Shimmy in the front wheels...wheel bearing?

[robcarync]

So after installing my Lokka and new CV axles, I got a fresh alignment, with all of them in the green!

I notice when going around curves or turns, the outside wheel starts to shake and shimmy. This happens on both sides. Seems related to lateral force on the wheel...IE slight curve at 45 mph or sharper turn at 10 mph.

Now, this is in 2wd, so the Lokka has nothing to do with this. Only thing I can think of is when I installed the CV axles, I had to take off the hub, the washer, and the wheel bearing lock nut.

The FSM states to use the special socket and torque the wheel nut to 70 ft lbs or something like that...tight. Then back it off and re-torque to a lesser torque.

How important is that? WHen I reassembled, I just took a punch and a 3 lb hammer and tapped it as tight as I could, then backed it up so the screw holes aligned. I have ordered the correct specialty socket to fully torque it to spec, but do you think that could be the issue?

At first I was thinking it could be alignment related, but with a fresh alignment all in the green, I am not convinced.

Any other ideas?

 

[xterror04]

It's very important ... Follow the directions in this link http://www.rkrenn.com/xterra/howto/bearing/bearing.htm

I searched around and bought the socket online... Ever since I followed those directions my bearing haven't had any play in them and steering had been much better

 

[Intender]

When I used the same method as you rob, it took me several hours of repeatedly driving a few miles, and redoing it to get them tight. I would get them so tight I thought something was going to break and after a few miles of curvy roads it would be so loose I could shake the wheels quite a bit. I dont have the socket, but I have avoided taking those things loose since I got it tight. one of these days I will order one so I can repack my bearings agian. it would be a quick and easy process with the proper tool, vs lots of wasted time without it.

 

[Mirage]

the final torque is in in/lbs, and a very low number at that. The initial torque is just to get the bearings/cups seated.

 

[robcarync]

I have ordered the socket to retorque correctly...but I suppose the wheel wobblimg is related to the torque of the lock nut? So the punch and hammer method will cause these symptoms?

I've seen that link before and more or less followed it except the special socket.

 

[xterror04]

Could Also be an centerlink or idler arm.. Check for play

 

[robcarync]

Idler arm is braced with Bandit 4x4 bushings recently, so there isn't much play. All tie rods and ends have been replaced, and so has both upper ball joints. I got the correct socket for the front wheel bearings and torqued them properly, but the truck still has a shimmy/vibration when cornering. It doesn't happen all the time, I can prevent it by going slower in turns, but it is still something I would like to address, or at least know what is causing it.

When installing the CV axles, I had to remove that lock nut to slide the splines through, but I didn't have to remove the rotor or take the brake calipers off or anything...is it even possible for the entire rotor/hub assembly to be loose from just the lock nut?

Could this be due to an alignment issue? The shop aligned my truck with +0.5 degrees of camber on both front tires...which was technically in the green, but still fairly significant.

 

[Mirage]

How is the tire wear on the front tires? I know when I killed my first set of tires from a bad alignment the uneven wear gave me a real bad wobble in turns unless I slowed way down.

 

[robcarync]

Good call...They aren't awful, but they aren't perfectly even either. I may try to rotate the tires and see if that improves them any. It's just weird that it never had this issue until after I installed the axles/Lokka and got an alignment. Makes me think it is related to the hub bearings or the alignment.

 

[Mirage]

The alignment could of made it more obvious or noticeable to you. I say give the rotation a try.

 

[robcarync]

Thanks for the idea. I will try later tonight and see how it drives tomorrow. I am not worried about the "drive quality" in the sense that the shimmy doesn't bother me in and of itself...I just don't want my wheel bearings to blow up or a tire to fall off and fly down the road. I feel better knowing what the cause of the symptom is.

 

[xterror04]

Check the upper control arm camber bolts, mine where loose causing the same issue, I just got an alignment today and he torqued them to 90ft/lbs and said to check them every few days... Apparently it's kind of common for them to come loose

 

[Intender]

also check the lower ball joints and the lca bushings. I drive my mother in laws chevy pickup a couple times a month and it is the drivers lca bushings on hers. It used to just shimmy around a bit when making a right turn, now it pops when you turn or hit a bump.

 

[robcarync]

I took my tires off and checked the upper ball joints and outer tie rod ends. I targeted these since these were the 2 steering/suspension joints I had to remove when installing the new CV axles during the Lokka install. I figured it had to be one of the joints I had removed and put back together...and I already re-torqued the wheel bearing lock nuts. So far on the initial test drive, it has cleared up. I was able to get probably another 3/4-1 full turn on the upper ball joints. I don't know why I didn't think to do this immediately when I noticed the issues... I think I was fixated on the wheel bearing since I had done tie rods and ball joints before and didn't think I could mess it up

I think the difference was that I hi-lifted the truck at the slider last time, and installed the ball joint at full droop. This time I lowered the LCA/ball joint on another jack so the suspension was at the normal ride position...and I was able to crank the nut quite a bit on each side. My guess is the more extreme angles last time made it so the nut didn't fully seat the ball joint to the spindle. Just a guess...but I do know that the last time I at least felt like I cranked the ball joint nut tight to the spindle...but tonight I saw otherwise...

Don't want to get too excited yet...but I will see how it drives on the morning commute tomorrow

 

[robcarync]

Well I thought that was it...but it wasn't. Seems to be that I have a hub that won't unlock, and with the Lokka installed, it drives the other wheel. Going around curves and turns at 50 mph causes it to ratchet very rapidly, creating quite a shudder.

It started shimmying again today, after a few days of driving like a dream...

I took it to a dirt road, cycled 4wd on and drove a little...shifted back to 2hi and unlocked the hubs by rolling backwards....shimmy went away immediately.

Looks like manually locking hubs are in my near future. I took both hubs apart and inspected, but didn't see anything immediately obvious...not sure what could cause it to not unlock...but...might as well upgrade, right?

 

[xterror04]

I've been having the same issue with my auto hubs, they don't want to unlock all the time, and I some how broke a hardbody hub so now I'm searching for something new

 

[robcarync]

I inspected the hubs, but they don't look broken...they just don't always disengage fully. Thinking about just using brake cleaner to clean them up and put fresh grease around the cam assembly and hub...hopefully that should free it up.

Also...this issue proves that you can't have these things on the front end with locked hubs...if they don't unlock (cough...2nd gen...cough)...don't get one!

 

[robcarync]

Just wanted to confirm that brake cleaner cleaned up the hubs and fixed cam assembly great. There was a ton of grease in there...and the break cleaner really helped. Solid particles of gunk came out of the hubs and around the prongs/cam things that lock or unlock the hub...probably from dirty water mixing with the old grease. I added just a little bit of fresh grease on reassembly, but they have not been sticking on me anymore.

 

[xterror04]

Good to hear man... I need to do this as well

 

[Mirage]

did that at nXM after it sounded like one of mine grenaded (but didn't) even though they are o-ringed it still looks like water gets in there so probably a good idea to do that every once in awhile. I haven't had any issues with mine since doing this as well.