Front end vibration.

Discussion in 'Trucks [ Eighteen Wheelers ]' started by Big John, Feb 14, 2011.

  1. Big John

    Big John Road Train Member

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    I am looking at a 03 Pete 379 short hood. It has 75% steer tires and they are in great shape. It pulls a little to the right but what I have noticed is their is a vibration and the steering wheel shakes some. Any suggestions?

    I figured if I bought it I was going to do a 3 axle alignment and put new shocks on it for starters.
     
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  3. Heavyd

    Heavyd Road Train Member

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    Steering wheel shimmy is out of balance, or out of round steer tires. Alignments and shocks will not fix this. Shocks and alignments prevent this from starting. Once already started chances are you may need to replace the tires. Take it to a good tire shop where they spin balance tires. They need to check first if the tires are properly mounted to the wheel. They need to jack up the steer axle and spin the tires. If they are out of round you will see that when it is spinning. Sometimes it is just a wheel that is slightly not perfectly centered on the hub and needs to be re centered. Usually if the balance is out so bad that it causes steering wheel shimming the tires are worn too irregular and too much wear has occurred that any type of repair won't be good enough. Once a tire starts to wear irregular, that's it. Balancing weights, or rings or shocks or alignments will not put rubber back on the tire.
     
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  4. Rerun8963

    Rerun8963 Road Train Member

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    one or both tires can be out of round, out of balance, you could have a broken belt, you could have wheel bearings that need to be serviced (cleaned, inspected,properly torqued), bad shocks, bad spring mounts, shackles, bushings, bad tie rod ends, bad pitman arm, loose steering box (internal)

    until the front end is 1000% inspected.....you would be doing the alignment and still not correcting the problem
     
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  5. Big John

    Big John Road Train Member

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    The front left wheel did have a crack in it but they are replacing it today.
     
  6. dwmac71

    dwmac71 Light Load Member

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    Sounds like it hit a curb hard enough to crack a wheel and brake a belt in a tire.
    Dose the vibration change with speed?
    If so most likely a toe in/out too much.
     
  7. end of the road

    end of the road Heavy Load Member

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    I had the same thing on the 04 KW T800 I drive. Both front tires were out of round.

    Get decent tires and get them put on at a GOOD tire shop.
     
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