Steering Shake.

Hi Everyone.
I am sure this question has been asked a million times before but I am lost as to why I have the dreaded steering shake in my GU.
I have new tyres, fitted,balanced and a wheel alignment. Had fitted a new Steering Damper. Have had it all checked out and everything appears to be good in the front end including wheel bearings.

Its faintly noticeable 60 k's and up but its when I hit just below 100 k's that my steering wheel really shakes--so does the cab seem to.

Tomorrow its going in for Panhard Bushes and apart from that I NEED HELP AS TO WHAT ELSE I COULD TRY.

HELP NEEDED GUYS.

Mrs Ronnie.Bang Head

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Originally Posted by Mrs Ronnieh

Hi Everyone.
I am sure this question has been asked a million times before but I am lost as to why I have the dreaded steering shake in my GU.
I have new tyres, fitted,balanced and a wheel alignment. Had fitted a new Steering Damper. Have had it all checked out and everything appears to be good in the front end including wheel bearings.

Its faintly noticeable 60 k's and up but its when I hit just below 100 k's that my steering wheel really shakes--so does the cab seem to.

Tomorrow its going in for Panhard Bushes and apart from that I NEED HELP AS TO WHAT ELSE I COULD TRY.

HELP NEEDED GUYS.

Mrs Ronnie.Bang Head

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i always find this one useful when troubleshooting. from what i can see your halfway there. i just my panhard bushes changed and that seemed to fix the problem for me

Attachment 60581

Mine has a slight shake but only under brakes .
I have to nip up the wheel bearings on the week end.
After the panhard bushes ,It may be other bushes so check all
with a long bar

Thanks for that.

Will give this to Matt tomorrow. Yes looks like I am about half way through the list. New panhard bushes tomorrow so will see how that goes. Fingers crossed its sorted by doing that.

Thanks again fo rthe info.

I've never had the dreaded Patrol 80k-90k wobbles
well not yet

Hi all
Just an update. Had the truck in today for a check over and to have Panhard bushes changed. Turns out the driver side one had been done--near new but the other was original with only slight movement. Had it changed anyway and seems to have rectified my problem- 98 percent better anyway. Also took it back to have wheel allignment adjusted--had a noticeable pull to the left and the steering wheel also was going to the left. All good and it drives so much better.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Seems its a process of elimination and going through until you find the culprit.

Mrs H

thats great news bud! im in the same boat as you and am pro at 98% atm. still have a pull to the left though, what did your place do to rectify it? i tool it to a bob jane and they said it was the camber of the road lol, i told em it was bullshit but hey they wouldnt budge.

Hi
I had a wheel alignment about a week back and also new tyres fitted. I took it back yesterday arvo because it seemed to want to go left all the time. They did a test drive, bought it back and did some adjustments and seems fine now, although according to manufacturers specifications they are designed to have a slight veer to the left in case you fall asleep while driving and by this it means you run off the side of the road on the left I guess. ???.
Anyway apart from that truck is driving good now.

My patrol is all original and that also means everything on it is original. (2001 Model GU). It has always been regularly serviced and was very well looked after--NO BEACH EVER , no modifications to it in any way which is what I wanted. I am pleased that my problem has been sorted and it was only a matter of trial and error and no significant cost to do it.

I am replacing a few things here and there until I am satisfied with it. I am abit particular with it so want it all to be up to scratch mechanically just for me.

If you haven't done it get an alignment or take it back for some adjustments.

Mrs h

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1BtdFmyFv9s/maxresdefault.jpg click link for a pic Try removing the shims in the upper and lower king pins and regrease the bearings this should fix the shake, the lower bolts may be tricky coz its so close to guard but its do-able

Hi
I have heard of that and also heard alot of people having more trouble after removing them. My shake seemed good but has returned. It feels like more of a steering issue--the steering wheel shakes from side to side but only badly around that 100k mark. Can feel it at lesser speeds sometimes but more at 100 k's.
So back to square one for me. Have had everything checked over and all seems good and tight. Think I will put it back in and get King pin bearings and all done properly and see how it goes. At least if its done by a mechanic and something goes wrong I can take it back and get it fixed.

Mrs H

Mrs R, just try it nothing will happen, if you do it your self you'll save heaps of cash, I've owned 4 Nissan gu,s in my time and every one wobbled removing the shims worked every time, no caster corrections, wheel alignments this that just shims and no troubles at all ever. Also what trouble have you heard of? only one I know of is a slightly tighter steering but only slight. You may also get a little veering left and right whilst driving to fix that just screw in the adjusting screw at the top of the steering arm just a little like 2-3mm in max no more. Oh also if you do decide to do it take the wheel off to reduce the weight a bit and I think from memory, there is no other way to get rid of the wobble.

Can I ask, whether the wobble is a side to side movement? My patrol feels like the wheels are oscillating. More like an up or down movement.
Seems to happen on really uneven roads. I am thinking it might be shock or tyre related. Not sure if this is the same thing that you are experiencing.

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Originally Posted by jono6974

Can I ask, whether the wobble is a side to side movement? My patrol feels like the wheels are oscillating. More like an up or down movement.
Seems to happen on really uneven roads. I am thinking it might be shock or tyre related. Not sure if this is the same thing that you are experiencing.

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If it really is up and down movement then it can only be bumps in the road or a tyre out of balance. Even if a shock or spring is buggered it won't give up and down bounce if the road is smooth and flat.
When was the last time you had a wheel balance?

tappa lives!

Hi Jono, do a couple of tests, jack the car up and check the wheel bearing give it a shake from the top and bottom both front driver and passenger side if there's slack then tighten the bearings up a bit , then place something under tyre and lower it just til it touches a bit then lift it up a fraction then spin the wheel and see if it contacts anywhere to see if the tyre is seated properly or out of round do all 4 wheels whilst your doing each tyre check for any bulges on the side walls, have you had a puncture and use that sealant gel crap? then give your shocks a test by pushing down on the front guard if it doesn't stop bouncing straight away then you may need new shocks and while your at it check the rubber mounts at the top and bottom of the shock they may need nipping up if that fails go see pedders for a full suspension test Oh and yes its fast side to side movement

Thanks for the replies. I will look into it when time allows.
The wheels were last balanced when tyres were put on. They are about 50 percent worn.
Never had a puncture, and will give the bonnet a push and see what happens. The road does have some irregularities, but my other car does not respond in the same way.
I was thinking th bulky tyres could make it worse. Will check it all out though. Thanks for the advice and apologies for hijacking a thread.

Thanks for the replies. I will look into it when time allows.
The wheels were last balanced when tyres were put on. They are about 50 percent worn.
Never had a puncture, and will give the bonnet a push and see what happens. The road does have some irregularities, but my other car does not respond in the same way.
I was thinking th bulky tyres could make it worse. Will check it all out though. Thanks for the advice and apologies for hijacking a thread.

yeah you could be right about the tyres what psi do you pump them up too? I go to 40psi

Hi all
I have a steering shake from side to side.Doesn't go to one side or the other just a shake that seems to come from the steering itself. Had the steering damper done, new panhard bushes, new tyres, wheel alignment etc. Taking it in on Thursday again and going to try a few things with it. If all else fails then I will ask him to remove the King pin bearing shims and see if that fixes my problem. Anyone against doing this for any reason.
Everything underneath looks in good condition-shocks, bushes, everything has been checked- There is absolutely no wheel wobble so bearings etc are all good. Maybe we should all band together and get Nissan to take them all back and fix it for us.
I run my tyres at 40psi- think that would be about right.

Mrs H

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mrs Ronnieh

Hi
I have heard of that and also heard alot of people having more trouble after removing them. My shake seemed good but has returned. It feels like more of a steering issue--the steering wheel shakes from side to side but only badly around that 100k mark. Can feel it at lesser speeds sometimes but more at 100 k's.
So back to square one for me. Have had everything checked over and all seems good and tight. Think I will put it back in and get King pin bearings and all done properly and see how it goes. At least if its done by a mechanic and something goes wrong I can take it back and get it fixed.

Mrs H

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I couldn't see for looking but what size tyres are you running and at what PSI?

Good luck Mrs H, and yeah ill be in with the banding this is my 4th patrol all with steering shake at 80kp/h

Hi again
My mechanic has had a few patrols and he has never had this problem at all. His current one has 3 inch lift and heaps of mods and nothing. he is stumped.

Was just asked what tyres i am running- Kumho Road Venture 265-75-16's brand new. 40psi.

Mrs H

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mrs Ronnieh

Hi again
My mechanic has had a few patrols and he has never had this problem at all. His current one has 3 inch lift and heaps of mods and nothing. he is stumped.

Was just asked what tyres i am running- Kumho Road Venture 265-75-16's brand new. 40psi.

Mrs H

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Ahhh ok, so they're not 33" muddies then. Larger tyres can sometimes be harder to balance correctly..... Im winderibg if thats the case with yours, or if the tyres are slightly out round.

Mine also suffered from really bad wobble recently, but mine was just really badly worn nolathane panhard bushes, which I replaced on the weekend with genuine rubber.... no more wobble at all.

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Originally Posted by Clunk

Ahhh ok, so they're not 33" muddies then. Larger tyres can sometimes be harder to balance correctly..... Im winderibg if thats the case with yours, or if the tyres are slightly out round.

Mine also suffered from really bad wobble recently, but mine was just really badly worn nolathane panhard bushes, which I replaced on the weekend with genuine rubber.... no more wobble at all.

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Hi
My GU is stock standard with no modifications whatsoever. i wanted one that way. had panhard bushes replaced and a few other things so will wait and see what matty does tomorrow. Fingers crossed whatever he does fixes it. Our gQ has 33's 3 inch lift and few changes and no wobbles at all. Its hard to figure why some do it and some don't.

Mrs H

Couple of things , did you have the wheel bearings checked for movement?
40 psi around town may be a bit firm, 40 psi more suited to HWY work,
take them down to say 35 front and 38 rear , you'll feel the difference straight away

Quote:

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Originally Posted by threedogs

Couple of things , did you have the wheel bearings checked for movement?
40 psi around town may be a bit firm, 40 psi more suited to HWY work,
take them down to say 35 front and 38 rear , you'll feel the difference straight away

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Hi
Wheel bearings and everything underneath have been checked with nothing found. Panhards bushes both replaced, new steering damper, wheel alignment,new tyres. I spend more time on hwy than around town so thought 40psi would be fine.

Funny thing is you can cruise over 110 and its like being in a normal car. Only shakes between 98 and 105 k's. Weird.

Mrs H

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mrs Ronnieh

Hi
Wheel bearings and everything underneath have been checked with nothing found. Panhards bushes both replaced, new steering damper, wheel alignment,new tyres. I spend more time on hwy than around town so thought 40psi would be fine.

Funny thing is you can cruise over 110 and its like being in a normal car. Only shakes between 98 and 105 k's. Weird.

Mrs H

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Im still leaning towards wherl balance issues

Hey Clunk $10 says its the king pin spacers lol

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Originally Posted by peterbr1

Hey Clunk $10 says its the king pin spacers lol

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Hi
I will let you know what it is tomorrow hopefully. I have an idea it is not Spacers but something more toward the steering adjustment and wheel balance/alignment.

You guys will just have to wait and see. I just have this feeling my shake is more to do with the steering (box) and what i just mentioned. We will see.

Mrs H.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by peterbr1

Hey Clunk $10 says its the king pin spacers lol

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King pin spacers arent a cause vibration/wheel wobble though, removing them may help it though. But what issues can it cause by removing them

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Clunk

King pin spacers arent a cause vibration/wheel wobble though, removing them may help it though. But what issues can it cause by removing them

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I removed mine just out of curiosity a while back. I could barely turn the stub axle after refitting the bearings. So back in the shims went. I didnt measure the thickness of the shims though. As there is different thickness shims available. ..

Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk

Hi Guys

No money to change hands yet boys.

Like I said I have had everything checked out and nothing was found. Nothing at all underneath needs to be replaced or taken out. Well-not yet anyway.

I am determined to find the cause of my problem and fix it rather than just put a bandaid on it and then maybe stuff something in the meantime.

I had a slight adjustment to my steering today and it is better but in no way has Steering been confirmed as the cause. That is why it is going to be investigated some more.

I have just had a call from a Local business who have come highly recommended so am taking it over next week. A test drive and full checkup to source the problem and have it corrected. It might mean spending a few dollars but if diagnosed and fixed properly in the first instance may save alot of grief down the track and alot more dollars.

From my conversations and knowing the experience of these people I am sure it is to do with Steering and wheels but cannot be confirmed as yet so hold onto your money guys and we will see who's right.

Will keep you updated on what is found.

Mrs H

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Clunk

King pin spacers arent a cause vibration/wheel wobble though, removing them may help it though. But what issues can it cause by removing them

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Over time things loosen up as so with the king pin bearings just imagine all that torque and weight in 2/4wd those bearings get, this is why the shims are there so when the bearings loosen up they can be re adjusted by removing them or adding them thicker, thinner, add or reduce preload. That's their job to shim, also a lot of people for some reason don't clean out the old grease and repack them, I've done this mod now for over 15 years and never had any dramas; with the shims removed those bearing can still take a pounding I've never heard of a king pin that has failed at all. Anyway I just bought this patrol around 6 months ago, patrol no. 4 and it too had the GU wobble I removed the shims and repacked them with high temp grease after a good cleaning and now it runs beautiful at any speed. Im not saying you must do this and im most certainly not infallible, a lot of people do this fix for e.g. intent4x4 on YouTube just to name one, still tho its good practise to check and replace any other worn out items along the way, this is not an argument just a stipulation and having said that I would just take the shims out if its fixed go with it if not then put them back in it will cost you 1/2 an hour of your time.

mine has decided to start this crap - well so far over the last 6mths I've completely replaced all bearings, inc king pins - slightly tighter pre-load than spec on everything to stop mine - as well as panhard bushes, radius arm bushes, steering damper, next stop is wheel balance check, then on to all ball joints, steering box and if required uni joints - horribly frustrating... never did it until i fitted new tyres (of same size and brand that i'd previously fitted) so I'm very interested to know your results Mrs H...

i can't get over 86kmh - if i do it starts - and only gets worse as i get faster - ready to sell the heap.

well - I've had my GUVIII for just over 3 weeks. Only 70k on the clock.
Tonight i have had a visit from the wobbles - between 75 and 100kmh
Settles over 100km
But my car has been parked at the airport for a few days, and when i returned and left the carpark i had to stop and check because i though my wheel nuts were loose it was shaking that much - settled a bit after 30 mins driving, but still there, just not as bad.
I had a quick check when i got home.
Don't seem to have play in the bearings, everything underneath seems ok.
Steering damper seems to work fine

So would any of you suggest a balance and alignment, or straight to removing the shims?

I'm keen to try the "free" fix options i can do myself first, but perhaps i should get the balance and alignment checked before i start doing shims and bearings?

Had no issue until a few days ago, so unless its thrown a weight of the Tyre i cant see it being a balance issue, but i feel as if the steering has too much play in it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jack180

well - I've had my GUVIII for just over 3 weeks. Only 70k on the clock.
Tonight i have had a visit from the wobbles - between 75 and 100kmh
Settles over 100km
But my car has been parked at the airport for a few days, and when i returned and left the carpark i had to stop and check because i though my wheel nuts were loose it was shaking that much - settled a bit after 30 mins driving, but still there, just not as bad.
I had a quick check when i got home.
Don't seem to have play in the bearings, everything underneath seems ok.
Steering damper seems to work fine

So would any of you suggest a balance and alignment, or straight to removing the shims?

I'm keen to try the "free" fix options i can do myself first, but perhaps i should get the balance and alignment checked before i start doing shims and bearings?

Had no issue until a few days ago, so unless its thrown a weight of the Tyre i cant see it being a balance issue, but i feel as if the steering has too much play in it.

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Try removing the shims you can always put them back if it doesn't work and the wobbles will loosen up the steering more and more over time inc tie rods bushes etc. etc.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by peterbr1

Try removing the shims you can always put them back if it doesn't work and the wobbles will loosen up the steering more and more over time inc tie rods bushes etc. etc.

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Yep. Forecast some rain tomorrow so i reckon its garage day tomorrow. Ill give everything the once over and remove the shims and see how i go.
On a drive today it was getting worse - so i need solve it.

Well there you go - a few hours in the garage today, removed the shims of both front wheels, and wallah -no more wobbles.
Still a slight vibration right through the speed range, so in for a balance and alignment this week, but i think Ive cracked it.
Gees, removing the shims also really tightened up the steering as well - a lot better to drive!

Cheers,
Jack.

Good to hear, I like the tighter steering too just feels better cheers mate. I wonder how Rhonda is doing with her car?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by peterbr1

Good to hear, I like the tighter steering too just feels better cheers mate. I wonder how Rhonda is doing with her car?

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Hi all
Nothing to report sorry to say. Other things have taken priorities this last week or so but Friday it is. Was pretty good until this week after i had the steering adjusted but its started shaking again and driving me nutty. I still think it is in the steering itself and needs to be adjusted properly or something is worn out and needs replacing.

Stand by for a full report.

Mrs H.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jack180

well - I've had my GUVIII for just over 3 weeks. Only 70k on the clock.
Tonight i have had a visit from the wobbles - between 75 and 100kmh
Settles over 100km
But my car has been parked at the airport for a few days, and when i returned and left the carpark i had to stop and check because i though my wheel nuts were loose it was shaking that much - settled a bit after 30 mins driving, but still there, just not as bad.
I had a quick check when i got home.
Don't seem to have play in the bearings, everything underneath seems ok.
Steering damper seems to work fine

So would any of you suggest a balance and alignment, or straight to removing the shims?

I'm keen to try the "free" fix options i can do myself first, but perhaps i should get the balance and alignment checked before i start doing shims and bearings?

Had no issue until a few days ago, so unless its thrown a weight of the Tyre i cant see it being a balance issue, but i feel as if the steering has too much play in it.

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A friend of mine has some Malasian tyres fitted to his dual cab extended Patrol,
if he parks for a few days his tyres go flat on the bottom and rattle the beegeesus out of the patrol
till they go "round" again, just a thought