93 Camry back end wobbling - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Myiagros · 04-21-2009, 02:12 PM

Around January my car began to wobble in the back left when taking long left bends going 65-90kmph.
On Friday I got around to changing all of my tires as I figured it would correct the problem. The problem has been fixed for cornering but now it wobbles horribly on any straights at the same speeds.
I have read a few things which it might be, shocks and bushings being the big ones. My shocks right now do feel really soft and after checking the underside of the back end nothing seems to be loose.
If anyone has any experience with this problem I'd appreciate the input before I go out and spend a few hundred on new shocks.

hill8570 · 04-21-2009, 05:29 PM

Any particular plane for this wobbling? Mostly up-and-down (bouncing), horizontally back-and-forth (fishtailing), or something more interesting?

Myiagros · 04-21-2009, 09:02 PM

It has just been fishtailing, no bouncing at all. It feels as if it pulls left then goes right and it stays like that until I slow down to about 55-60.

jmborchers · 04-26-2009, 07:39 AM

First reaction says there's a bent wheel.

Could also be bearing play, suspension play but those are normally constants.

To Test shocks have the car parked on flat surface and rock the car up and down by pushing on the trunk or bumper. Get it rocking really good and then stop. If the car doesn't stop rocking within 1 1/2 bounces then you have a shock problem. When shocks are bad the wheels hop up and down on the highway.

abe88 · 04-26-2009, 10:05 AM

I actually had the same problem after my bro got into an accident with my car (above the rear left wheel to be precise) as it was the fault of the other party i went to a few mechanics to get a qoute for repairs and made sure they checked the wheel and the diff alignment just incase, all of them said there was nothing wrong with it. Sure enough it went away after a while and it wasnt as severe as your problem, but with that said since yours is fish tailing until you bring it down to a certain speed its gotta be the wheel, it probably builds enough inertia above 65, as for why it happens when you're on turns its prolly the strain. So before you get to the dirty business of diff and shocks jus check your wheel

Myiagros · 04-27-2009, 01:16 AM

When driving a couple friends home tonight I found out that with a passenger in the back the fishtailing was almost completely gone and it's there just a bit with a passenger in the front.

**PRINCESS PEACH** · 04-27-2009, 03:06 AM

Maybe a thicker rear sway bar will fix the problem?

500KCamry · 04-27-2009, 04:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myiagros

It has just been fishtailing, no bouncing at all. It feels as if it pulls left then goes right and it stays like that until I slow down to about 55-60.

Let someone drive your car, and follow behind it. Are the rear tires follwoning the front, or is there an offset ... is the car "dog tracking".

If the rear alignment is out, the rear end will steer the car if the road surface changes - smooth or rough road surface, and the traction changes, the car will seem to jump and be difficult to control.

If the car seems to be driving sideways - you need a 4 wheel allignment.

A suggestion for you to investigate.

If the car needs an alignment, take it in. They will tell you if any component is worn - they can't do the allignment before correcting - you can elect to fix it yourself and return or have them do it. Their estimate is usually close, i.e. there shouldn't be any costly unknowns.

500KCamry · 04-27-2009, 04:37 AM

Another way to check rear alignment.

When you drive down a straignt stretch is your steering wheel straight, or is turned slightly one way or the other?

If it seems steered to the right slightly, the arse end of your car is closer to shoulder than the front.

jmborchers · 04-27-2009, 11:01 AM

If something is misaligned in the rear then something is normally bent, worn out or broken.