wow!!! the answer to the question i've been asking!!! too bad i sold my tacoma and bought a tundra!

 

EGOTRIP,
Sorry to bust your bubble, but everyone on here knows about the Hunter GSP9700 Road Force Balancer that needs to be used when balancing the wheels on a 4Runner or Tacoma. Also needed is the special adapter plate made by Haweka since our wheels are lug centric. The combination of the two usually results in a perfect balance if the tech running it has any idea what he's doing (and that is sometimes questionable). Everyone has known what you posted for a long, long time but thanks anyway.

Matt

 

Egotrip.. thanks.... i honestly have never heard of this reason about the vibration problem... out here in Socal you'd be surpized at how many people don't know the answer to the vibration.. i work at a offroad shop and have customers with prerunners asking about the vibration all the time... usually we replace the stock bushings on the steering rack with some aftermarket ones to stop it, but even with that, the raack will blow up out in the desert no problem... and especially racing offroad it gets to be very exspensive replacing the rack every race...

 

Easy fix. Get the tires trued and balanced ON THE VEHICLE.

My 90 runner has been through 4 sets of tires, and my 94 truck went through 3 sets before I sold it. Several cars have went through 3 sets as well. Some cars did fine with the std computer balance. The toyotas, and one car did not. I soon learned that when I buy tires for the toyota, I buy without a balance. Saves a little cash, then I take it to a place that will true the tires and balance on the car. Only sometimes do some of the tires need trueing. Once they do their work, its ALWAYS smooth as glass past 90.

Sometimes the old ways just work better. This was suggested already in this thread and is good advice. Cost is quite cheap where I go. Most of the time, very little weight is used.

If THIS does not solve the problem, then its not the tires and wheels. With that said, I think you have concluded that the problem IS the tires or wheels.

I suggest to ANYONE that if 2 tries at balance will not smooth out the vibrations, get a credit, then find a shop that will true and balance on the car. Have that done and like me, you will be a convert.

Anyway, i know this post is old and may not be an issue anymore, but I just wanted to crow a little bit. Its been awhile since I actually posted anything to try to help a fellow yotatecher. Maybe my thoughts will help somebody someday.

 

I just bought a '99 4Runner 2WD Limited. At exactly 72 mph, it starts shaking like crazy. It's coming from the front it seems. The steering wheel shakes side to side. I replaced the rotoros and brakes today and it's still doing it. I'm going to take it in for a balancing and an alignment tomorrow. I'm really nervous now that I bought the wrong truck. When I test drove it, I was in a place that prevented me from getting over 60mph, so I never saw the wobble and shake. It has 188k miles on it, and I'm pretty sure that everything on it is still stock. I guess I'm going to have to do a LOT of work on it.

By the way, is there any way to tell if the Timing Belt has been changed without actually going in to it? I can do basic mechanical things like the rotors and brakes, but the timing belt is way above my head. There are no maintenance records of it, and I would hate to have it brake down on my wife. (She's the primary driver)

Thanks for any/all info!

Lance

 

My 90 4Runner SR5 starts vibrating at 60 km/h and above but below that its fine. But then again my truck has ball joints that need to be replaced, 2 cracked CV boots, shocks that came originally on the truck which means their 19 years old lol same with the coils. But i do have a feeling i have a bent axle shaft because when i jacked the back and put it on stands then gunned it to 60 km/h the left rear tire would wobble like a MOFO while the right rear was smooth and fine. Just wanted to share my little tid bits lol and my god this is an old thread lol

 

See link below:
- http://www.gadgetonline.com/Vibration.htm

 

my steering shook side to side on the hwy with unbalanced tsls lol

 

Lug-centric and hub-centric. Nice link... thanks for the info.

Is there a way to look at the wheel and tell which type you have... on any given vehicle?

After thinking on it a bit, the difference is in the wheel design, right? Wonder what they were thinking with a lug-centric design.

 

Pretty easy to tell, look at the center bore of the wheel where it meets the hub. If you can see a gap there, then the hub does not center the wheel. For example, below is a picture of the OEM steel wheels on my '85, red arrow shows the small gap:



http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...ml#lug-centric

 

4-crawler.... looks just like my '85 front hub...

You know, as I think about it, I've always taken care to make sure the lugs seat correctly... on the assumption that you could skew the radial load if the way the lugs were set was not optimum. Which means I've always assumed that I was using a "lug-centric" design. Just never thought about it before you brought it up.

Can we assume that Costco and Wheel Works use the type equipment your link suggests? (I notice you are from the bay area).

 

All the tire places I have been to just throw the wheel/tire on the balancing machine that centers the wheel on a cone in the center (hub-centric). Have not been to either of those shops, so not sure what they do. But it does take extra time to attach the wheel for lug-centric balancing so that is probably why most places use the hub-centric technique. According to Gadget's article, you usually have to specifically ask for the lug-centric balancing.

 

Although I've not had an issue since an '88 Pathfinder (drive shaft balance), I appreciate the info... what you say makes sense. Another little bit of information that may be useful at some point. Thanks.

 

Just got back from Discount Tires and National Tire and Battery (NTB) and they both use the lug centric mount. However, I asked for it up front and the attendent said, "Good catch. Most people don't know to ask for that!". So, THANKS YOTATECH!!

Incidentally, balancing the fronts helped the shaking/vibrations, but didn't cure them. I wonder if replacing the struts/shock absorbers would help. NTB does a free diagnostic and he said that my front end all looked good. It's a touch out of alignment but not too bad. It doesn't even pull.

Thanks everyone! 

Lance.

 

the problem isnt your tires if you have replaced and balanced them. your problem might be your drive shaft, you may need it re balanced (about $80) but hopefully not re built (about $350). but if it is your driveshaft your u joints may need to be replaced along with it. if vibration is in front, it most likely is your rear drive shaft and vice versa. i'd take it to a driveshaft shop and get it checked (about $60 to look at it).

hope this helps

 

**UPDATE**

I finally got the shaking/vibration fixed. It turned out to be a tire issue. Even though I had about 50% of tread left on the tires, they previous owner had mistreated them somehow. I bought new tires and had them balance...It's great now! Just thought you guys might want to know...

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

Battlefrog