Thread: strange front end wobbles.....help......

Been watching the posts to this thread for sometime wondering if my experience is relevant. Seems it is.

Have a MY2010 cab/chas with steel tray. At about 20k it developed a minor shake in the NSF. First thing was to check the balance as we had earlier done the Oodnadatta, Simpson, Birdsville and the roads were very ordinary and maybe had shaken off some lead. Balance was OK and still the skakes persisted.

The dealer suggested an alignment which was done. No better. And a wheel rotation and another balance. Still no better.

In fact the shakes were getting worse and could be induced about 70 kmph or going round a left hand curve.

Back to dealer and they suggested swivel pin pre load should be looked at which they did and it was adjusted. Slightly better for a little while and then after a few weeks it was just as bad, if not worse.

So back to the dealer. They checked the preload and it was crook again. So they pulled the thing apart and found the bearing/bearings had collapsed. Never had this problem they said. But no parts in Aus so a 2 week wait to get the truck back but thankfully all is still good now and we are up to 37 k.

So my message is setting the preload is no good if the bearings are shot.

Oldie

Bearings had collapsed on the drivers side........coincidence I sit on that side.....?
I had what felt like a loose wheel bearing when I jacked it up to check....but when I had a look to see
what was actually moving....I saw the whole swivel assembly moving.....that was when I thought it might be time to adjust the preloads......

When I pulled the top pin out.....I realised what the problem was.......my swivel bearings had also collapsed.......so I fixed just that one side.......

The passenger side felt fine so I didn't bother to touch it at all......maybe I should have a look at that side as well......can't be too far behind......I guess.....


But I'm pretty sure the worn out bushes in the radius arms will have something to do with it..........and then possibly the swivel hub bearings.......

If only I had more dollars than bills........

Seems this may be common- I had it too. I had on numerous occasions been told it was 'normal' for an old LR to have wandering, shaking steering. This was by a supposed LR specialist. Needless to say I was not going to have a bar of that!

No....it's not normal.......what it could be is a few different things all contributing a bit each to create the problem you're having.......

They may think it's not worth fixing cos the repairs are gonna cost more than the cars worth......
And they all have the same problem when all these items wear at this age of the vehicle........so they tell you it's normal.........

It can all be fixed........

I got the same sort of wobble too.

Whilst getting the tyres changed at Fourby's a few days ago I asked them to see if they could diagnose the problem. Turns out the radius arm bushes are shot.

I'll take the truck back to them soon to replace the bushes, and will probably do the pan bushes and put beefier springs in the front to level her out as the bull bar and winch seem to be dipping the nose.

Hopefully this solves the problem.

Sounds like you have exactly the same problem as I'm having........

If it is the same......you should be able to have some sort of control of it with the accelerator.......when it starts to shake...if you accelerate they should ease up or stop all together......
And then start up again if you back off.......

So by playing with the throttle you can control the shakes........

That's what I've found with mine.......

Had similar problem recently, 90 kmh death wobble (seemed to be speed related)- induced by potholes/ small bumps mainly on right hand corners ,felt like something wrong on left front. Replaced drop arm and drag link tie rod end as obvious wear, still had problem. No aparant wear on tie rods on track rod but I replaced them and that fixed my problem.

Brett

110 300 tdi

If the "wobble can be controlled with the accelerator or only does it on hard surfaces, or goes away if you drop a wheel off the bitumen eg drive in the gravel, then it will be the swivel bearings. I had the same thing, started with a pothole hit collapsing a bearing, renewed the swivel bearings, STILL did it! Discovered, after a lot of invective and murmurings of boat anchors, the preload was not enough as per book. I just kept removing shims until it behaved. and they are Timken bearings too have done 15000 now and its still good.
Cheers Scott