Drag link , Steering damper or Tie Rod ?

[240-diesel]

Well After Checking , installing ball joints wheel bearings okay, I dont know what is causing front end shimmy Only when I brake from Highway speeds it has been doing this for a while. Any body run into this ? It runs down the road smooth and true , The front end shimmy only when braking from underload. If your going say 25 mph in the neighborhood and come to a stop you dont feel it, only when you are slowing to a stop from say 50 or 60 mph to a stoplight or toll , and only braking so I guess it must be one of these 3 parts ? I can replace all three or if anyone knows different ? Thanks.

[md21722]

You can check for steering linkage (tie rods, drag link) looseness by jacking up the front end and pulling and pushing the tires at 3 and 9 o'clock. If that's tight the steering linkage is fine.

Possibly your brakes are at fault - warped discs, sticking caliper.

Steering linkage and associated parts cannot CAUSE a shimmy or vibration. ROTATING parts cause vibrations. Loose links and such can only amplify the TRANSMISSION of such vibration.

What you described sounds like warped rotors. As mentioned by md, you need to check for looseness, but you also need to check rotors.

Good luck,

[300SDog]

Try 'stab - braking' where you lean on the pedal and then let off..... if shimmy goes away in between stabs - then its gotta be the brakes.

If its warped rotor you should also feel it in the pedal.

Also try noticing if car shakes only at specific speed, say 35 or 45 mph...... shimmies at specific speeds are usually related to front wheel / tire ballancing.

[240-diesel]

Thanks I will try the things mentioned , And I will put it up on a lift next week to check , but in the mean time I will give the road test scenarios a try , Thanks .

[Capt Kirk]

Does the engine make a funny sound when doing it?

And do you feel it in the pedals or the steering wheel?


I had a similar problem, turned out to be the rack idle pin