTATES, it does not shake, it ROTATES. No balance problem on earth will cause that to happen. It rotates hard enough and far enough your arm gets tires hanging onto the wheel driving even 50 miles down the typical freeway. Whatever is going on, causes the front suspension to TURN side to side - just like the death wobbles you see on Dodge trucks... just not as severe (yet).
Hard cores will say drive at a different speed. That's difficult to do when in freeway traffic moving 65, and the issue shows up at 62 to 68. It's now even acting up around 45... like an engine stutter or lean burn condition. The Avondale dealership told me to drive in 4th to make that tranny problem go away (their words); or they offered to reset the "driveability" computer so it'd have to relearn my driving habits (in other words, hide the problem a few thousand miles).
Anyway - at 11,000 miles of fighting the issue without any improvement. I think I'm giving up - anyone interested purchasing a clean, stock silver FJ with off-road convenience package and 17" alloy wheels (and brand new Goodyear Kevlar Reinforced 265's) - will price near trade value with serious buyers - save a couple thousand over buying straight used from a dealer... I'm gonna go buy a Honda or Ford or Kia, anything but a Toyucka.
Location Phoenix Metro area...
My NEW 2012 has the steering flutter (shimmy, shake, whatever). Not alignment (I intentionally dealigned it to several caster/camber settings, even cross-cambered it by a degree -- no change), not tires (just replaced them at 10,000 miles), several balances at same and different shops, road force included.
The ONLY thing that seems to have had an effect is the act of lifting the vehicle off the ground, extending the suspension to full down. After a couple of the service trips, the truck drove quite well, no flutter, for as much as 1,000 miles. This includes one such trip where all they did was lift the truck to inspect the undercarriage (no wheel removal, no balance, nada).
Several shops say nothing is loose - I've been under it but never when its fully extended - and when moving the alignment cams around I've never noticed anything odd. And it all seems tight.
Toyucka has a SB on a similar vehicle (the Lexus GS15) for steering flutter: requiring a major mechanical disassemble to change out a steering preload spring. So I changed steering fluid to something a bit heavier. No real effect (I imagined the flutter rate increased ever so slightly). Relax, the new fluid meets Toy warranty specs (same weight, but different cold viscosity).
But the issue - for all the tire balance fans - is the steering wheel ROTATES, it does not shake, it ROTATES. No balance problem on earth will cause that to happen. It rotates hard enough and far enough your arm gets tires hanging onto the wheel driving even 50 miles down the typical freeway. Whatever is going on, causes the front suspension to TURN side to side - just like the death wobbles you see on Dodge trucks... just not as severe (yet).
Hard cores will say drive at a different speed. That's difficult to do when in freeway traffic moving 65, and the issue shows up at 62 to 68. It's now even acting up around 45... like an engine stutter or lean burn condition. The Avondale dealership told me to drive in 4th to make that tranny problem go away (their words); or they offered to reset the "driveability" computer so it'd have to relearn my driving habits (in other words, hide the problem a few thousand miles).
Anyway - at 11,000 miles of fighting the issue without any improvement. I think I'm giving up - anyone interested purchasing a clean, stock silver FJ with off-road convenience package and 17" alloy wheels (and brand new Goodyear Kevlar Reinforced 265's) - will price near trade value with serious buyers - save a couple thousand over buying straight used from a dealer... I'm gonna go buy a Honda or Ford or Kia, anything but a Toyucka.
Location Phoenix Metro area...
