steering wheel shakes

[findmypath]

All,

 

I have a '03 LE with 60K on the odometer and about a month ago I noticed that when I'm driving at low speed with the brakes applied the steering wheel shakes a bit. Then when I'm at about 65 - 70 MPH the steering wheel shakes again. Its a bit annoying that its doing that so I'm curious if any of you have any ideas what this could be.

 

Thanks for your help.

[nunya]

Tires need balanced/broken belt

Something loose/wore in the front end (tie rod end possibly)

For the shimmy when on the brakes... Rotors out of round possibly

[Precise1]

Done in 1

 

B

[GrimGreg]

Usually if it does it at certain speeds (ie 30 and 60) it is a tire/wheel issue.

[frozenrotors]

As commented above, you could have a tire or tires with a separated belt inside the tire. ( Especially possible if you've been off road 4 wheeling). If the shimmy or shaking takes place when you apply pressure to the brake pedal, it may be pad material bonded to the face or surface of the rotor. This can be removed WITHOUT having to have your rotors re-surfaced or turned by a brake shop. Simply purchase a 4-5" abrasive wheel, (used for paint stripping) this is used in a drill. Remove your calipers and in that space, rough up or "de-glaze" the rotor on both sides (Inside and Outside). Be sure to go all the way around the rotor using this abrasive wheel. It usually doesn't require a great deal of pressure as your not really removing any metal. What your trying to accomplish, is to just remove the "high" spots of pad material left behind, and any pad glaze. When your finished, the rotor should have the same "brushed" appearance all the way around.It's also recommended that you remove the pads and re-surface those as well. This can be accomplished by placing a piece of emery cloth or similar material, on a VERY flat surface. Such as a piece of Plexiglas, and by rubbing them back and forth until a "new" surface is visually obvious across the face of the pad. I recommend a #100 grit emery cloth.

Clean every thing up with brake clean and re-assemble. Make sure you follow the same "break-in" procedure as a new set of pads.

 

Hope this helps,

 

My link

[Hawzzy]

As commented above, you could have a tire or tires with a separated belt inside the tire. ( Especially possible if you've been off road 4 wheeling). If the shimmy or shaking takes place when you apply pressure to the brake pedal, it may be pad material bonded to the face or surface of the rotor. This can be removed WITHOUT having to have your rotors re-surfaced or turned by a brake shop. Simply purchase a 4-5" abrasive wheel, (used for paint stripping) this is used in a drill. Remove your calipers and in that space, rough up or "de-glaze" the rotor on both sides (Inside and Outside). Be sure to go all the way around the rotor using this abrasive wheel. It usually doesn't require a great deal of pressure as your not really removing any metal. What your trying to accomplish, is to just remove the "high" spots of pad material left behind, and any pad glaze. When your finished, the rotor should have the same "brushed" appearance all the way around.It's also recommended that you remove the pads and re-surface those as well. This can be accomplished by placing a piece of emery cloth or similar material, on a VERY flat surface. Such as a piece of Plexiglas, and by rubbing them back and forth until a "new" surface is visually obvious across the face of the pad. I recommend a #100 grit emery cloth.

Clean every thing up with brake clean and re-assemble. Make sure you follow the same "break-in" procedure as a new set of pads.

 

Hope this helps,

 

My link

and most importantly to add IMHO .... BEFORE TOUCHING YOUR BRAKE COMPONENTS WITH THE THOUGHT OF GRINDIND/SANDING DOWN... PROTECT YOUR LUNGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RESPIRATOR A MUST HERE I WOULD SAY!!!!!

TYE

[silverton]

I had this happen to me with my first car. I thought a 95 escort station wagon was good for driving in soft grass and I eventually ended up getting stuck. After I got pulled out, it had a shake at low speeds, and at 60+. turned out to be mud stuck to the inside of the rim throwing the wheel balance out of spec.

[JamesRich]

Welcome to the crappy nissan brakes! I had this problem with my first 04 titan but it wasn't at 60,000 miles it was at 3500 and again at 7500 and again at 12,000. Because of this and several other problems I traded it in 05 for a 06 model that had the supposedly updated brakes. This one started at 4000 miles over and over again until I spent $425 on a set of frozen rotors and hawk pads. Now no more shaking.

Try getting the rotors turned and you might be ok being they lasted to 60,000. If not I recommend slotted frozen rotors. They are members here.

When nissan started making their vehicles mid sized they forgot to make the brakes bigger, and they are too proud to admit a screw up so they just keep telling you nothing is wrong and hope you quit bugging them. That's why I will never buy a new nissan again.

[frozenrotors]

Here is a step by step break down, for the installation. This example is for the Nissan Titan, however it basically applies to most 4 wheel disc systems.

 

Keith

My link

 

http://www.titantalk.com/forums/titan-faq-howto-area/84176-installation-frozen-rotors-hawk-pads.html

Edited September 30, 2010 by frozenrotors

[findmypath]

Welcome to the crappy nissan brakes! I had this problem with my first 04 titan but it wasn't at 60,000 miles it was at 3500 and again at 7500 and again at 12,000. Because of this and several other problems I traded it in 05 for a 06 model that had the supposedly updated brakes. This one started at 4000 miles over and over again until I spent $425 on a set of frozen rotors and hawk pads. Now no more shaking.

Try getting the rotors turned and you might be ok being they lasted to 60,000. If not I recommend slotted frozen rotors. They are members here.

When nissan started making their vehicles mid sized they forgot to make the brakes bigger, and they are too proud to admit a screw up so they just keep telling you nothing is wrong and hope you quit bugging them. That's why I will never buy a new nissan again.

[findmypath]

Thanks all. I will take the wheel off and take a look at the rotors to see whats going on. Obviously, I can't look inside the tire to see what is going on but these tires have probably about 10K on them so I'd be shocked if they were defective. I'll report back what I find.

 

Thanks.

[frozenrotors]

Welcome to the crappy nissan brakes! I had this problem with my first 04 titan but it wasn't at 60,000 miles it was at 3500 and again at 7500 and again at 12,000. Because of this and several other problems I traded it in 05 for a 06 model that had the supposedly updated brakes. This one started at 4000 miles over and over again until I spent $425 on a set of frozen rotors and hawk pads. Now no more shaking.

Try getting the rotors turned and you might be ok being they lasted to 60,000. If not I recommend slotted frozen rotors. They are members here.

When nissan started making their vehicles mid sized they forgot to make the brakes bigger, and they are too proud to admit a screw up so they just keep telling you nothing is wrong and hope you quit bugging them. That's why I will never buy a new nissan again.

Love your rig! What year is it and how did you get that XTERA roof rack on it? I've considered doing the same thing !

[JamesRich]

Love your rig! What year is it and how did you get that XTERA roof rack on it? I've considered doing the same thing !

My truck is an 87, I just explained mounting the X rack in another thread, post #4.

http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=28105&pid=531379&st=0entry531379

 

And I must add I love your slotted rotors that I put on my Titan! I fought brake problems with that truck since it was new until I read about your rotors on clubtitan.

James

[frozenrotors]

My truck is an 87, I just explained mounting the X rack in another thread, post #4.

http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=28105&pid=531379&st=0entry531379

 

And I must add I love your slotted rotors that I put on my Titan! I fought brake problems with that truck since it was new until I read about your rotors on clubtitan.

James

Ahhh the Titan Rotor dilemma! We have helped a lot of Titan owners with that one. I'm happy to hear your another satisfied customer. Theirs also a guy posting on here thats doing a complete V-6 rebuild, and he was concerned with breaking in his lifters. I think the post was ear marked " Rocker Arm pre-load". I'm going to add that we have, and can do the same cryo treatment to all drive train and engine components. We just treated an entire engine assembly. Crank, rods, wrist pins, pistons, valves, springs, heads, block etc. He has a BMW 3 series, that he has Turbo charged. We've treated many others as well. His entire engine cost around $ 500.00 to treat. Barring he doesn't blow it up from too much boost, it should last longer than the body ! Average rotor life is increased by 300%. So if you know of anyone considering dong a re-build, or have been having drive train issues, give myself or us a call. 1-888-323-8456 M-F 8:00-5:30 CST.

It looks like either you have taken EXTREMELY good care of that 88, or you re-stored her. I have an 89 SE, with 180K on the clock. I have just replaced the engine with a lower mileage unit, about 40K. Runs like a top. My only issue to date has been a cold start issue that has me baffled. Every thing in the engine bay is stock, with the exception of No Cat and a K&N air filter. It like to run rather rich when I first start up (cold) goes to fast idle, and then starts to miss (like it getting too much fuel) as to temp climbs and the idle comes down to around 800 rpm, it cleans out a little, but after driving for a while it still has a black sooty layer in the tail pipe. One guy told me it's an intake manifold leak, another said it was a fuel pressure regulator? It was fine until about 2 months ago and it's been intermittent. Any ideas or thoughts on that one! All the plugs, wires, cap and rotor are new, as is the o2 sensor and coolant temp sensor. The last "wrench" that looked at it said all the codes were "normal" !?

 

Thanks,

 

Keith

km@frozenrotors.com

[JamesRich]

Ahhh the Titan Rotor dilemma! We have helped a lot of Titan owners with that one. I'm happy to hear your another satisfied customer. Theirs also a guy posting on here thats doing a complete V-6 rebuild, and he was concerned with breaking in his lifters. I think the post was ear marked " Rocker Arm pre-load". I'm going to add that we have, and can do the same cryo treatment to all drive train and engine components. We just treated an entire engine assembly. Crank, rods, wrist pins, pistons, valves, springs, heads, block etc. He has a BMW 3 series, that he has Turbo charged. We've treated many others as well. His entire engine cost around $ 500.00 to treat. Barring he doesn't blow it up from too much boost, it should last longer than the body ! Average rotor life is increased by 300%. So if you know of anyone considering dong a re-build, or have been having drive train issues, give myself or us a call. 1-888-323-8456 M-F 8:00-5:30 CST.

It looks like either you have taken EXTREMELY good care of that 88, or you re-stored her. I have an 89 SE, with 180K on the clock. I have just replaced the engine with a lower mileage unit, about 40K. Runs like a top. My only issue to date has been a cold start issue that has me baffled. Every thing in the engine bay is stock, with the exception of No Cat and a K&N air filter. It like to run rather rich when I first start up (cold) goes to fast idle, and then starts to miss (like it getting too much fuel) as to temp climbs and the idle comes down to around 800 rpm, it cleans out a little, but after driving for a while it still has a black sooty layer in the tail pipe. One guy told me it's an intake manifold leak, another said it was a fuel pressure regulator? It was fine until about 2 months ago and it's been intermittent. Any ideas or thoughts on that one! All the plugs, wires, cap and rotor are new, as is the o2 sensor and coolant temp sensor. The last "wrench" that looked at it said all the codes were "normal" !?

 

Thanks,

 

Keith

km@frozenrotors.com

Have you looked at your plugs to see what they look like? The color will give you an indication of whats going on. An intake vacuum leak would cause it to run ruff but not usually run rich. Check the vacuum hose going to your fuel pressure regulator, that could make it run higher pressure if the hose is broken off. If it is intermittent it might be hard to find the problem until it gets worse. Check the regulator vacuum first and if its ok check your plugs to see where to go next.

James

[nunya]

soo... any update on the shakey wheel?

[findmypath]

soo... any update on the shakey wheel?

HaHa!!! I have added that to the "to do" list for the weekend. Stay tuned...thx