Shake at speed, driving me nuts.

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Thunder90

Thunder90

Joined
Dec 5, 2015
Threads
40
Messages
269
Location
NE FL
Hey all,
I have a noticeable shudder/shake/ vibration at highway speeds. Seems to be rear chassis.
The steering wheel is not affected so I don't think it's the front end. In fact, the rear seats shake to the point I have to stuff a micro fiber between the fold down So I don't lose my mind.
Tires have been balanced three times. Alignment is fresh. Stock suspension.
Had the u joints greased last week while in shop and think it may have gotten worse. 160k. Original CVs with some old grease caked around the boot ends. Also have the dreaded clunk. Has been like this since I purchased 10k miles ago.
Drive shaft? CVs? Thoughts?
 
Tires. Several Toyota wheels are very very difficult to balance. I almost sold my Tacoma because nobody in town could balance the tires. Discount Tire finally nailed it and they admitted "we just got lucky."

My money is on the tires , axles and driveshafts spin way too fast at highway speeds to cause shudder. My $.02 and best of luck to you.
 
Only at highway speeds? So it should be related to a part that moves at higher revs because of higher speed. Rear diff, more specifically play (you mentioned a clunk) from the drive shaft into the rear diff?

Clunk appears when power/drive goes to the wheels?
 
I'm interested in a solution to this as well. I have the clunk at stop/starts and a vibration on the gas....not as annoying as the this story but I'd be interested in any ideas to fix.
 
Out of balance tires typically cause shaking...like seats or steering wheel shakes. If it's bad enough, your drink in the cup holder will shake too...like OP states...this shaking is enough to drive you nuts.

High speed driveline vibrations typically cause a buzzy, groaning vibration that is unmistakable IMO.
 
Move your rear tires forward, if vibration stays in rear then it's most likely rear drive train.

Rear drive train suspects, in order of likelihood: Spider(s) (AKA u-joints) getting worst after lube points to bad spider, Propeller shafts, Rear differential Bearing or Carrier Gears (how's the gear lube, changed every 30K miles right?) and lastly rear axle bearing.

All fluids (oil, ATF, Gear lubes) at proper level right?
Any leaks?
 
Thunder90 said:
Hey all,
I have a noticeable shudder/shake/ vibration at highway speeds. Seems to be rear chassis.
The steering wheel is not affected so I don't think it's the front end. In fact, the rear seats shake to the point I have to stuff a micro fiber between the fold down So I don't lose my mind.
Tires have been balanced three times. Alignment is fresh. Stock suspension.
Had the u joints greased last week while in shop and think it may have gotten worse. 160k. Original CVs with some old grease caked around the boot ends. Also have the dreaded clunk. Has been like this since I purchased 10k miles ago.
Drive shaft? CVs? Thoughts?
Click to expand...


I have an '06 and around $160k miles I started feeling a vibration that in the past I would have connected it to the tires. But with a new set of tires that were "road forced" balanced that had about 10,000 miles on them, I knew it was something else. I replaced the u-joints and it was still there. Finally, the dealership placed small microphones around various places in and on the car and drove it listening to each microphone separately. They stated it was in the back end, which I agreed with, and said that they think it could be the shocks. I had the original air shocks still on the vehicle.

If you ever think about replacing the rear shock on an '06 LC with air suspension, think twice if you live in an area where there is a high concentration of salt, or snow and ice roads treated with salt. The rear shock towers leave no room for maneuvering and the shock bolts had corroded so badly that they stripped when trying to loosen them. The dealer was at a loss as to how to get the rear shocks out. They finally found a solution that dealerships in snowy areas used which included cutting small access holes in the inside rear of the vehicle so that they could drill out the strip shock bolts and install new shocks and hardware.

The car has never driven better and the vibration is gone. Not even a hint of a vibration. I am now sane once again!!!!

I hope this helps! BTW, it took the dealership 10 hours to replace the four shocks. Glad I chose to have them do it.
 
Were your tires balanced using that weird adapter. The adapter simulates the tires being mounted on your exact lug pattern. From what I hear.....the failure to use said adapter is the reason so many folks have balancing problems on the LX/LC wheels. Just passing on what I've heard.
 
BullElk said:
Were your tires balanced using that weird adapter. The adapter simulates the tires being mounted on your exact lug pattern. From what I hear.....the failure to use said adapter is the reason so many folks have balancing problems on the LX/LC wheels. Just passing on what I've heard.
Click to expand...

If his tires were balanced using the cone in the wheel's hub bore, they should theoretically be balanced properly since his stock wheels are hubcentric. Using a lug pattern adapter for balancing would be correct for lugcentric wheels which he does not have.
 
I hope this helps! BTW, it took the dealership 10 hours to replace the four shocks. Glad I chose to have them do it.[/QUOTE]

Glad you're fixed!

However, I am in disbelief that the dealer spent 10hrs on shock replacement. You're saying that no one there realized that you can cut the rear shocks off with a sawzall in about 90 seconds? But instead decided to cut holes in your floor? Yikes and I am sorry for you...prob won't hurt anything but still.
 
The Toyota Hub Cone and a 5 x 150 Finger Plate is the proper setup for the road force balance or even a regular balance. Finding a tech that knows how to use the equipment is difficult.

kudos to Dealer for using microphones, that's one I've not heard.
 
brianrride said:
I hope this helps! BTW, it took the dealership 10 hours to replace the four shocks. Glad I chose to have them do it.
Click to expand...

Glad you're fixed!

However, I am in disbelief that the dealer spent 10hrs on shock replacement. You're saying that no one there realized that you can cut the rear shocks off with a sawzall in about 90 seconds? But instead decided to cut holes in your floor? Yikes and I am sorry for you...prob won't hurt anything but still.[/QUOTE]


I was taken under the vehicle and shown the space where the top of the rear shocks mount. Can't possible get any tool in the space to cut it off. I wouldn't have believed it had I not seen it for myself.

The only way to gain access to the top of the shock mount and remove the upper fixings was to cut a hole and access from above. Amazing.
 
Thank you for clarifying that, reznunt. Which wheels are lugcentric?

Thanks
 
Matt Hamilton said:
Glad you're fixed!

However, I am in disbelief that the dealer spent 10hrs on shock replacement. You're saying that no one there realized that you can cut the rear shocks off with a sawzall in about 90 seconds? But instead decided to cut holes in your floor? Yikes and I am sorry for you...prob won't hurt anything but still.
Click to expand...


I was taken under the vehicle and shown the space where the top of the rear shocks mount. Can't possible get any tool in the space to cut it off. I wouldn't have believed it had I not seen it for myself.

The only way to gain access to the top of the shock mount and remove the upper fixings was to cut a hole and access from above. Amazing.[/QUOTE]

Correct, there is zero space on top, that's why you cut it right on top of the lower bushing, then pull the small cut portion through the top. I just did this on mine...I took the spare tire out, plenty of elbow room for me and sawzall...it was literally about 90 seconds of sawing to get each shock out of there. 4runners are notorious for this too. Just for future reference or anyone reading this you do not need to cut holes in the floor unless an 06 is way different than my 98.
 
resnunt....So not the stock LX/LC wheels?
 
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