Steering shakes GU 4.2 turbo Patrol wagon

G'day all,
A year or so since last post - been busy Patrolling...

My vehicle has travelled 395,000 klm and is stock standard. Steering and suspension components and bushes original, apart from springs, shocks and steering damper.
80% of travel is black top or dirt roads - no beach.

Just had a set of Maxxis 751's fitted - good tyres and balanced well. However, vehicle has a shimmy which has been impossible to balance out, and just recently there have been two episodes of violent steering wheel shake, induced by braking whilst travelling down a steepish blacktop. Is this shake what I have read in the forums as "death shake"?

Where do I start to fix this?

Nikko

Hi!
First one I'd check the steering damper. It's easy and cost 0.

I'd be checking wheel bearings , jack it up and grab top and bottom of tyre and see if there is any play.
As suggested being 400,000 Ks old a few things may need replacing.
Im getting deja vue

Quote:

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Originally Posted by threedogs

I'd be checking wheel bearings , jack it up and grab top and bottom of tyre and see if there is any play.
As suggested being 400,000 Ks old a few things may need replacing.
Im getting deja vue

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Deja Vue will def occur if I post up something along the lines of...

"With 400,000 K's on the original bushes I would spend some bucks replacing them"

G'day Wine-Maker,
Did you have the same problem - violent shaking - which you fixed by replacing the steering damper?
nikko

When I replace my steering dumper I forgot about wobbling and hits to the wheel.

mate the steering damper will only MASK the problem not fix it, check the bushes that will be where the problem lies unless some muppet has balanced the wheels, you need to get them balanced at a specialist, i have found ian diffen, and the big tyre companies have no idea, i had new tyres balanced and it shook like shit, took it to a specialist and they said the balance was woeful, rebalanced and no problem.

Check the front pan hard bushes. I had mine go a while ago after it developed an unbelievable shake which wouldn't stop till I slowed right down. The front axle moves to one side and reacts back when the movement steers it in the opposite direction. It's kind of like a chain reaction once it starts...scary too

A couple of free things to check imo first.

Check wheel bearings as per TD 's post above, but they are touchy so I'd just go ahead and nip em up.

Next would be remove a shim from the swivel bearings. Remember where you took the shim from, if it is these you need to put them back in correctly..

Always test drive after doing a mod..

After bearings if you still have em start on the rods.
Tie rod, drag rod and panhard rod.

Now this is the hear bit.. Sometimes shakes are caused by warn parts in the rear suspension setup, so check joints in the rear to.. Lol

Front wheel shimmy normally starts at or around 80 K and disappears at or around 95 K
The vicious shake you talk about under heavy brakes is possibly/probably a seperate issue.
Are the tyres you put on bigger than your previous ones?

To paraphrase what others have said to check for wheel shimmy....

Check #1 - cost $0
Dive under the vehicle with a good torch
Inspect all bushes, if they show signs of wear get them replaced
Have someone turn the steering wheel back and forth about 1/4 turn either side of centre
Inspect the panhard bushes, there should be virtually no movement of the bush

Check #2 - cost $0
Undo the steering damper and check it in both directions just like a shock
It won't be the sole cause of your problem but if it is shot keep looking at the rest of the components and replace it as soon as you can

Check #3 - cost $0
Jack up each front wheel in turn and do what threedogs said
Any sign of play in the wheel bearings or hub assy needs sorting

Grateful for all replies.
Easter will now see me under the vehicle with an excellent check-list.
Thanks to all
nikko

Back again...
I have read heaps of posts about the death shakes, and have narrowed the problem to panhard bushes. Will check over Easter.
Bearings are okay - also swivel house bearings - adjusted 13,000 klm ago.
However, have noticed several members mention radius arm bushes - where are these?
Pardon my ignorance, but I can't find these mentioned in my factory manual.
Are these steering or suspension components?
nikko

Don't get fixated on Panhard Bushes, death shakes can be anything.
The geometry of the Patrol front end means that as soon as anything gets out of tolerance it will shimmy so some times it is a couple of things.
Panhard bushes often get a "Halleluah moment" because they are a PIA so people try everything else first.

Radius Arms are them dirty big long steel things that look a bit like a hockey stick and hold the axle to the car

Hey mate!
If you will try to unmount radius arms be careful they are bloody heavy. Approx. 12 kg each.
And don't forget to fix front wheels. If not, front axle will move back and up and it will be hard to move it to normal position.

Here the photo

Attachment 43455

I have had a couple of similar experiences, though only one recently hairy on the downhill into Hobart, with mine and same condition etc. After checking the barings thought it might be warped discs but after reading this, will be going over everything when I get back to Tassie.

I have just replaced panhard bushes tightend wheel bearings checked radius bushes and for me I think tie rod ends are the culprit mine have a fair bit of movement so also check them by pushing and pulling on the side of the wheel (like turning the wheel by hand but just back and forth) then maybe a wheel alignment. Hope you get it sorted.

Problem solved...
I replaced panhard bushes - no change, so had experts look at swivel hub bearings. Some notchiness evident, and after installing the full swivel hub bearing kit the problem has disappeared. No more shimmy or death shakes!