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I don't appear to be afflicted by this but there was a mid-year steering rack change with a different pre-load spring. This came out about a month after mine was manufactured but not sure if they started using them earlier. See attached TSB.
This really sounds like normal cold tire flat spotting. Some tires are worse than others. Any tire with rayon or nylon body or cap plies will flat spot worse than a tire with polyester or polyamide plies. The OEM Bridgestones have a nylon cap ply. Look on the Falkens sidewall where the materials are listed and I'll bet there is one or two nylon or even rayon plies. That your problem goes away once the tires are flexed and warmed by driving points to this being due to normal cold set (flat spotting).
Contrary to modern myths, shocks and springs have pretty much nothing to do with shakes and steering shimmy with warmed up tires. That's almost always down to tire/wheel assemblies roundness, uniformity and balance.
The steering rack does have a narrow window of pre-tension that can affect a shimmy. Too much and the steering is sluggish to return to center after a turn. Realize that the steering rack will not be the source of a steering shimmy, it will only allow you to feel a shimmy to a lesser or greater degree depending on its condition.
Last edited by robert1408; Dec 8, 2018 at 04:14 PM.
My vehicle's order date was 10/2011, by the way, thanks Acrad; it does look like I could have the bad spring in the steering rack.
I will go back and make sure they road-force balance the new Wildpeaks, as I doubt they were road force balanced with a normal install of these new tires.
Vibrations are frustrating - I say always start with the inexpensive fixes and go up from there. Road force balance is a must.
i had another suv with a bent wheel (unknown to me and the tire tire shop - or maybe it happened after the original tire install). They road force balance it and if I kept it under 85 it wasn’t noticeable. Since I began to notice it more I thought it was a drive shaft or something since it was truly high speed. I stared with the tires simply to have a re balance, when they put it up on the machine, bam, clear as day the wheel was bent.
It may not be as obvious every time but I think the lesson here is that a bent wheel can be balanced and masked the fact that it is bent. May be worth checking out when they re-balance.
Has anyone had the steering rack spring TSB done out of warranty? I think I need to get this done on my 2012. I've had my tires balanced 3 times at different shops, last one with a road-force machine, and still get vibration at 65mph. I'm trying to figure out what the cost will be to get the TSB done. Annoying that Toyota won't cover this as its a design flaw on their part, shouldn't matter the milage.
So, Lexus corporate started a case number after I discussed with them the recurring issue of the steering wheel flutter.
I asked if they would cover the cost of this TSB, and the agent on the line said that I should have it diagnosed and see if the Tech at the dealership agrees that this is the issue, and that Lexus corporate may be able to help if the diagnosis determines that the TSB will remedy the issue. My dealer service rep that I went and spoke to today said that they could inspect/diagnose it for $150, and that they would apply the diagnostic fee towards the service hours total charge, so the service would be roughly $630 + parts and tax.
So, Lexus corporate started a case number after I discussed with them the recurring issue of the steering wheel flutter.
I asked if they would cover the cost of this TSB, and the agent on the line said that I should have it diagnosed and see if the Tech at the dealership agrees that this is the issue, and that Lexus corporate may be able to help if the diagnosis determines that the TSB will remedy the issue. My dealer service rep that I went and spoke to today said that they could inspect/diagnose it for $150, and that they would apply the diagnostic fee towards the service hours total charge, so the service would be roughly $630 + parts and tax.
So, I was thinking the steering rack spring was maybe having issues with the Falken Wildpeak, being that they are pretty soft on the sidewalk like the Bridgestone duelers.
I have had very good luck with Nitto Terra Grappler G2’s on my 100 series Landcruiser (on the 3rd set now), so I called the Discount Tire manager and asked if he would give us credit on the Wildpeaks toward a set of Nitro TG’s.
He agreed and we swapped them out 2 days later, and all I can say is that it is a night and day difference!
The steering wheel flutter is gone on all road surfaces and speeds that used to cause a flutter before.
We have put 5k miles on them now and they are just as good as when new.
The only thing I did notice is a bit more road noise vs. the wildpeaks, but I will gladly take that with zero flutter of the steering wheel.
So, I was thinking the steering rack spring was maybe having issues with the Falken Wildpeak, being that they are pretty soft on the sidewalk like the Bridgestone duelers.
I have had very good luck with Nitto Terra Grappler G2’s on my 100 series Landcruiser (on the 3rd set now), so I called the Discount Tire manager and asked if he would give us credit on the Wildpeaks toward a set of Nitro TG’s.
He agreed and we swapped them out 2 days later, and all I can say is that it is a night and day difference!
The steering wheel flutter is gone on all road surfaces and speeds that used to cause a flutter before.
We have put 5k miles on them now and they are just as good as when new.
The only thing I did notice is a bit more road noise vs. the wildpeaks, but I will gladly take that with zero flutter of the steering wheel.
It is amazing the issues that a bad batch of tires can cause. Glad you got it sorted out! Did you go with the P or LT Nitto G2s?
