89 sc steering wheel shakes at 110km/hr help

chickenman · 08-25-2009, 06:11 PM

Hey guys, had my 1989 mr2 sc parked for the past few months.
before i parked it put on a cusco front strut bar on... it was running fine before i parked it and now this year it runs pretty much the same except that im getting a pretty violent shake over 100km/hr..... Any ideas?? It seems the car is still driving staight but the steering wheel just starts shaking

I have already replaced the steering rack, tie rods, and polyurethane bushings from the previous year...

even tried new rotors... and two sets of wheels with new rubber..

any help is appreciated

Thanks!

I||ICIT · 08-29-2009, 01:54 AM

when you leave a car sitting on its tyres for too long the tyres develop flat spots.

this will cause wheel balance issues and the shaking your getting.
try driving it for a couple more days and possibly throw it round some corners and it should re-round the tyres again....

Papo J · 08-29-2009, 08:19 PM

Have you had it aligned? Are your wheels hubcentric?

tstoney82 · 08-29-2009, 08:35 PM

alignment will not cause a vibration. the first response to this post is more than likely the issue. i would inflate the tires to the proper inflation, get the balance checked (and while they are balancing them, have them look for any signs of flat spots), and then drive it a while. if you are only getting a vibration from the steering wheel, the problem is more than likely in the front tires. if you get a vibration in the seats, the problem is coming from the rear tires. try rotating the front tires to the rear and if the vibration goes from the steering wheel to the seats, then the tires which where originally on the front (now on the rear) have flat spots. if the steering wheel still shakes, then you probably have flat spots on all four. either way, get them checked out and while they have the car in the air have them check your front-end parts (tie rods, linkage, ball joints, bearings, etc) for any wear that may cause an issue.

good luck and keep us posted.

como · 08-29-2009, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chickenman

even tried new rotors... and two sets of wheels with new rubber..

any help is appreciated

Thanks!

Unless he's lying (why would he?) then he's already tried two sets of wheels, with presumably rubber that's "new" as opposed to what the car was sitting on...
which eliminates the rims, rubber, and wheel balance.

Papo J · 08-29-2009, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstoney82

alignment will not cause a vibration.

Yes it can and it will. If the toe is too far in or out it will cause the tire to skip/rub and vibrate at speed. He mentioned that he has already replaced the wheels and the tires.

Medusa · 08-29-2009, 11:15 PM

Check that your tie rods are torqued down to your rack properly. And that all suspension components are properly torqued.

chickenman · 08-29-2009, 11:40 PM

hey guys
had the car aligned twice and both sets of wheels were balanced twice... no luck
have had the one set of volk racing cv pros on it since i owned (about 6-7yrs) and never had issues with vibration
Everything else seems pretty tight...
in the process of throwing in a other rack to see it ifs the problem

Medusa · 08-30-2009, 12:17 AM

It could indeed just be a worn out steering rack.

And what about struts/shocks? You said it was sitting for a long time. Usually they don't cause a wiggle in your steering wheel, but hey, it's an elusive problem.

tstoney82 · 08-30-2009, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Papo J

Yes it can and it will. If the toe is too far in or out it will cause the tire to skip/rub and vibrate at speed. He mentioned that he has already replaced the wheels and the tires.

i was meaning in his situation because he stated the car drives straight.

Medusa · 08-30-2009, 01:30 AM

If the toe on both front tires was equally too far in or out, it wouldn't cause it to drift to one side or the other.

como · 08-30-2009, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Medusa

If the toe on both front tires was equally too far in or out, it wouldn't cause it to drift to one side or the other.

this happened to my old work car, took a hit in the front left fender at about 20mph, threw the alignment off, but she still drove straight. Front right tire went from new to showing metal in 6 months after that, where the front left wore normally.

Medusa · 08-30-2009, 01:56 PM

Wow, that's pretty weird. That's why you always get your alignment checked after a crash.

Trak Turtle · 10-07-2009, 07:46 AM

Its gotta be a flat spot from the car parked long. the balancing or allignment won't fix that. Did you look at the tyre surface during balancing on the machine?
Rotate the tyres and check for irregularity in the tyre surface when spinning.

espguitarist33 · 10-07-2009, 08:02 PM

brake rotor...if they are whackd enough he will feel it nomatter what....check your brakes...does it change as you ease onto the brake?

jimmer411 · 10-09-2009, 06:28 AM

I doubt its the brake rotors, mine were warped to the point where you could visibly see it. You will feel them when you put on the brakes but not driving. Also not all places will do high speed alignments (I think thats what they are called, testing the car on rollers iirc), and many tire places simply get the car driving in a straight line, or close but not exactly dead on. Ask around your local area for a reputable alignment place and have an inspection, or drive across town to another tire shop and have an inspection. Ive never paid more than $20 for an inspection and if I needed an alignment that was included in the total price.

Inspect the tire to make sure that its not out of round. It may be hard to see when the car is on the ground.

By jimmer411 at 2009-07-10

I didnt notice this until I lifted the front end up, tire guys didnt catch it when they aligned my car either.

Also does the shake come from the front or the back? I had an axle that was shot and would cause my car to shake at higher speeds, slight clunk at take off occasionally, it eventually got to the point where it shook no matter what. Thats easily checked by lifting the rear end with the ebrake off and rotating an axle by hand, both axles should move together.

Also double check that your axle nut is tight, I seen another forum member that had a shake problem and it turned out that his axle nut was hand tight.

85SuperGZE · 10-13-2009, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Papo J

Yes it can and it will. If the toe is too far in or out it will cause the tire to skip/rub and vibrate at speed. He mentioned that he has already replaced the wheels and the tires.

This is absolutely correct!!!! And again as stated equal amounts of toe out or in will not cause the car to "pull" to one side, some people like toe in or out to improve their driving on a road coarse. And the brake rotor can cause shaking, if it has a high spot, it will cause the brake to "grab" at that location on the rotor but, not on the lower surface.

chickenman · 10-19-2009, 06:13 PM

hey guys still have this problem car has had a new rack put in and the problem still persists... trying a new set of struts tonight.. but other than that i am at a loss...

chickenman · 10-25-2009, 08:31 PM

took it for a drive today with new struts first drive the problem was still there at 130km/hr looked under the hood and the strut bar wasnt over the strut towers properly so readjusted that.. took it for another ride and then it was fine... took it up to 170km/hr with no problems but then i slowed down to 130 again and it started shaking again.... and then it stopped and then i went to a staigtt stop and drove to 140 with no problems but when it went down to 80 this time it started shaking... this is all in the same drive..

the shaking was definitelly not in the brakes at all it stops fine....

thought my frame was bent as well so i got my friend to get the specs from toyota and it measures up fine.... problem is very intermittent...

any ideas???

aw11power · 10-30-2009, 06:36 PM

what wheels do you have and do they need or have hub-centric rings, also are you torquing you lugs to 76ft-lbs? i had some konigs that were balanced and torqued to spec and the car was aligned and i had terrible shaking until i installed hub rings. hope that helps.

08-25-2009, 06:11 PM	#1 (permalink)
chickenman No Skills Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 11 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	89 sc steering wheel shakes at 110km/hr help Hey guys, had my 1989 mr2 sc parked for the past few months. before i parked it put on a cusco front strut bar on... it was running fine before i parked it and now this year it runs pretty much the same except that im getting a pretty violent shake over 100km/hr..... Any ideas?? It seems the car is still driving staight but the steering wheel just starts shaking I have already replaced the steering rack, tie rods, and polyurethane bushings from the previous year... even tried new rotors... and two sets of wheels with new rubber.. any help is appreciated Thanks!

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08-29-2009, 01:54 AM	#2 (permalink)
I\|\|ICIT No Skills Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 45 Thanks: 22 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	when you leave a car sitting on its tyres for too long the tyres develop flat spots. this will cause wheel balance issues and the shaking your getting. try driving it for a couple more days and possibly throw it round some corners and it should re-round the tyres again....

08-29-2009, 08:19 PM	#3 (permalink)
Papo J 6SPD GTE Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 189 Thanks: 1 Thanked 19 Times in 18 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Have you had it aligned? Are your wheels hubcentric?

08-29-2009, 08:35 PM	#4 (permalink)
tstoney82 shop bitch Join Date: May 2009 Location: clayton nc Posts: 395 Thanks: 11 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts iTrader Rating: (3/100% )	alignment will not cause a vibration. the first response to this post is more than likely the issue. i would inflate the tires to the proper inflation, get the balance checked (and while they are balancing them, have them look for any signs of flat spots), and then drive it a while. if you are only getting a vibration from the steering wheel, the problem is more than likely in the front tires. if you get a vibration in the seats, the problem is coming from the rear tires. try rotating the front tires to the rear and if the vibration goes from the steering wheel to the seats, then the tires which where originally on the front (now on the rear) have flat spots. if the steering wheel still shakes, then you probably have flat spots on all four. either way, get them checked out and while they have the car in the air have them check your front-end parts (tie rods, linkage, ball joints, bearings, etc) for any wear that may cause an issue. good luck and keep us posted.

08-29-2009, 11:15 PM	#7 (permalink)
Medusa Cage Fighter Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 623 Thanks: 9 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Check that your tie rods are torqued down to your rack properly. And that all suspension components are properly torqued.

08-29-2009, 11:40 PM	#8 (permalink)
chickenman No Skills Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 11 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	hey guys had the car aligned twice and both sets of wheels were balanced twice... no luck have had the one set of volk racing cv pros on it since i owned (about 6-7yrs) and never had issues with vibration Everything else seems pretty tight... in the process of throwing in a other rack to see it ifs the problem

08-30-2009, 12:17 AM	#9 (permalink)
Medusa Cage Fighter Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 623 Thanks: 9 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	It could indeed just be a worn out steering rack. And what about struts/shocks? You said it was sitting for a long time. Usually they don't cause a wiggle in your steering wheel, but hey, it's an elusive problem.

08-30-2009, 01:30 AM	#11 (permalink)
Medusa Cage Fighter Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 623 Thanks: 9 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	If the toe on both front tires was equally too far in or out, it wouldn't cause it to drift to one side or the other.

08-30-2009, 01:56 PM	#13 (permalink)
Medusa Cage Fighter Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 623 Thanks: 9 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Wow, that's pretty weird. That's why you always get your alignment checked after a crash.

10-07-2009, 07:46 AM	#14 (permalink)
Trak Turtle Cage Fighter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gurgaon, India Posts: 151 Thanks: 7 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	Its gotta be a flat spot from the car parked long. the balancing or allignment won't fix that. Did you look at the tyre surface during balancing on the machine? Rotate the tyres and check for irregularity in the tyre surface when spinning.

10-07-2009, 08:02 PM	#15 (permalink)
espguitarist33 Cage Fighter Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: west chester PA Posts: 415 Thanks: 4 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	brake rotor...if they are whackd enough he will feel it nomatter what....check your brakes...does it change as you ease onto the brake?

10-09-2009, 06:28 AM	#16 (permalink)
jimmer411 NA > Boost Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Enumclaw, WA Posts: 70 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	I doubt its the brake rotors, mine were warped to the point where you could visibly see it. You will feel them when you put on the brakes but not driving. Also not all places will do high speed alignments (I think thats what they are called, testing the car on rollers iirc), and many tire places simply get the car driving in a straight line, or close but not exactly dead on. Ask around your local area for a reputable alignment place and have an inspection, or drive across town to another tire shop and have an inspection. Ive never paid more than $20 for an inspection and if I needed an alignment that was included in the total price. Inspect the tire to make sure that its not out of round. It may be hard to see when the car is on the ground. By jimmer411 at 2009-07-10 I didnt notice this until I lifted the front end up, tire guys didnt catch it when they aligned my car either. Also does the shake come from the front or the back? I had an axle that was shot and would cause my car to shake at higher speeds, slight clunk at take off occasionally, it eventually got to the point where it shook no matter what. Thats easily checked by lifting the rear end with the ebrake off and rotating an axle by hand, both axles should move together. Also double check that your axle nut is tight, I seen another forum member that had a shake problem and it turned out that his axle nut was hand tight.

10-19-2009, 06:13 PM	#18 (permalink)
chickenman No Skills Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 11 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	hey guys still have this problem car has had a new rack put in and the problem still persists... trying a new set of struts tonight.. but other than that i am at a loss...

10-25-2009, 08:31 PM	#19 (permalink)
chickenman No Skills Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 11 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	took it for a drive today with new struts first drive the problem was still there at 130km/hr looked under the hood and the strut bar wasnt over the strut towers properly so readjusted that.. took it for another ride and then it was fine... took it up to 170km/hr with no problems but then i slowed down to 130 again and it started shaking again.... and then it stopped and then i went to a staigtt stop and drove to 140 with no problems but when it went down to 80 this time it started shaking... this is all in the same drive.. the shaking was definitelly not in the brakes at all it stops fine.... thought my frame was bent as well so i got my friend to get the specs from toyota and it measures up fine.... problem is very intermittent... any ideas???

10-30-2009, 06:36 PM	#20 (permalink)
aw11power No Skills Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	what wheels do you have and do they need or have hub-centric rings, also are you torquing you lugs to 76ft-lbs? i had some konigs that were balanced and torqued to spec and the car was aligned and i had terrible shaking until i installed hub rings. hope that helps.