Steering wheel shake on the highway?

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Steering wheel shake on the highway? - 8/31/2008 12:35:49 PM    Canadian88 Posts: 489 Joined: 11/23/2005 From: Detroit Status: offline I got some new tires and after they put them on they adjusted the toe on the left side to get it where it was supposed to be and then told me that the castor was off on the right side (the right front wheel was too far forward).  So as they try to fix this they adjusted it to the max and said that the A-arm is bent and they can''t adjust it anymore; also I''d have to take it to a frame shop if I wanted it really fixed. The steering wheel shake is just the wheel turning back and forth a couple of milimeters at a very high rate, leading me to believe that the wheels are being turned by the road.  This only starts happening around 65-70 mph. There was absolutely no sign of any shake before new tires, and the only time the A-arm could have been bent was when the tire guys had the truck.  So did they botch the toe job, is it the castor, or something else?  Thanks guys!  _____________________________ 2003 4.3L 2WD Blazer 2DR K&N air filter Alpine S-type speakers in all 4 corners Damplifier behind all speakers and in cargo area Alpine CDA-9856 (iPod interface) Alpine 10" type S Sub with 400W Alpine MRP-M450 amp www.secondskinaudio.com Post #: 1

RE: Steering wheel shake on the highway? - 8/31/2008 1:53:12 PM    Duntov   Posts: 194 Joined: 2/29/2008 Status: offline Go to a new Discount Tire Store (or equal) and have your tires Road Force Balanced. That procedure will cost about $15 per tire, as quoted to me by Discount Tire.  I plan on purchasing new tires in about 8 months and I will have them spin-balanced in the normal manner. I will not  have them Road Force Balanced until I road test them because the tires and suspension may not need it.  I assume you had your tires spin-balanced and there seems to be a problem with balance or alignment. I suggest that you have them Road Force Balanced. It takes a special Hunter Engineering Co. GSP9700 machine and a knowlegable operator  to Road Force Balance tires and  the newer Discount Tires stores have both. According to Hunter Engineering Company, the  GSP9700 solves vibration problems balancing cannot fix and the new Straight Trak LFM feature solves alignment related problems that wheel aligners cannot fix.   _____________________________ 1991 S10 Blazer 4-dr, auto., 4x4, 4.3L TBI Competely original. My Blazer even has 1991 air in the spare. Restored 1963 Pontiac Catalina Sport Coupe, Richmond ST-10 4-speed, 421 H.O., 370 HP tri-power, 3.64:1 Saf-T-Track, HD Police Option (in reply to Canadian88) Post #: 2

RE: Steering wheel shake on the highway? - 8/31/2008 5:53:04 PM    Canadian88 Posts: 489 Joined: 11/23/2005 From: Detroit Status: offline That''s the one thing I forgot to say, I had them Road force balanced because there was a bad vibration when I was in that 65-75mph range, and it worked.  I''m happy that the vibration is gone, but now the steering wheel does this shake and I want to take care of it. _____________________________ 2003 4.3L 2WD Blazer 2DR K&N air filter Alpine S-type speakers in all 4 corners Damplifier behind all speakers and in cargo area Alpine CDA-9856 (iPod interface) Alpine 10" type S Sub with 400W Alpine MRP-M450 amp www.secondskinaudio.com (in reply to Duntov) Post #: 3

RE: Steering wheel shake on the highway? - 9/8/2008 3:27:48 PM    Canadian88 Posts: 489 Joined: 11/23/2005 From: Detroit Status: offline I''m really at a loss here and I could really use some help before I just go take it someplace and drop a bunch of money to figure out what''s wrong because I really can''t afford that.  Has anyone ever experienced anything like this before?  It rides like you''re on a rough road, but it isn''t, it''s a smooth road. _____________________________ 2003 4.3L 2WD Blazer 2DR K&N air filter Alpine S-type speakers in all 4 corners Damplifier behind all speakers and in cargo area Alpine CDA-9856 (iPod interface) Alpine 10" type S Sub with 400W Alpine MRP-M450 amp www.secondskinaudio.com (in reply to Canadian88) Post #: 4

RE: Steering wheel shake on the highway? - 9/8/2008 3:48:59 PM    Duntov   Posts: 194 Joined: 2/29/2008 Status: offline If you had all your wheels and tires  Road Force Balanced, and that did not fix the problem,  the technician who performed the work would have told you exactly what was causing it. < Message edited by Duntov -- 9/8/2008 3:49:38 PM > _____________________________ 1991 S10 Blazer 4-dr, auto., 4x4, 4.3L TBI Competely original. My Blazer even has 1991 air in the spare. Restored 1963 Pontiac Catalina Sport Coupe, Richmond ST-10 4-speed, 421 H.O., 370 HP tri-power, 3.64:1 Saf-T-Track, HD Police Option (in reply to Canadian88) Post #: 5

RE: Steering wheel shake on the highway? - 9/8/2008 4:38:42 PM    Canadian88 Posts: 489 Joined: 11/23/2005 From: Detroit Status: offline Ok, so either nothing is wrong, and I''m making up the shaking for message board attention; or the technitian didn''t tell me what was wrong.  Now we''re getting somewhere! _____________________________ 2003 4.3L 2WD Blazer 2DR K&N air filter Alpine S-type speakers in all 4 corners Damplifier behind all speakers and in cargo area Alpine CDA-9856 (iPod interface) Alpine 10" type S Sub with 400W Alpine MRP-M450 amp www.secondskinaudio.com (in reply to Duntov) Post #: 6

RE: Steering wheel shake on the highway? - 9/8/2008 5:02:22 PM    Duntov   Posts: 194 Joined: 2/29/2008 Status: offline I don''t believe you had your wheels and tires Road Force Balanced. If you did, you would know what was causing the problem with front end shake. _____________________________ 1991 S10 Blazer 4-dr, auto., 4x4, 4.3L TBI Competely original. My Blazer even has 1991 air in the spare. Restored 1963 Pontiac Catalina Sport Coupe, Richmond ST-10 4-speed, 421 H.O., 370 HP tri-power, 3.64:1 Saf-T-Track, HD Police Option (in reply to Canadian88) Post #: 7

RE: Steering wheel shake on the highway? - 9/8/2008 5:20:17 PM    Canadian88 Posts: 489 Joined: 11/23/2005 From: Detroit Status: offline Are you a technician who is trained in Road Force Balancing?  It certainly seems like you know more about how my truck will work than I do, so tell me; now that I HAVE had my tire Road Force balanced and the problem got better but not fixed all the way, what''s the problem? Let me rephrase this: let''s say, for argument sake, that I did get this procedure (that you know more about than me) done, what other outside factors could cause similar symptoms having had it done? _____________________________ 2003 4.3L 2WD Blazer 2DR K&N air filter Alpine S-type speakers in all 4 corners Damplifier behind all speakers and in cargo area Alpine CDA-9856 (iPod interface) Alpine 10" type S Sub with 400W Alpine MRP-M450 amp www.secondskinaudio.com (in reply to Duntov) Post #: 8

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