Suzuki 4x4 Club™

seahorsejeep · * Joined: 11 Nov 2009 Posts: 11 Location: Spain

I hope this grabs the attention of a few of you Suz. Mech. genius's.
We got a fairly violent onset of front wheel/steering shaking a while back and have been trying to find a remedy since. Thought a front wheel had shed a weight and needed balancing. Tyre shop wanted to sell me four new tyres immediately, saying they were out of shape. Thought I smelt a rat Mad

, so I swopped wheels with my organ donor Jeep (I'm really spoilt as I have a complete scrapped identical jeep in the garden for parts Very Happy

), and the wobble was the same, (kicks in at about 43mph / 60kmh and stops after passing 50 mph).
I started looking at bad UJs on the drive shaft, rear transfer case driveshaft and front transfer case driveshaft. The engine drive shaft one was a bit crotchety so I swopped it and in the end I swopped them all one by one and road tested them in between and..... the same wobbling vibration Confused

.
So far everything I've done has had no effect so
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Where do I go/ What do I try from here???
Suggestions, help, warmly welcomed!!! Very Happy

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seahorsejeep · * Joined: 11 Nov 2009 Posts: 11 Location: Spain

DOH!

Sorry might help if I tell you what jeep it is! Sorry!
Suzuki Samurai 413 Long wheel base 1993.
Regards seahorsejeep

deathbus · Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 18:36 Post subject:

hi, grasping at straws here Laughing

could it be a sticky caliper or duff steering damper?

really sounds like bad balancing as you first thought tho Confused

_________________
if its got t*ts or tyres, its gonna be trouble!!

seahorsejeep · * Joined: 11 Nov 2009 Posts: 11 Location: Spain

Thanks Deathbus. The steering was really the only logical place for me to go, but I hadn't considered the damper. I was thinking of worn bushings, but I think the damper sounds more probable. Had a cursory look at the brakes before but no pull on the steering made me think they're ok but I'll check again. Must fix this wobble Confused

. The wife bought some milk at the shops the other day and when she got home, it was yoghurt!! Laughing

regards, seahorsejeep

seahorsejeep · * Joined: 11 Nov 2009 Posts: 11 Location: Spain

Thanks again Deathbus.
Problem fixed, but I can't say if it was the steering damper (which I swopped for the one from the 'organ donor'-felt about the same as the old one) or the stabilizer bar. The sabilizer bar seemed ok but on closer inspection, one of the bracket arms that hold the clamped bar mount bushings at the front under the radiator appeared to be able to move. I couldn't move it while it was in place but when I disconnected the whole bar, I found that although the nut was tight, it could move. Took it all apart, checked the bushings which were good and put it all back together again, very tightly. This time the bracket arm didn't move at all. After a number of road tests (because I didn't really believe I'd fixed it), I can only conclude, it was the steering damper or stabilizer bar.
As I've seen many people complaining of the same problem, it might be a handy story to pass on.
Oh, and one of the tests I did was to swop back to my original tyres (which the guys at the tyre shop condemned as out of shape and tried to sell me four new ones!) and they didn't even shiver!!!
Regards
Seahorsejeep

deathbus · Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 19:35 Post subject:

glad your sorted mate!! Very Happy

thats one up to straw grasping Laughing

_________________
if its got t*ts or tyres, its gonna be trouble!!

Richard. · Newbie Joined: 24 Apr 2010 Posts: 1 Location: Oxfordshire.

Hi I have got a Jimny 2006 Auto only done 30,000 miles and I to have got very bad steering viberation,I put four new tyres all around and had them ballanced.
I then had very bad viberation on the wheel,I had it balanced buy three other garages but it did not go.
I tryed differant tyre pressures no change.
I then rang the Suzuki Garage thay told me that they had to replace several wheels on some cars because of the problem, it had just run out of it's waranty so looks like I might have to buy two new wheels!
Any one else had this problem?
Many thanks.
Richard.

zocko · Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2010 1:16 Post subject:

if they admitted they had to replace wheels for this problem before then its classed as an inherent fault and covered for 6 years in england (5 in scotland) under the sale of goods act and they cant refuse due to it being "out of warranty".

before you try demanding anything, write to them explaining the fault and ask for a written response. include the explaination you were given and see how they respond.

if they admit it in writing then youll have them by the balls for a new set of rims all round and maybe even your balancing costs?
_________________
the car in front is a toyota...

the car pulling it out of the mud is a suzuki