Front end slop... can't figure it out
03-07-09, 01:54 PM
#1
Front end slop... can't figure it out
Here's my setup:
- SC300
- OEM suspension other than TEIN Flex coilovers
- 19" wheels
- Last alignment done about 2 months ago
I had some weird shaking going on up front that started a few weeks ago. My first guess was wheel balance, so I had the front (and rear - hey it was already on a rack) wheels balanced and new tires installed.
Most of the time I stay under 60mph (my commute to work is local) but then about a week ago I hit the freeway and above 60 the steering wheel had a shake to it. Symptoms:
1. Below 60mph, steering feels fine.
2. Accelerating hard up to around 40-50mph feels fine.
3. Accelerating hard past about 50-55mph, steering wheel starts to have a shake, car still seems to be tracking straight though (I could be wrong on that last one)
4. Freeway cruising at 60-80mph, shake is evident, as if wheels were out of balance.
5. freeway cruising above 80mph, shake seems to die down a little, but you know if you're a car guy you tend to notice everything about your car; I still feel some movement in the steering wheel above 80mph, just not as much.
6. On deceleration there doesn't seem to be any steering wheel shake, from any starting speed.
7. Did the "try moving the wheel to see if the wheel bearings are shot" test and I didn't notice any unusual movement.
8. While turning at freeway speeds, slight shake still present.
9. I used to run the Flex coilovers at middle stiffness (8/8) but I recently went to full soft (16/16). I kind of want to say that the shaking was more noticeable after going to full soft but that might be just imagination.
I was thinking of pulling the front coilovers to do the reset/recheck (make sure they're set even, no blown shocks, etc.) but I doubt that's really the problem. I used the word "slop" in the title because the way the shaking happens, it's not like a constant, rythmic event (like if you had a flat spot in your tire, it would make noise/movement in a pattern, if that makes sense).
Any ideas?
- SC300
- OEM suspension other than TEIN Flex coilovers
- 19" wheels
- Last alignment done about 2 months ago
I had some weird shaking going on up front that started a few weeks ago. My first guess was wheel balance, so I had the front (and rear - hey it was already on a rack) wheels balanced and new tires installed.
Most of the time I stay under 60mph (my commute to work is local) but then about a week ago I hit the freeway and above 60 the steering wheel had a shake to it. Symptoms:
1. Below 60mph, steering feels fine.
2. Accelerating hard up to around 40-50mph feels fine.
3. Accelerating hard past about 50-55mph, steering wheel starts to have a shake, car still seems to be tracking straight though (I could be wrong on that last one)
4. Freeway cruising at 60-80mph, shake is evident, as if wheels were out of balance.
5. freeway cruising above 80mph, shake seems to die down a little, but you know if you're a car guy you tend to notice everything about your car; I still feel some movement in the steering wheel above 80mph, just not as much.
6. On deceleration there doesn't seem to be any steering wheel shake, from any starting speed.
7. Did the "try moving the wheel to see if the wheel bearings are shot" test and I didn't notice any unusual movement.
8. While turning at freeway speeds, slight shake still present.
9. I used to run the Flex coilovers at middle stiffness (8/8) but I recently went to full soft (16/16). I kind of want to say that the shaking was more noticeable after going to full soft but that might be just imagination.
I was thinking of pulling the front coilovers to do the reset/recheck (make sure they're set even, no blown shocks, etc.) but I doubt that's really the problem. I used the word "slop" in the title because the way the shaking happens, it's not like a constant, rythmic event (like if you had a flat spot in your tire, it would make noise/movement in a pattern, if that makes sense).
Any ideas?
03-07-09, 03:54 PM
#2
Pole Position
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it could be many things.... i pretty much had the same problem.
i found out that my passenger wheel bearing was bad and also my LCA's ball joints were totally destroyed. im not saying you have the same exact situation as mine but possibly. it can also be steering rack bushings, tie rod ends, whole LCA (ball joint + bushings), sway bar endlinks, sway bar bushings, etc....
I changed EVERY arm/link, bushings, sway bars, wheel bearings and including the whole rack and pinion. everything i change made dramatic change to the feel and response to the car but only when i changed to new LCA's and wheel bearings the shaking went away.
how many miles on the car?
i found out that my passenger wheel bearing was bad and also my LCA's ball joints were totally destroyed. im not saying you have the same exact situation as mine but possibly. it can also be steering rack bushings, tie rod ends, whole LCA (ball joint + bushings), sway bar endlinks, sway bar bushings, etc....
I changed EVERY arm/link, bushings, sway bars, wheel bearings and including the whole rack and pinion. everything i change made dramatic change to the feel and response to the car but only when i changed to new LCA's and wheel bearings the shaking went away.
how many miles on the car?
Last edited by itazura; 03-07-09 at 03:57 PM.
03-07-09, 09:58 PM
#3
pushing 120k...
After reading your reply, what if I disconnected the sway bar first and test drove the car - a sort of "process of elimination" method?
...here's another thing that might narrow it down: if I'm decelerating when coming to a light and I let go of the steering wheel a few feet before stopping, the steering wheel starts moving to the right.
tell-tale symptom?
After reading your reply, what if I disconnected the sway bar first and test drove the car - a sort of "process of elimination" method?
...here's another thing that might narrow it down: if I'm decelerating when coming to a light and I let go of the steering wheel a few feet before stopping, the steering wheel starts moving to the right.
tell-tale symptom?
03-07-09, 11:41 PM
#4
pushing 120k...
After reading your reply, what if I disconnected the sway bar first and test drove the car - a sort of "process of elimination" method?
...here's another thing that might narrow it down: if I'm decelerating when coming to a light and I let go of the steering wheel a few feet before stopping, the steering wheel starts moving to the right.
tell-tale symptom?
After reading your reply, what if I disconnected the sway bar first and test drove the car - a sort of "process of elimination" method?
...here's another thing that might narrow it down: if I'm decelerating when coming to a light and I let go of the steering wheel a few feet before stopping, the steering wheel starts moving to the right.
tell-tale symptom?
03-09-09, 02:18 PM
#6
Lexus Test Driver
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Could be tramlining also if it only does it when there are ruts in the road or it's at an angle. I get pretty significant tramlining when I hit the brakes on a bad road.
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06-02-09, 10:17 AM
#10
Just updating this thread for people who might come across this while searching:
Turns out the "slop" feeling was because of a wheel spacer. Not only was it out of balance, but it became a problem just taking the damn things off the car - see this thread for info:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sus...pacer-nut.html
Anyhow, this whole experience has brought me to the conclusion that I would never run nor never recommend spacers to anyone. I'm sure there's others who haven't had problems with spacers, but here's one example where spacers didn't quite cut it. =)
Turns out the "slop" feeling was because of a wheel spacer. Not only was it out of balance, but it became a problem just taking the damn things off the car - see this thread for info:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sus...pacer-nut.html
Anyhow, this whole experience has brought me to the conclusion that I would never run nor never recommend spacers to anyone. I'm sure there's others who haven't had problems with spacers, but here's one example where spacers didn't quite cut it. =)
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