Hey everyone, new to site but have been w Toyotas since the 70's starting w a hilux, then a BJ42, now about to get into a 1982 FJ60, a west coast vehicle now residing in the NE. Have checked it out and the typical issues, PS pump, clutch slave, tie rod ends, front wheel bearings (154 K on the odo) Took for a test drive and at 35 mph the front end shudders and then smooths out at 45+. Does not occur all the time, in fact happened once and almost took the wheel out of my hands. The PO says its the tie rods, any comments on same, not convinced that is all. Be gentle on me, I am no expert, just learning as I go. Thanks
FJ 60 front end question
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Mine has bad tie rod ends, and it doesn't cause any sort of shudder. Just a lot of slop in the steering wheel and a fair amount of "auto steer" on the highway 
front end vibe =lug nuts tight?, wheel balance, loose /worn front end components(TRE or trunion bearings) and or spring mounts/ shackles.
Cruiserdrew
On the way there
Sounds like classic death wobble. Anything loose in the front can cause this. Most likely problem is the spring loaded drag link ends. They can be tightened up as a temporary fix.
Then loose wheel bearings, worn out knuckle bearings, and worn out spring bushings, worn U joint in the steering shaft, loose steering box (or a combo of all of these) can lead to oscillation and wobble.
It's pretty normal and no choice but to go through it and fix everything.
Then loose wheel bearings, worn out knuckle bearings, and worn out spring bushings, worn U joint in the steering shaft, loose steering box (or a combo of all of these) can lead to oscillation and wobble.
It's pretty normal and no choice but to go through it and fix everything.
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Thanks Manu, the death wobble was an unknown to me till you put me on the path to righteousness, after doing some reading I believe it may be a combination of things, definitely the front tires 33 bfgs show some uneven wear, so between the tires , the bearings and the tie rods then add in an alignment, and I am hopeful that some closure may come out of this.
Sorry to add onto this thread, but how can you ascertain if your TROs are bad? I have read about checking for front hub/bearing issues by gripping the top and bottom of the wheel and looking for movement, but how can you tell if the TRO are due for replacement?
Is there a way to test for bad tie rod ends? You just described my truck's steering issues to a T.
I understand that you can grab the TRE's and check for movement or looseness. I had my front bearings repacked and it made a significant difference in my steering looseness.
