Shimmy and Vibration at Hywy over 60MPH - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

macsuarez · 07-31-2004, 04:18 PM

Hi there, Newbie here. PLEASE HELP, NEED ADVISE !! I have a 97 camry LE, have it for 5 yrs now. Never has a problem until this yr. I am frustrated to the point where I am giving up. I have spend approx $3000 so far and still unable to fix my problem. My car Vibrates at 60 mph and when I mean vibrate I mean my stearing wheel shakes side to side, until I decrease my speed less that 50mph. At slow speed my tire's sound very loud such a humming sound. So far below is a list of part I have replaced (use genuiene Toyota dealer parts)
1. Tie Rod Ends
2. Lower Ball Joints
3. Strut Mounts w/ 4 new Struts Front/Back
4. Stabilizer Bar Links Front and Back
6. Stabilizar Bar Bushing all four (Front/Back)
5. Front Lower Control Arms
6. Passenger Side Drive Shaft
7. 4 wheel aligments in 2 months
8. New tires 215-45-17 4 pears of new Rims

Any suggestions ?? Thanks.

rapsux2000 · 07-31-2004, 04:59 PM

Maybe engine mounts? Not sure. Damn, it looks like you've tried everything. Are you positive that those new wheels were balanced correctly?

macsuarez · 07-31-2004, 05:30 PM

Thanks for the reply. Every time I did a wheel alighment I balansed my tires as well. Why do you think are the engine mounts? I was thinking about wheel bearing, Driverside CV joint, Inner tide rod/Rack and pinion some thing to that effect. It feels like some thing is lose or broken, I just can put my finger on it.

rapsux2000 · 07-31-2004, 05:32 PM

If the engine is moving around more than it should, it would cause problems at high speeds...ie. vibration. Just something that I thought about.

andyman61 · 07-31-2004, 06:05 PM

damn, man that's tough. the only thing i can think of is something to do with the brakes, but i'm really only throwing out ideas of stuff to check. mabye a pad is rubbing or something. i was getting a vibration at highway speed too, but my tires were shot, as well as my swaybar bushings, but now it runs a lot better, but it sounds like you've already done all of that. good luck!

macsuarez · 07-31-2004, 06:30 PM

I forgot to mention one more thing. I replaced my rototrs and pads about a month ago, However I did not replace my calipers. I ifirst though this may be the problem but it wasn't. The funny thing about this situation is that my breaks will squeal ocationally when running at low speed around 20 mph.

karazy · 07-31-2004, 09:54 PM

It could be the bearings, but a good alignment guy would have checked them, along with most of the other parts you already changed. I personally, almost always blame the tires first. Try rotating them to see if it makes a diff. Sometimes that's all it takes.
Good luck
Karazy

michael_16j · 07-31-2004, 10:04 PM

i have a Toyota Avalon xls and it was the CV joints and then my axle broke

macsuarez · 07-31-2004, 11:13 PM

I have Haynes manual that indicates the problem of vibration may be cause by several things.
1. Wheel Bearing loose
2. CV Joints
3. Drive axle
I have notice that even after the wheel alignment the car tends to pull to my left(Driver Side), Which is the one I have NOT changed. I have change the passenger side Drive axel wich comes complete with the CV Joint.

macsuarez · 07-31-2004, 11:18 PM

Hey Michiel! I have a question?? Prior to changing your Drive Axle and CV joints, did your car vibrate?? (Meaning the stearing wheel) Can you please describe!! Thanks.

initial-T · 07-31-2004, 11:26 PM

mine did that. turns out my front rotors needed replacing (first new set since the car was made) and the rear drums needed some work. also i had a cracked front axle that was barely holdin my car together.

CrawlingEye · 07-31-2004, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by macsuarez
Thanks for the reply. Every time I did a wheel alighment I balansed my tires as well. Why do you think are the engine mounts? I was thinking about wheel bearing, Driverside CV joint, Inner tide rod/Rack and pinion some thing to that effect. It feels like some thing is lose or broken, I just can put my finger on it.

CV joints won't do that, I was riding on 2 cracked CV joints when I bought my cam, (I knew it needed them) and it caused no jerking of the wheel or vibration, just a funny noise on low-speed turns.

***Your Uncle Moe*** · 07-31-2004, 11:33 PM

Check to see if all the bolts for your controlling arms are still there. I FOUND 2 MISSING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was in the same boat as you. No one could figure it out. I changed lamost everything in the front half of the car and 1/4 of the rear.

michael_16j · 07-31-2004, 11:39 PM

well yes i had steering wheel shake and alot of vibration i would acc to 70 then let go of the gas vibration stops acc back to 70 and get vibration. well i found out it was the axle 3 days after i felt vibration because i took a uturn then next thing i know i hear a snap and zzzzz noise took it to toyota both axles broke $400 and the uturn was on a high way that sucked
mabye 30 min out of town

***cam2Xrunner*** · 08-01-2004, 01:36 AM

Could be that the guy balancing the tires didn't do a dynamic balance and they only did a static balance. The difference is when you do a dynamic balance you put weights on the inside edge of the rim as well as the outer edge(behind the spokes though) Static balancing uses just one weight and really doesn't do the job. Also you should have the tires road force mounted and balanced. And you might just have a bad tire(defect) try rotating to the back and see what happens.