Off and on Vibration in the steering, while driving and, while coasting
 

Good day to one and all. Hoping all is well in these times. There is an issue I am experiencing with my 91 Taco, 2 wheel drive. Hoping someone can help me thanks. I noticed while driving, that the steering wheel and the seat that I sit in vibrate (at low and high speed, noticing it at 45mph up to 70mph). This happens in neutral and while coasting, anywhere between 45 to 70mph.

I turned the engine off while traveling at this speed, only to still feel the vibration. I have brand new Michelin tires less than 6 months old from Sams club. Installed
and balanced. I'm questioning if any weights fell off, just a thought. I checked for wobbling in the wheel, side to side, top to bottom, shaking for any play while on jack stands...none.
I replaced both front bearings less than 6 months ago. I went underneath looking for anything loose, did not find much. I will go back again tomorrow to re-check.
Can someone share their thoughts? Maybe I over looked something, missed something. Thanks for your help. Almost forgot, it is not a steady vibration, it comes and goes.

That does sound like a wheel weight may have freed itself.

When I bought my pickup I had new tires installed and balanced. One morning I was getting on the interstate when I felt a huge bang underneath, and the truck started shuddering violently. I though I had broke an axle at first, but as I slowed down it all went away. Turned out my driver front wheel threw a weight straight into the wheel well under my clutch foot.

Wheel balance and run-out issues are constant not intermittent issues (did the wheel weight suddenly jump back onto the wheel or you picked up enough rocks in just the right spot, unlikely!), something has to be loose or shifting around (probably based on load). Something's you might of overlooked are engine and trans mounts, drive shaft joints, axel wrapped springs (which cause drive shaft oscillations).. You can try raking the rocks out of the tires and moving the tires around, but I expect it's something else.

I understand he "always" feels the vibration at 45-70mph. I think that is consistent with a mis-balanced tire. If the mis-balance isn't enormous, one doesn't necessarily sense it at lower speed. A visual inspection might reveal a recently-thrown weight (depending on the type of wheel you have). You'll have to crawl under the truck to look for the inside weights as well. But having a shop do it is more likely to work.

When I bought my truck, it had nearly new tires, and I had a vibration at highway speed. I took it in to get it re-balanced, and they found that the tire had a "hop" in it. So I took it to a shop that dealt in Goodyear tires, they confirmed the hop, and replaced the tire. The tread wear was small enough that my "pro-rata" on the warrantee was zero. [Yeah, this means the prior owner put on new tires, drove it for a few months, and never noticed the vibration.]

Thank you, this is the point I was trying to make. When my wheel threw the weight it was not noticeable under about 40 mph, but very apparent at 65.

Just going with what was described.

To me this reads as "I have a vibration when traveling over 45, but sometimes no vibration"..

By all means chase the balance and run-out. Sam's will remount and rebalance it under your warranty, you'll have to be a pain in the butt probably and it's gonna take most of the day and you'll want to make sure the shop supervisor and tech understand match mounting..

Most little vehicle tire shops don't check run out on wheel assemblies.

Good day. I am Just assuming it’s a balance thing. Because I bought them from Sams, I Am taking advantage of my warranty, by making sure it’s not the balance before I proceed. I am getting that looked at today, depending on what they say, I will then proceed to suggestions you mentioned. I mentioned “off and on“. I did not expect to feel it at 45mph, the faster I went the more I felt it. Maybe it is my mind, but I will put it on jack stands and examine it again. Thanks

Good day to all. As mentioned, I was at Sams club where the tire was purchased. While getting the tires balanced, one of the rim was bent, so the balance was never correct.
They balanced it to the best they knew how. I don't know how long it was in that condition. I was told if it was replaced, or straighten it was not guaranteed it would fix the problem.
I went for an inspection at Firestone tire, where they drove and inspected the Taco for $23 bucks. While on the lift, they showed me some movement/play in the shaft, and suggested
the Universal joint needs replacing both front and back. Also the transmission was easy to shake, was not stationary. I needed new Transmission mounts, I was told.
I forgot to mention this vibration only started a week ago, after I did my 1st complete rebuild, On my own I must say. Thanks to all you guys on the site. I am thinking when I was
installing the engine, I must of push the tranny at an angle that I shifted the mount . They might be correct, For a diagnostic from them at $23 bucks, its worth me changing these
parts, and besides, they want $544 for both U joint and transmission mount. So gentlemen, off I go to parts hunting. When I am done with the replacement, I shall post my results. Thanks again.

Greetings to one and all. I Have replaced both U Joints and transmission mounts.
There is still the same vibration in steering wheel. It is felt more while doing 65-70 mph .
Can someone share their thoughts on what they believe it is. Thanks

Have you done anything about that rim yet?

I'm mostly concerned about the run-out more than the balance. 1mm of out of round is going to have it jumping all over the place.

You also mentioned it didn't start until after your rebuild. So maybe your wheel assemblies are a red herring.

Did you pull the transmission? How careful were you with that drive shaft, maybe it needs rebalance.

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Any clarification on the intermittent nature, does it come and go only with speed or does it sometimes not do it at 45 or what ever speed you mentioned that I've forgot.

How about particular roads and speeds? My hatch back has a not so great strut and if I hit a specific road section with in a specific speed range it starts an oscillation akin to the "death wobble"..

After I left Sams, I went to a tire shop that straightens rims, it was rebalanced and I was told it wasn’t that bent to where it needed straightening. I will put the spare on and test it.

When it comes to the 1mm run out, I don’t know what to say, I only agreed to what was recommended by the Machinest. I never took out the tranny. Today I replaced the mount and the u joint. I’m tired of thinking guys.

Sorry, it is “not intermittent”. It starts off smoothly, the higher the speed 60 + it starts to
vibrate. I’m sorry N.Y. familiar with “red Herrington “. I will test drive again. Thanks

Good day to all. I must say that I am very much disappointed with self after all the work I have done with the Taco this weekend.
First of all, my previous post I made earlier, was me being driven around, while test driving the work that I did .only because I ended up
braking one of my toe Yesterday ,and had a hard time depressing the clutch.
Well tonight I made it my business to make it possible , and went for a long test drive, and this is what I found. After replacing both U joint / removing the shaft, the ride only got worse. I did
mark the shaft and the yoke flange, but it got erase and was not aware of it, until after.
My test run went like this, I started to feeling vibration at low speed, starting 25mph all the way to 70 mph, more harder between 35 and 45mph. I turned the engine off at 70 mph and coasted all the way to 30mph,
and the vibration remained, through all speed. This is where I am at right now. Can I someone help me through this one.
signed Tired .Tired yet, I love my yota LOL.

I just had my tire balanced and it helped with vibrations but between 70-80 I can still feel it some degree of vibration. I'm not sure if it has to do with drive shafts or something else. One of my tires threw a weight after getting them balanced so I had to take it back for them to put back on. I also had it aligned, which helped a a lot. I'm wondering if I'll ever get to zero vibrations or if that's just a pipe dream

Good morning to all. I have been much determined to at least try to figure what is causing this vibration.
I lifted the rear, had it on jack stands put in 1st. Looking at the shaft spinning, but also spinning unevenly ,
going up/down, and that was just in 1st.A recap of what I did previously. Replaced both U joints. Like
I mentioned before I had the yoke and shaft marked but was erased. I have now removed the shaft.
Can someone share some positive thoughts on what step i should take next. The u joints are in place.
Signed, perplexed. Can someone help. Thanks.

Good morning to one and all .Well, after countless hours of staring at the shaft and u joints ,I finally decided to move some things around. The new u joint I purchased
have the oil fitting on the outer, meaning, on the tip of the actual u joint itself. The old ones are some where in the center. Anyways, the u joints that meets the rear pinion
flange, that meets the differential, I had the grease fitting connected on the actual shaft itself. And looking at the u joints that meets the transmission, it was not on the shaft,
or connected to the shaft .I disassembled the u joints that meets the differential ,moving the oil fitting from the shaft itself, so it would then line up with the oil fitting that goes
to the transmission. Went for a test run, well, it is a Taco, ran as supposed to, strong.
Remember, when installing u joints ,DO NOT put the oil fitting or connect it no where on the shaft itself. And make sure the 2 oil fitting face each other. And please do your
marking before removing the shaft. Hope this was of help to someone. Thanks to all those who assisted me, and share their thoughts. Thanks

Greetings to one and all. I went for my 3rd Balancing of the tires, $ 54.00, that fixed the vibration in the steering wheel and in the seat. The previous ones was from Sams club, Free with life of tire.
When I initially went to Firestone Tires for a diagnostic, which was $22.00, I was told it was the U Joint and transmission mount. Their cost $550.
I paid $10 for the transmission mount ,I had life time warranty on u joints, so that was no issue. While searching for the culprit that was causing
the vibration, I also changed the engine mount $25.00 and had the differential balanced,$ 54.00.To top it off I went for a wheel alignment $54.00.
Running strong again. thanks.

Good day to one and all, hoping all is well in these times. After countless hours and months of researching. I learned, found out it was due to a rim being bent. When it was time to rotate tires vibration got worse. Problem found after 6 months!