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gazoo
25th January 2011, 06:46 AM
Hi all can someone help me ive just fitted new rims and tyres to my GQ and now when i get to 80kph the steering shakes that bad i have a job to hold it i took it back and they checked it al out and said that they all balanced up good i watched them when they did it. It did have a slite shake befor with my old rim witch were alloys but not as bad as it is now with steel one (sunraisers:confused:)

YNOT
25th January 2011, 07:44 AM
You may have worn steering components that for some reason are now showing up more with the new wheels.

Tony

patch697
25th January 2011, 11:34 AM
^^^^^^ X2

This is the first thing I'd be checking for as well.

gazoo
26th January 2011, 10:25 AM
well i renewed all bushers in panhard rod and put new steering dampner on as well got the wheels rebalanced again at another tyre place (4th time) in 2 days and still the shake is their between 80 and 90 ks i also took it to my mechanic and he could not find a thing wheel bearings are fine with no play or movment iam at my wits end

Gordy
26th January 2011, 01:14 PM
I have done some research on this myself as mine has started to display some characteristics. The information I have read is everyone goes oh that's just a Nissan thing, happens when they start to get some age - well I do not subscribe to that train of thought and have spent a metric !@# load on trying to track it. Mine is intermittant, sometimes coming in at 70 kph, other times not until after 80 kph, sounding like a balance issue, so yep balance three times with tyres off as I thought sand or something inside beads, nope! New Panhard rod bushes in mine as well. My tyres are down as well so would like to find the solution before I replace them. Seems to me more like a combination of, or culmination of issues, slight wear here and there, worn tyres, slight inbalance and Bam - a Nissan mind of its own
If you find the solution I know a few people that will be keen to buy you a beer or two!

gazoo
27th January 2011, 07:31 AM
Gordy iam not giving up yet i swapped tyres from back to front and side to side but no that didnt work
its p....ing me off but iam not giving up yet

tracemul7
27th January 2011, 10:56 AM
We have this issue too - sometimes the wobble from the steering wheel is really bad, othertimes not so bad.
Will defo keep an eye on this thread, to see if any of you experts fix it :)

stets
31st January 2011, 05:14 PM
i had the death wobbles too, replaced all bushes in the suspension front and back, panhard bushes included, then went to the next step of replacing swivel hub bearings and upgraded to a new steering dampener, problem solved, in my opinion it has to do with wear and tear in the suspension more so than the steering, for ages i would jerk the car from left to right to alter the balance and that would stop the shakes fror a short time, thats what got me thinking suspension, from there i spent almost 5 grand but problem sorted in the end

growler2058
21st February 2011, 07:26 PM
I only got the death wobbles after replacing all the suspension and wheels and tyres, steering dampner etc etc, but it only happens at slowish speeds when the left hand wheel hits certain type of potholes. At highway speeds (touch wood) it drives like a dream. Maybe those "certain type of potholes" i never hit when it was stock?

Finly Owner
21st February 2011, 11:25 PM
I agree, If I come off a gutter, shakes come in earlier. So definate combined front end components worn,

Tim

rammy
25th February 2011, 01:51 PM
hi how are you? i have the same problem with mine at 80. have to push through 80 as quick as i can for it to settle. i asked the mechanic what it would be when i first got it thinking maybe it was the wheel bearings but he reckons if it has done a lot of 4wd the front suspension tends to wear and that could be the problem. i work away and havent got around to getting the new suspension in but when i do i will see how it goes

TuffTD42
1st March 2011, 04:19 PM
I went from alloys to steelies & found that what ever shake it had had amplified. Its due to the weight of the steelies compared to the alloys. It only takes one component in the front end to be worn to upset the balance. I rebuilt my whole front end & got it to drive spot on. Then as things started to wear it got the shakes. first was a pan-hard bush, then drop arm bush, then loose control arm bolt, then loose pan-hard to diff bolt, then a knackered tie rod end on the drag link. I just done the front wheel bearings again. now the drivers side king pin bearings are gone. each time one of the above components wore out it gave me the same result through the steering wheel. The only one that was real bad was the worn tie rod end, that felt like the front wheel was about to part company.

gazoo
3rd March 2011, 07:08 PM
yea well i got it to stop shaking all 4 tyres were faulty they seperated at 80ks and above and man it took a lot for the tyre joint to belive me i had to put on my sons tyres to prove my point ill never buy nexan again

Ghost
6th March 2011, 05:42 PM
Been there fixed it :) replaced alloy mags with steels made no difference.

1. replace all worn bushes in steering especially panard rod bushes
2. replace BFG all terains with a decent tyre like a good year etc.

wobbles all gone

growler2058
7th March 2011, 08:39 PM
All my front suspension tyres, wheels (sunnies) are new, now i get the wobble that i didn't get before, only when i hit certain types of bumps tho

YNOT
7th March 2011, 08:53 PM
All my front suspension tyres, wheels (sunnies) are new, now i get the wobble that i didn't get before, only when i hit certain types of bumps tho

That sounds like your new wheel/tyre package has highlighted a steering or suspension fault.

Tony

Oggittyboogitty
31st March 2011, 02:29 AM
My suggestion is to not miss anything when doing any upgrade to suspension components, especially if you don't know the history of the vehicle or if it has not been maintained at regular periods. Simply put spend the bucks and do it right once. Mine is 22 years old and with the mods I have done it rides and handles as good as any late model gu I have driven. I'm not a mechanic but did all the work myself in the carport. One last thing to look at is the panard rod mount where it is welded to the chassis rail. Mine gave way which lead to the upgrade, this weld tore more so than broke, if you think your wobbles are bad now you should see how bad they are when that happens. Check everything . Might not help but good luck sorting out your issue :) mine did do exactly what you described before the work I did but wobbles no more.

Bigrig
31st March 2011, 08:22 AM
My suggestion is to not miss anything when doing any upgrade to suspension components, especially if you don't know the history of the vehicle or if it has not been maintained at regular periods. Simply put spend the bucks and do it right once. Mine is 22 years old and with the mods I have done it rides and handles as good as any late model gu I have driven. I'm not a mechanic but did all the work myself in the carport. One last thing to look at is the panard rod mount where it is welded to the chassis rail. Mine gave way which lead to the upgrade, this weld tore more so than broke, if you think your wobbles are bad now you should see how bad they are when that happens. Check everything . Might not help but good luck sorting out your issue :) mine did do exactly what you described before the work I did but wobbles no more.

I fully agree. Sometimes we all want to do things as cheaply as possible, understood, but save the bucks and do it right first time and you will be a happy motorist!! Same goes, mine is 19 years old and handles like a dream!

Kona562
3rd April 2011, 12:50 PM
Bought my brother’s GQ last December had all the above symptoms, came in at 80km and out at 90km replaced all the front bushes but is still has an ever so slight vibration. Some advice that a guy in the steering and suspension business for 20 years said it will be worn components!

Oggittyboogitty
6th April 2011, 10:21 PM
another note re where the weld tore, this was not all that noticable until the suspension was suspended and then BAM! there it is!

wojtech
8th April 2011, 02:39 PM
Just bought a GQ last weekend and I'm working through all the bits and pieces. It had a massive shake in it because my 2 previous cars (Rangie, Rocky) had a shake like this before I even looked underneath it I bought some panard bushes and bunged them in, that helped a bit, shake still there not nearly as bad, spent a day doing the swivel hubs, and hey presto no more shake.
I suggest anyone with a shake like this to look firstly at panard bushes (cheap) and secondly jack one front corner of the car up grab the top and bottom of the wheel and see if there is any movement any movement there indicates wore king pin bearings which either need to be replaced or shimmed to get more preload, I got a Swivel Hub kit from REPCO for $250 and they do both sides include bearings and axle and all other seals and gaskets, I wouldn't know how much a grease monkey would charge to put them in coz I did mine myself. But I'd say add another 300-400 on to the price of the parts

xamrab
22nd April 2011, 01:18 AM
I had 750R16 on my GQ and never noticed the shakes except a rough ride because the shocks weren't the best. Today, changed to R15 with 30 x 10.5 tyres (Kumo). Between 75 and 90 kph she shakes a lot but then settles down. I was wondering what I had done wrong. Jumped out and checked the wheels nuts were still there and tight. I haven't had a chance to check it out yet. Having read the previous posts, I can see I may have a challenge ahead and an empty wallet.

timbar
22nd April 2011, 01:21 AM
word of advice take the car back and get the tyres either checked or rebalanced and u will find the problem did you get a wheel alignment ?

snake1978
25th April 2011, 07:07 PM
i have the same problem
im not mechanically minded so if some1 could name several parts, bushes, bearings etc that would be a priority to replace, it would make it alot easier when i talk to mechanic

xamrab
5th July 2011, 01:41 PM
I had 750R16 on my GQ and never noticed the shakes except a rough ride because the shocks weren't the best. Today, changed to R15 with 30 x 10.5 tyres (Kumo). Between 75 and 90 kph she shakes a lot but then settles down. I was wondering what I had done wrong. Jumped out and checked the wheels nuts were still there and tight. I haven't had a chance to check it out yet. Having read the previous posts, I can see I may have a challenge ahead and an empty wallet.

Been away so couldn't post reply earlier. Turns out one of the tyres was under prressure and both needed a re-alignment.

Bigrig
5th July 2011, 01:49 PM
Been away so couldn't post reply earlier. Turns out one of the tyres was under prressure and both needed a re-alignment.

Glad it was a cheap and easy fix mate!

growler2058
5th July 2011, 01:50 PM
Cool glad it was a easy fix for ya mate

Robo
23rd December 2011, 01:33 PM
Hi guys,
Have the 70-85kph shimmy now, started out as death wobble, could'nt control car at all, I was just a passenger behind the wheel struth !!.
replaced all front end bearings, tierods x 4, yoko tyres on steel rims had 2" lift 2 yrs ago and ome nitro shocks, bit hard for the street +200kg constant load.(family car, and tow vechile)
dropped back to ome 30mm front and lpg springs rear,
replaced all rubber bushes, inc caster 2 deg in radius arms.
the only thing not done is damper, it look's std, taken it off and feels fine throughtout stroke.
I'd replaced this yrs ago on mk wagon with h/d rancho and recon to heavy, would not RTC and it suffered same wobble so I find it hard to believe replacing it on newer 4x4 not the answere.
However I have suspesions that the offset and width of rims might have something to do with it!
but replacing 16x8 steel rims with say 16x7 alloy and getting offset back to close to factory as possible is 2-3k gamble if I'm wrong.
The rims are from the Mk so the offset is for the front suspension of a leaf sprung and not coils.
I do know that the offset for bothe MK and GQ is +30mm as I have both gen manuals.
ANY SUGESTIONS ?.
at witt's end to what is causing wobble

Bigrig
23rd December 2011, 01:55 PM
Hi guys,
Have the 70-85kph shimmy now, started out as death wobble, could'nt control car at all, I was just a passenger behind the wheel struth !!.
replaced all front end bearings, tierods x 4, yoko tyres on steel rims had 2" lift 2 yrs ago and ome nitro shocks, bit hard for the street +200kg constant load.(family car, and tow vechile)
dropped back to ome 30mm front and lpg springs rear,
replaced all rubber bushes, inc caster 2 deg in radius arms.
the only thing not done is damper, it look's std, taken it off and feels fine throughtout stroke.
I'd replaced this yrs ago on mk wagon with h/d rancho and recon to heavy, would not RTC and it suffered same wobble so I find it hard to believe replacing it on newer 4x4 not the answere.
However I have suspesions that the offset and width of rims might have something to do with it!
but replacing 16x8 steel rims with say 16x7 alloy and getting offset back to close to factory as possible is 2-3k gamble if I'm wrong.
The rims are from the Mk so the offset is for the front suspension of a leaf sprung and not coils.
I do know that the offset for bothe MK and GQ is +30mm as I have both gen manuals.
ANY SUGESTIONS ?.
at witt's end to what is causing wobble

It could be offset, but it seems so individual to specific cars - it affects the Ackerman angle (centre of wheel to vertical centre line of swivel hub) and this causes the wheel to vibrate/shudder (usually at speed).

Hmmm ... tough one if you've already checked all bushes etc - did you check the rubbers in the back of the radius arms? Could be them also ...

Doesn't sound like steering damper if it's not leaking an is still firm through the stroke ...

RB GQ
27th December 2011, 11:53 AM
hi guys ,i had this problem with my old mq and it turned out to be the *relay arm assembly*worn out maybe worth checking out,hold the relay arm housing and the lever on the bottom and get someone to wiggle the steering wheel you can feel if there is any slack in the bushes,i got one from the wreckers bolted it on and no more wobble,hope it helps someone,cheers

gerard2
30th December 2011, 03:56 AM
a second steering shock will help as latest solution

evilhighway
24th January 2012, 06:54 PM
looks like lots has been covered in here but Im also now suffering the big death wobbles and reading a few of these threads has made me more confused than when I started. When I got the car (89 gq) it had a slight wobble in the left front at around 80 and would smooth out at 95 and it was ten times better than the terrano I had years ago! Anyway I dropped my son off at home last week and that slight wobble went straight into the full on death wobbles. I felt like Homer on the jiggle meter measuring his belly wobbles. I have driven it a few times since and worked out that it is still coming from the left front and really only starts to come on bad once I do a right hand bend and it will then continue to keep it up on the straight until a left hand bend of it does calm down or I slow down to stop it or the left right steering action.
I thought stuff it and took it down to tyre power this morning for them to diagnose. They checked wheal bearings and were all good then the tyre wear and they were happy with that so they balanced the 2 front wheels which he said was a fair bit out! I thought effing rippa that was ten time cheaper than I expected! After a drive this arvo I was not as happy it was still there. Based on what I can feel while driving I would put it down to 2 things and that would be the suspension on the front left as I remember my mums old datto doing something very similar years and years ago and the other would be the arm that goes from the steering pitman arm to the left wheel (can someone let me know the name of this) and third I would guess the swaybar at the back could do with some nolathene also after having a look. Does anyone think this would be the best way to go or should I look at a different route first? This car was just supposed to be a daily and a tow hack for my project car but so far its taken all the cash I had for the project car and after I fix one prob it just seems to develop another one! Anyway Thoughts/suggestians apprecitaed???

Bigrig
24th January 2012, 07:38 PM
looks like lots has been covered in here but Im also now suffering the big death wobbles and reading a few of these threads has made me more confused than when I started. When I got the car (89 gq) it had a slight wobble in the left front at around 80 and would smooth out at 95 and it was ten times better than the terrano I had years ago! Anyway I dropped my son off at home last week and that slight wobble went straight into the full on death wobbles. I felt like Homer on the jiggle meter measuring his belly wobbles. I have driven it a few times since and worked out that it is still coming from the left front and really only starts to come on bad once I do a right hand bend and it will then continue to keep it up on the straight until a left hand bend of it does calm down or I slow down to stop it or the left right steering action.
I thought stuff it and took it down to tyre power this morning for them to diagnose. They checked wheal bearings and were all good then the tyre wear and they were happy with that so they balanced the 2 front wheels which he said was a fair bit out! I thought effing rippa that was ten time cheaper than I expected! After a drive this arvo I was not as happy it was still there. Based on what I can feel while driving I would put it down to 2 things and that would be the suspension on the front left as I remember my mums old datto doing something very similar years and years ago and the other would be the arm that goes from the steering pitman arm to the left wheel (can someone let me know the name of this) and third I would guess the swaybar at the back could do with some nolathene also after having a look. Does anyone think this would be the best way to go or should I look at a different route first? This car was just supposed to be a daily and a tow hack for my project car but so far its taken all the cash I had for the project car and after I fix one prob it just seems to develop another one! Anyway Thoughts/suggestians apprecitaed???

Hey mate

If as bad as it sounds, I'd be checking the bushes on the chassis end of the radius arms - check the caster bushes also. The steering arm (also called drag link) is knuckle connected at both ends, but it could be the damper itself (steering damper). My bet is on radius arm bushes though from what you've described - they perish over time and allow movement of the entire axle assembly forward and backward ...

Others will have other ideas also - good luck with it!!

evilhighway
24th January 2012, 08:47 PM
Are the radius arms also known as leading arm? If so then I think you would be on the right track cause I was looking in the manual for the radius arms and if they are the ones Im thinking they are then it would make sense cause when it is wobbling I sort of feel it beneath my feet and the fact that they are at the back of the whole setup then Its definately a good starting point! Well I spose I better get cracking to start emptying more of my wallet!

pearcey
24th January 2012, 09:12 PM
i`ve ownd my Mav since 1993 all different tyres never had a problem .The suspension is very close to std only slightly heaver springs.
Going by what every body is saying I would be making sure the caster angles are correct so get some one who is very experienced in wheel aliening trucks or 4 wheel drives as most who only do cars do not have enough experience with solid or beam front ends.

Robo
27th January 2012, 11:03 PM
slight wobble feel in front left is probably due to fact panard pick-up point is on this side of diff housing.
if you have done all bushes and bearings etc.
bet you find caster/radius bushes are not doing there job very well.
Are they rubber or poly?. money on them being rubber.
rubber perished or to soft and not controlling position of front axles.
and it's often said steel rims are out of round straight out of the box

evilhighway
27th January 2012, 11:12 PM
I havent tackled anything as yet as the rain has been relentless for a bit, but had a good look underneath and what stuck out a mile is the left hand shock is as loose as a (fill your own parity).... so that will be my first starting point! everything else was pretty good. I thought I would throw on another bush to help tighten as a quick fix but cant undo the bugga!

Robo
27th January 2012, 11:17 PM
If the shock rubber is knackered then good chance shock is to or near end of life anyway.
yes buggered shock can cause wobble.

evilhighway
28th January 2012, 06:57 AM
yep am going to replace shocks but was just gonna chuck an extra rubber in to pro-long a week or 2 till I get some!

Bigrig
28th January 2012, 09:58 AM
yep am going to replace shocks but was just gonna chuck an extra rubber in to pro-long a week or 2 till I get some!

This sort of sounds dumb, so forgive me ...

A worn shock and/or shock rubber will cause more of a "shudder" as the wheel is able to bounce up and down in a way - like a full on vibration.

A "wobble" is more noticeable side to side and usually more indicative of a steering/steering setup (wheel offset, radius arm bushes, castors, etc).

Soooooooo .... do you have a shudder or a wobble? lmao

People used to shudder when I got up to wobble on the dance floor many years ago!!!! LMFAO

evilhighway
28th January 2012, 12:58 PM
LMFAO

It had a slight wobble to begin with b4 it got worse and the shock itself can move side to side and up and down because of how worn the shock bushes are so maybe its more of a shwobdle! LOL Its definately on the passenger side and that's the side of the problem so it stands to reason that new shocks are in order to begin with seeing as they are due anyway! I will see how I go after that and if not any better then I will move onto other things. Radius arm bushes is next. 1 step at a time to see the differences they each do or do not make!

If you can still wobble on the dance floor then I takes my hat off too you!
With all the suspension out of my back now If I attempted it, it would be a shudder and definately not a wobble or shuffle! Lmao

madchris
30th January 2012, 08:34 AM
well i can already tell this one is going to cost a small packet we get the death wobbles around the same speed but like some of the other posts at 70 80 and then disappears but then only some times mind of its own lol and other times at 110 highway speed over a pot hole its like its on twisty rails this has caught me out a few time to Nealy the point of pulling over to have a smoke and calm down any way ill be watching to to see if there is a solution to this though i have an 89 gq with the a frame coil suspension

evilhighway
1st February 2012, 08:23 PM
well i can already tell this one is going to cost a small packet we get the death wobbles around the same speed but like some of the other posts at 70 80 and then disappears but then only some times mind of its own lol and other times at 110 highway speed over a pot hole its like its on twisty rails this has caught me out a few time to Nealy the point of pulling over to have a smoke and calm down any way ill be watching to to see if there is a solution to this though i have an 89 gq with the a frame coil suspension

Mines also 89 with coils and not leaf

evilhighway
7th March 2012, 08:29 PM
Well I thought i better give an update on how mine is going with this problem! I got a set of heavier duty shocks for a steal off ebay. They had done 27,000kms for all four and they are almost like brand new for under $50 to my door. I then tried the steering damper which I got a new was a grabiel brand and also a Heavy Duty compared to stock! That was $50 for that to the door. All of this still made no difference so I ordered radius arm bushes which i bought the rear ones by mistakes but I tried them anyway. They cost $41 to the door 5 mins later I found the same only $10 cheaper DOH! I have now just got the 4 front radius arm bushes. I got them for $69 to the door. I will be taking the radius arms out again tomorrow and taking them to a shop to get them pressed in. When I have finished doing this I will post my results here so others can see what I have done and when things have got better. I did right at the star get the wheels balanced and it made no difference.
So far the shocks feel much better and stiffer as well with the damper but the actual sterring wobble/ shacking has become worse and I think it is due to everything being stiffer and the radius arm buses being RS it is causing a sharper/harder thud than when all the old gear was softened.
All the parts I for this I have sourced from ebay so I hope it helps to give people some ideas on pricing too.


I am putting this in my car thread also so I have a record on what I have done.

pattersd
11th March 2012, 12:09 PM
DO you have a lift on the car? This change in suspension geometry can cause the issue. Need to get corrective casstor bushes fitted

evilhighway
11th March 2012, 06:54 PM
all stock no lift

ckh
27th August 2012, 03:11 PM
I got my GQ 89 model less than a month ago, didn’t notice any wobble or shake when I took it for a test drive , but didn’t do any speeding either, the next day however on the motorway it shook that bad it scared me, Called the yard I got it from and he said it was a Nissan thing...called a few tyre places and they wanted a fortune to diagnose the problem, finally got referred by a friend who has a late model Nissan to Tyre power at Rocklea, took it there and the guy new exactly what the problem was, said he had fixed hundreds of Nissans and even Nissan bring cars there, he won’t tell anyone what he does to fix the problem, he told me my alignment was out, he said everything was fine the only faulty he said that didn’t need an immediate fix was a tear in one of the caster bushes. And the front end was an inch lower than stock, so recommended a new set of springs down the track. He reassured me he as 100% fixed these problems bar one which he could only 98% fix, job done, even says Nissan thing on his invoice. Driving home didn’t drive it hard but could still feel a shake, he said I was welcome to bring it back as he stood 100% behind his work, but suggested I drive it around for the rest of the week. Didn’t get to do too much driving during the week, but going to a mates place on the motor way, it shook like hell, I called the tyre guy up and told him if I didn’t know better, I wouldn’t never have guessed he had done anything to it, he said it had to be the crook caster bush causing the problem as he said all the other components were fine. A mate of mine told me today to get new springs, new shockies, and a new steering dampener and that would fix the problem. When I told the tyre guy that he said all that would do is change the "ride" I'm on a disability pension so don’t have the money to throw at this, he has quoted me 396 fitted for the offset caser bushes he said the bushes needed to be pressed off and new ones press on, but what if that doesn’t fix it?
This is the first Nissan 4X4 I've owned, owned near every other make of some description at some stage, Toyota’s, Mitsubishi’s, Suzuki’s, a lada niva, even a V8 discovery, and have never had this much drama with a 4X4 before...
Anyone’s advice or suggestions would be appreciated.

taslucas
27th August 2012, 03:38 PM
Anyone’s advice or suggestions would be appreciated.

Have you read through this thread?
It is full if advice and suggestions to fix your problem. Also try the search function, there are a few other threads talking about this problem. It seems to be a different solution for each vehicle or just a combination of things that are slightly out and together they cause the shaking. Goodluck with mate.


Tap, crackle, pop

ckh
30th August 2012, 08:56 PM
Have you read through this thread?
It is full if advice and suggestions to fix your problem. Also try the search function, there are a few other threads talking about this problem. It seems to be a different solution for each vehicle or just a combination of things that are slightly out and together they cause the shaking. Goodluck with mate.


Tap, crackle, pop

yes I have read through this thread, like I said the guy could only find a tear in one of the offset caster bushes.. he said everthing else in the front end was fine, would a crook offset castor buush cash all this dramas?

taslucas
30th August 2012, 09:11 PM
If everything else is fine, id try the changing the caster bush. But theres no garantees it will fix it. As youve read above it seems to be a different reason for each vehicle. A mates 98 GU started doing it a few weeks ago and so far he'a changed the wheel bearings, removed the shims from the king pin bearing and rotated his wheels. It has helped a lot but is still there faintly.
Id suggest swapping your front and rear tyres to see if it makes any difference. That will hopefully rule out a wheel balance.

Xfactor
31st August 2012, 12:49 PM
Get the wheels balanced on car

ckh
3rd September 2012, 10:16 AM
Get the wheels balanced on car


That along with a wheel alignment and what ever his secret thing is, was all done..

966motors
3rd September 2012, 08:53 PM
Could be front heat damaged brake rotors

patroltb42
13th September 2012, 02:18 PM
radius bushes could be stuffed, shock rubbers or the shocks could be stuffed, tie rods when worn tend to make a horrible noise when the shake starts, the actual bolt that holds the panard to the chassis mount could be worn as could the steel bush it sits in, front rotors could be warped from over heating, drag link if adjustable could be loose, lock nut on pitman arm could be loose.
All of these things cause steering wheel shakes and or what i call death shakes where the car swaps lane all on its own while bouncing a front wheel off the ground, never fun to find out when it does it. all of these are common faults on the gq and maverick

HammerBuilder
15th September 2012, 10:14 AM
I just fitted new dobinsons coils 2" front n 3" rear & heading for the cape so far with campertrailer in tow I have no more steering shake at any speed n so happy after I hit cairns yesterday I was still able to hold a bourbon without shaking. So cheers to dobinsons as their advice & springs are so darn good.

sinful
15th September 2012, 10:00 PM
Try removing the king pin shims altogether, this will put more preload on the swivel hubs. I do this all the time at work to fix this fault.

omgmud
27th September 2012, 06:53 AM
hey guys ive also got the steering shakes in my gq patrol. so far ive changed the panhard rod bushes and got the wheels balanced which has helped out alot. but there still there and starting to get worse again. just wondering what the best way to check the radius arm bushes for wear is? they were apparently changed by the prevuius owner just before i bough the car a year ago. also tje draglink end are worn abit but should be getting a second hand one soon to see if that helps out. also wats the best way to check kingpins for wear. i did a hub seal kit not long ago but the king pin bearing and cups looked fine just second quessing myself is all. i really just wanna sell the troll its that anoying!!

Bigrig
27th September 2012, 07:04 AM
hey guys ive also got the steering shakes in my gq patrol. so far ive changed the panhard rod bushes and got the wheels balanced which has helped out alot. but there still there and starting to get worse again. just wondering what the best way to check the radius arm bushes for wear is? they were apparently changed by the prevuius owner just before i bough the car a year ago. also tje draglink end are worn abit but should be getting a second hand one soon to see if that helps out. also wats the best way to check kingpins for wear. i did a hub seal kit not long ago but the king pin bearing and cups looked fine just second quessing myself is all. i really just wanna sell the troll its that anoying!!

Does it have a lift?
What height?
If so, do you know if it has caster correction bushes or drop boxes?
Have you checked the steering damper bushes?
How old is the damper? (they go too like a shockie)
How old are the shocks - one faulty shock could cause it?
Are any of the tyres out of round visibly? (they can get scalloping in the tread pattern from a faulty shock, or delamination in the surface like a bubble or bump)
Do you have mud tyres? Common shake for them is between 80-90 klms per hour - not sure how this is resolved, as mine has this also (not as bad like you seem to be suggesting though)
Are you certain it's a steering wobble? Or more of a 'whole car shake' - tailshaft out of balance can cause a vibration right through the truck.

If all the bushes on steering arm, steering damper, panhards, and radius arms appear ok, I'd be leaning towards the steering damper or a shock being stuffed.

Sorry for the direct questions mate, just easier to give you a list of what to look for and have checked.

Others may have some ideas also.

Good luck with it mate - don't go selling it!! lol

bmaynard55
30th September 2012, 06:12 PM
Hey just to add another death wobbler to the list with another set of symptoms. bought my GQ of a mate that had a 4" lift with muddies, steelies and no sway bars for ages no worries. Second day of my ownership I drove 1600km from Adelaide to Alice, again no worries. First drive only 40km down a dirt road to a bike track also no worries until half way back when I thought the girl was trying to throw me out. when handling over corrugations at speed and then suddenly not being able to hold the wheel. This first experience definitely got the adrenalin going.

so far: Panhard bushes, replaced/repacked/reshimed bearings/hubs and seals (thought I had it Till first reasonable bump), tyres balanced and aligned.

Next to come: Noticed rear tyres sit further to one side so might try putting sway bars back in and re align axles.
shocks are also starting to look greasy so will replace with appropriate castors asap when can afford.

Sounds like its just a wear and tear thing. so many moving parts to try :(

patroltb42
14th October 2012, 08:56 AM
death shakes came back in my blue rig the other day..... not a happy camper. replaced rear tie-rod ends fixed it again!

HammerBuilder
15th October 2012, 08:43 PM
hey guys ive also got the steering shakes in my gq patrol. so far ive changed the panhard rod bushes and got the wheels balanced which has helped out alot. but there still there and starting to get worse again. just wondering what the best way to check the radius arm bushes for wear is? they were apparently changed by the prevuius owner just before i bough the car a year ago. also tje draglink end are worn abit but should be getting a second hand one soon to see if that helps out. also wats the best way to check kingpins for wear. i did a hub seal kit not long ago but the king pin bearing and cups looked fine just second quessing myself is all. i really just wanna sell the troll its that anoying!!

Just a quick question as it was asked of me before,,,, does your patrols on level ground sit level or is the rear a bit lower than the front???
If the rear sits lower try raising it either level or just above level so rear is slightly above front as this fixed all my front problems & also many of my mates GQ's up here, worth a try even if you just try some homemade plates to check before spending any more money on bits n pieces...

JonnoD
31st October 2012, 11:25 AM
Have you had a look at your king pin bearing

Wybrandt
4th November 2012, 04:43 PM
Hi, I quite certain it is your steering damper, remove and check it out!

Wybrandt
4th November 2012, 04:52 PM
Hi, I'm pretty certain its the Steering damper, remove and check it out.
Cheers

Dwayne
4th November 2012, 05:06 PM
hey all
i had the same problem, talked to my mechanic and he said to take some shims out from the king pin bearings (easy job), did that and it improved the wobble by heaps, also been told to get a wheel alignment and should make it better.

pjwooly
5th November 2012, 09:38 AM
I dont know much about the gq front end and would like to know what the shims are and what they do.

I have this problem and was told to fit an ajustable drag link to get a proper wheel alignment for starters and that my front RHS wheel had a slight bit of play when all steering and susp arms were disconected.So this could be the reason i get the wobble.

Does this sound possible.Was going to cost around $1100 toredo bearings and shims and for new draglink arm fitted.

Any thorts??

TuffTD42
11th November 2012, 12:39 PM
The shims set the pre-load on the kingpin bearings. by removing the shim your are tensioning the bearing making it harder for the wheel to shimmy. The adjustable draglink will centre your steering wheel if you have a decent lift fitted. the play in your RHS wheel could be wheel bearing & or kingpin bearings. Adj draglink I paid $370 for a comp spec one. Bearings can't remember price done mine a while ago, but some where around $2-300 should get what you need. I do everything myself so don't pay for labour.

Rustyboner81
12th November 2012, 03:02 AM
i had the death wobbles too, replaced all bushes in the suspension front and back, panhard bushes included, then went to the next step of replacing swivel hub bearings and upgraded to a new steering dampener, problem solved, in my opinion it has to do with wear and tear in the suspension more so than the steering, for ages i would jerk the car from left to right to alter the balance and that would stop the shakes fror a short time, thats what got me thinking suspension, from there i spent almost 5 grand but problem sorted in the end

5k? What else did you do?

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mudmav
21st November 2012, 11:44 AM
had exactly the same trouble after a wheel alignment and roadworthy on a 89 mav , was lucky though a bloke who works on 4bys had a look and after an hour and a half of stuffing around he found the (i think its called ) panhard rod where it bolts on on the right hand side the bracket holes had worn in an egg shape .
he found it by him being under the truck and getting me to turn the wheel back and forth , he tightened the bejusus out of the bolt and no more wobble but thats only a quick fix needs a washer welded either side of bracket that the bolt goes through , two sizes one big one small .

have a look and see if this is your problem but sounds the same , hit a bump and cant hold the steering wheel , sometimes does it some times not worse at 70 80 ks etc .

Rustyboner81
25th November 2012, 06:13 AM
Ebay wheel bearing / swivel hub rebuild kits $200. Bearing press $100 (toolmart)
Drag link dont need unless over 2" lift.
Get underneath and get a buddy jump up and down on the front end and listen for any noise or lose parts

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BigRAWesty
20th February 2013, 04:55 PM
Ok, the old is getting pretty bad. Nearly to the point of its coming off the road now..
I'm looking for parts but have noticed I have a solid steering rod, non adjustable...
First question, can just the rod end ball links be replaced?
If not, has anyone modded there steering rod to adapt to removable rod ends? If so how did you do it.
And finally, if I am to mod it, does the steering rod use the same rod ends as the drag rod?
Fyi, its a 91 gq coiled wagon.
Cheers

Rustyboner81
21st July 2013, 03:10 AM
Control arm bushes done?

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Blownlc
21st July 2013, 08:38 AM
Hi all can someone help me ive just fitted new rims and tyres to my GQ and now when i get to 80kph the steering shakes that bad i have a job to hold it i took it back and they checked it al out and said that they all balanced up good i watched them when they did it. It did have a slite shake befor with my old rim witch were alloys but not as bad as it is now with steel one (sunraisers:confused:)

I haven't read the whole thread so this may have been covered:

I mate of mine recently bought a gu ute with sunraisers. When he reached 80-90kmh he would get a nasty wheel wobble. He checked the bearings and all bushes (he's a mechanic) but couldn't locate the cause. He decided to buy the original steel gu rims and get them powder coated black. Low and behold after putting them on the wobble had gone.

The sunraisers were balanced correctly. However found that the wobble was caused by the sunnies not locating onto the hubs correctly. I know of two other people removing the wobble in the same way. Borrow a set of standard rims before spending money on bushes and bearings.



LESS YAP YAP, MORE TAP TAP!!

liftlid
22nd July 2013, 10:08 AM
I had a similar thing happen a few years ago when I had the ft wheel nuts come loose wearing a grove in the hub where the centre hole of the wheel sits, when I put the spare on I got wobble as the wheel could no longer centre on the hub, replaced the hub and the wobble went away,