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Old 01-16-2016, 08:29 PM   #1
harkauto
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Low speed steering shimmy

I have a 1999 4 Cyl Toyota Camry that has recently developed a low speed steering wheel shimmy. When I get the car up to 25 or 30 Mph it goes away.
I have the best 75,000 mile tires in it that Firestone makes and they have nearly half their life remaining. I rotate them regularly and always maintain proper air pressure and I inspect them for unusual wear each time I rotate them. The tires are still in beautiful shape and with nice even wear.
I pulled the front tires off the car and checked the inner and outer tie rods for play and the ball joints. All appears to be fine and tight.

However, when I pulled the right front tire I did notice that the rubber bushings on the stabilizer bar bracket appear to be cracked. Please see the attached photos. Also, there appears to be a possible crack on the stabilizer bar itself near the bracket. Or this could be just caked on dirt and grease that only looks like a crack.

Does anyone think that these cracked bushings or stabilizer bar could be the reason for my slight shimmy?

I have attached a photo.

Thanks!
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Old 01-17-2016, 12:26 PM   #2
MikeCStig
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Re: Low speed steering shimmy

That looks like a possibility. Whether those bushings are the cause of the problem or not, they definitely should be changed because they look like sh*t. Check the bushings at the other end too, because they might be just as bad.
As far as that suspected crack goes, I can't really tell either. I say clean it up and maybe sand it down to make sure of whether or not it's cracked. If not, spray some fresh paint on the area you sanded to protect it from rust. If it is cracked, you'll probably need a new stabilizer bar.
If it's not the bushings and/or stabilizer bar, maybe there's something wrong with the axles.
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Old 01-17-2016, 03:27 PM   #3
Mike Gerber
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Re: Low speed steering shimmy

You said you rotated the tires regularly and keep proper inflation pressure, but you didn't mention anything about rebalancing the tires. Have the tires ever been rebalanced? Also, has a professional inspected the tires? Belts inside the tires can shift and break and cause strange problems. Take the car back to Firestone (assuming you have a warranty) and have them inspect the tires for a shifted belt.

Mike
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Old 01-17-2016, 06:13 PM   #4
Brian R.
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Re: Low speed steering shimmy

No, cracks in the bar or bushings will not affect steering or cause shimmy. Have you had an alignment recently?

From your photos, it's difficult to tell, but it looks like a crack in the coating of the bar.

check your wheel bearings.
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Old 06-21-2016, 04:14 PM   #5
harkauto
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Re: Low speed steering shimmy

Found out it was a bad tires and need of an alignment. Replaced tires and did alignment and problem gone.
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