Only happened one time recently on my friend's 07 Outback. I drove it and could feel a slight shimmy at around 60mph but nothing like she described. Since that one event, she can not feel any shimmy at all. My B-I-L is a well regarded master mechanic. He said the only thing that could cause an intermittent wheel shimmy like this would be a bad CV joint. He said if it were a bad tire and/or balance issue, you would feel the shimmy all of the time. He also said it would not be a wheel bearing. I have read that the LCA bushings can be problematic on this vintage Subie and perhaps that would cause a wheel shimmy but maybe not intermittent. Can anyone offer an opinion and/or have experience with a similar problem? Thanks.
Intermittent Violent Wheel Shimmy
- Thread starter artbuc
- Start date
- Status
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2006
- Messages
- 2,326
Been raining? Mud caked on the wheels would do that. Clean the mud off/mud dries and falls off, no more shimmy.
I had an experience that sounds like yours when a bolt was working its way out of a front caliper, 2004 Ford Explorer. Bolt was loose but held in by corrosion. Occasionally it would shift a little bit and rub on something, causing the violent shaking.
Originally Posted By: Oil Changer
Been raining? Mud caked on the wheels would do that. Clean the mud off/mud dries and falls off, no more shimmy.
The mud problem is explained in the move, My Cousin Vinny.
Been raining? Mud caked on the wheels would do that. Clean the mud off/mud dries and falls off, no more shimmy.
The mud problem is explained in the move, My Cousin Vinny.
This is a poor comparison, but my Dad had a '65 3/4-ton GMC that he swapped the 305ci V6 with a 283ci V8.
After the swap the truck would occasionally develop a real violent front end shimmy when going over RR track crossings or harsh bump/dips in the road.
Dad dialed in a couple of degrees of additional negative camber and the shimmy went away. Dad's theory was the difference in weights of the two engines was affecting how the front end was loaded.
Might want to get the Outback on an alignment rack to make sure nothing is worn/bent.
After the swap the truck would occasionally develop a real violent front end shimmy when going over RR track crossings or harsh bump/dips in the road.
Dad dialed in a couple of degrees of additional negative camber and the shimmy went away. Dad's theory was the difference in weights of the two engines was affecting how the front end was loaded.
Might want to get the Outback on an alignment rack to make sure nothing is worn/bent.
+1 is to get an alignment check but, be sure car is loaded as usual and a 1/2 tank of fuel as this effect the caster angle.
- Status
Similar threads
