My baby's got the shakes!
03-12-09, 09:32 PM
#16
Bringing up an old thread but I just started having the same symptoms. The car will shake when I get around 40 and press on the brakes. And after that, the car has gritty vibration, and what sounds like a fluttering sound. When I step on the brakes the steering wheel shakes, shifter, and the susp. feels loose.
I have 19's with falken tires and centric rings, but I've had those for almost a year and the problem just started happening the last week or so and alot worse the last 2 days. Lug nuts are tight as I just put new ones on last week and the centercap over them prevents them from loosening due to the tight fit....but I'll check tomorrow again. The rotors, calipers, pads, and brake lines are all a couple month old, so pretty much new (TT calipers, stoptech rotors, oem pads, techna fit lines). Lower ball joints have been replaced. Alignment is good. Wheels were balanced after a blowout and 2 new tires a couple weeks ago. The ride just doesnt feel as smooth, almost like putting sand in a bearing.
Think it could be the wheel bearings? Bushings? This may be a completely different issue, but my rear main seal has had a real real small leak and never actually drips, but gets greasy gunk built up, and it's still not dripping but now you can see a drop forming on the bell housing, which it never had enough liquid to do before. And if I get on the ground and listen, I can hear some random, light ticking noises. The trans fluid was changed by Toyota about 6 months ago with T4.
One other noise I notice is when turning corners. If it's a moderate to sharp turn, I'll hear a single pop and I can feel it in the steering wheel slightly. It reminds me of cracking your knuckles almost. Any idea on that?
I have 19's with falken tires and centric rings, but I've had those for almost a year and the problem just started happening the last week or so and alot worse the last 2 days. Lug nuts are tight as I just put new ones on last week and the centercap over them prevents them from loosening due to the tight fit....but I'll check tomorrow again. The rotors, calipers, pads, and brake lines are all a couple month old, so pretty much new (TT calipers, stoptech rotors, oem pads, techna fit lines). Lower ball joints have been replaced. Alignment is good. Wheels were balanced after a blowout and 2 new tires a couple weeks ago. The ride just doesnt feel as smooth, almost like putting sand in a bearing.
Think it could be the wheel bearings? Bushings? This may be a completely different issue, but my rear main seal has had a real real small leak and never actually drips, but gets greasy gunk built up, and it's still not dripping but now you can see a drop forming on the bell housing, which it never had enough liquid to do before. And if I get on the ground and listen, I can hear some random, light ticking noises. The trans fluid was changed by Toyota about 6 months ago with T4.
One other noise I notice is when turning corners. If it's a moderate to sharp turn, I'll hear a single pop and I can feel it in the steering wheel slightly. It reminds me of cracking your knuckles almost. Any idea on that?
Last edited by mkiiisupra; 03-13-09 at 12:14 AM.
03-12-09, 09:41 PM
#17
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SC
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've searched the entire CL website, and haven't come to a definite answer as to why my car has the shakes, so I figure I would ask the 1st-Gen GS family to help me out. Sorry if this becomes a little long and winded, but bare with me.
My car has the shakes. Now when I start to drive, it's usually okay. It only really starts to occur when I'm travelling between 80-120 km/h (50-90 mph) on the highway and I start to slow down (not pressing on the brakes, but just letting the car naturally slow down). The steering wheel and both the transmission shifter start to wobble. Now when I do actually step on the brakes, that when it shakes the most violently where you can actually see both wheel and shifter shake. Now after this occurs, even if I speed up, it's like I've 'enabled' the shake feature and it continues to vibrate. Now it seems as though its been isolated to the front two wheels of the vehicle, but I want to explain what I've done so far to troubleshoot.
1st - New tires
Now I had a blow out on one of my rear tires several weeks ago. I'm currently running 18" chrome wheels w/Nankang NS-II's which have been fine for the most part, and so decided to purchase 4 new (Nankang) tires. Now I was told the reason why I had the blowout was because my tires were feathering which resulted in it being bald on the inside. The wheels themselves were not damaged whatsoever on the blowout, as it was still resting on the rubber from the tire when it happened...
2nd - Alignment
So the place I got the tires from could not do the alignment, so I took it to another shop near my house. Once there, I had them do an alignment, in which the car still continued to shake. The mechanic told me that I would have to step up to better quality tires then the Nankang's in order to get rid of the shaking. Now I thought that to be wrong because I had them before I never had shaking this bad. The ride quality was actually pretty good. Nevertheless I decided to go another route.
3rd - Stock wheels + OEM SC430 wheels
Now I figured that maybe it was just the tires, so let me go back to my stock 16" wheels w/ goodyear triple tread tires...still had the shakes....
Then I put on my alternate 18" wheels which are the OEM SC430 wheels w/michelin pilots... still the car shakes... (with both these wheels not as much, but nevertheless was shaking)
Now I'm fresh out of ideas. Before summer, I purchased and had installed new front upper control arms, so it's not that either. From what I've gathered though, could it be a problem with my rotors? If that's the case though, why does it only happen at high speeds and not normal city speed limits? Also if I do my rotors, should I also do my calipers? Gonna do the brake pads for sure, but rather not spend the extra money if I don't have to. If it's not the rotors what other issues may it be?
I'm in crazy need of some help, becuase this is driving me crazy and have some other cosmetic projects that I'm working on with the car that I can't start yet until I get this resolved.
Please all guru's of the 1st-Gen GS's please help! Thanks!
My car has the shakes. Now when I start to drive, it's usually okay. It only really starts to occur when I'm travelling between 80-120 km/h (50-90 mph) on the highway and I start to slow down (not pressing on the brakes, but just letting the car naturally slow down). The steering wheel and both the transmission shifter start to wobble. Now when I do actually step on the brakes, that when it shakes the most violently where you can actually see both wheel and shifter shake. Now after this occurs, even if I speed up, it's like I've 'enabled' the shake feature and it continues to vibrate. Now it seems as though its been isolated to the front two wheels of the vehicle, but I want to explain what I've done so far to troubleshoot.
1st - New tires
Now I had a blow out on one of my rear tires several weeks ago. I'm currently running 18" chrome wheels w/Nankang NS-II's which have been fine for the most part, and so decided to purchase 4 new (Nankang) tires. Now I was told the reason why I had the blowout was because my tires were feathering which resulted in it being bald on the inside. The wheels themselves were not damaged whatsoever on the blowout, as it was still resting on the rubber from the tire when it happened...
2nd - Alignment
So the place I got the tires from could not do the alignment, so I took it to another shop near my house. Once there, I had them do an alignment, in which the car still continued to shake. The mechanic told me that I would have to step up to better quality tires then the Nankang's in order to get rid of the shaking. Now I thought that to be wrong because I had them before I never had shaking this bad. The ride quality was actually pretty good. Nevertheless I decided to go another route.
3rd - Stock wheels + OEM SC430 wheels
Now I figured that maybe it was just the tires, so let me go back to my stock 16" wheels w/ goodyear triple tread tires...still had the shakes....
Then I put on my alternate 18" wheels which are the OEM SC430 wheels w/michelin pilots... still the car shakes... (with both these wheels not as much, but nevertheless was shaking)
Now I'm fresh out of ideas. Before summer, I purchased and had installed new front upper control arms, so it's not that either. From what I've gathered though, could it be a problem with my rotors? If that's the case though, why does it only happen at high speeds and not normal city speed limits? Also if I do my rotors, should I also do my calipers? Gonna do the brake pads for sure, but rather not spend the extra money if I don't have to. If it's not the rotors what other issues may it be?
I'm in crazy need of some help, becuase this is driving me crazy and have some other cosmetic projects that I'm working on with the car that I can't start yet until I get this resolved.
Please all guru's of the 1st-Gen GS's please help! Thanks!
03-13-09, 01:50 PM
#20
Just noticed theres a drip or 2 coming from the rear main seal when I turn the car off. It also has a steady "pop....pop....pop......pop....pop" with crackling noises randomly. Could the shaking have to do with the transmission at all? Or do you think the cracking noises and leak are completely separate from the shaking? Anyone?
Last edited by mkiiisupra; 03-13-09 at 04:54 PM.
03-13-09, 06:44 PM
#21
Lead Lap
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: honolulu, hawaii
Posts: 672
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
could be the upper balljoint as those go bad to. i remember when i used to make turns and brake a little i would hear a clunk but it was from the caster arm bushing not having any rubber anymore. if you can jack up the car and take a look and do a front end inspection to see whats going on or take it to a shop to have them inspect it
04-20-09, 02:35 PM
#23
Pit Crew
old forum but my gs 300 is having the same problem i took it to monro and they told me i need new wheel bearings, front rotors, front brake pads, lower ball joints in the front and rear upper control
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
