Front end shake

[captflash]

I have a very confusing issue/shake in my front end. I have had the wheels/tires spin balanced, twice and it is still there. I comes and goes and starts around 55-60 miles an hour. If I speed up to 70+ it subsides and goes away becoming smooth as silk. If I ease off and come to 65 from the 70+ it remains smooth, sometimes for 20-30 minutes of highway driving. But if I slow down below 50 and bring the speed back up it returns. Sometimes it is not to bad but at other times it is horrible. When I had the car up on the rack the last time there is a slight bit of play in the pitman arm and the draglink arm. Not very much but some movement can be seen in the bushings. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[nonosv6]

I would check your wheelbearings and your control arm bushings also. What's the mileage on the car? When did this issue arise? Did I just start out of the blue or after some occurrence ?


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[charlief1]

Generally there are 3 reasons for a front end shake and all will be felt in the steering wheel. If it's not in the steering wheel then most likely it's in the back half of the car. Do you feel it in your butt or in your hands?

 

[Phoneguy]

If your shocks are worn out the tires are actually bouncing instead of rolling, you will be able to see and feel a chopped pattern on the tires

Bryan

 

[captflash]

Def

Generally there are 3 reasons for a front end shake and all will be felt in the steering wheel. If it's not in the steering wheel then most likely it's in the back half of the car. Do you feel it in your butt or in your hands?

Definitely in the front end, definitely feel it in my hands. This condition came on semi gradually but fairly quickly. But as I stated in the original post sometimes the shake is horrible and sometimes barely noticeable and it will smooth out to the point of no shimmy at all

 

[captflash]

The shocks are only a few months old. Summit 90/10 with less than 10k miles on them now.

 

[TLIMITED]

How old are the tires.Could be a belt in the tire just starting to slip and not showing any sign when balancing.

 

[chopped39]

I would see if you can find a shop with a hunter road force balancer. This machine pushes a drum against the tire and will tell you if there is a shifted belt

 

[captflash]

I would see if you can find a shop with a hunter road force balancer. This machine pushes a drum against the tire and will tell you if there is a shifted belt

Thanks, I'll look for one. The tires are new this September but that doesn't mean they can't be bad.

 

[we4Mateo]

Driveshaft out of balance?

 

[captflash]

Driveshaft out of balance?

The shake is in the front end, in the steering wheel. no "butt" shake. I don't feel it in the rear of the car.

 

[1fastcobra]

Ck the ball joints and tie rods
Also look at the control arm bushings .
Do u see any bubbles on the sidewall of the tires . U can also jack up the front of the car
Spin the tires and look to see if the jumps up and down of has side to side movment
And lets not for get only nut holding the wheel on
The spindle nut

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[charlief1]

Def
Definitely in the front end, definitely feel it in my hands. This condition came on semi gradually but fairly quickly. But as I stated in the original post sometimes the shake is horrible and sometimes barely noticeable and it will smooth out to the point of no shimmy at all

Speed specific indicates it's a tire issue then. Jack the front up and spin the tire while looking from the side. Watch the tread and see if you can tell if there's a flat spot. I like to use a tire crayon and hold it up to the thread so I can see how bad the tire may be. This is after you have spun it and watched the tread.

 

[captflash]

It is not necessarily speed specific
Sometimes it will be as smooth as can be at all speeds, other times it will shake very slightly and other times it shakes horribly but it always clears up after riding for awhile or speeding up to 70+

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[hungerbuhler1]

I bet its your tires. I've had this happen before

 

[MikeL.]

Do you have a second/spare set of known to be good rims and tires you can simply throw on the front and test?

 

[TLIMITED]

Do you have a second/spare set of known to be good rims and tires you can simply throw on the front and test?

Or move the front to the back,if they are the same size.

 

[captflash]

I do have a set of rims and tires that I know are good, 900+ miles away at my home. Lol! I thought of that too and that will probably be my next move. I'll be there in a few weeks and ill just drive 55 or less or 70+. It doesn't shake when I drive those speeds.

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[fitz3820]

I just went through this - had wheels straightened, tires balanced, replaced driveshaft, etc. I had two problems - a weight fell off the torque converter and the replacement rear brake drums were way out of balance or drilled incorrectly. The brake drums actually made the steering wheel shake - really strange to have a problem in the rear shake the steering wheel - but it did!

-Mark

 

[G.N. 85]

I am having the same issue, at around 55 it has shimmy, but not always, have probably 500 miles on new tires, sometimes it feels like the front rotors are warped when braking and other times not, still has original brakes and rotors, that's where I was going to start, replacing brakes and rotors.