L322 Steering Wheel Vibration/Shimmy

[Rangie_man]

Found this on the Range Rover forum that seems to suggest the 50-70mph Steering Wheel Vibration/ Side to Side Shimmy was a known problem even on brand new pre delivery Range Rovers!

No.: LTB00030

Issue: 1

Date: May 24, 2007

SECTION: 204-04 - WHEELS AND TIRES

Steering Wheel Vibration / Steering Shimmy

AFFECTED VEHICLE RANGE:
Range Rover (LM) VIN: 3A101029 to 5A198056
Range Rover Sport (LS) VIN: 6A900129 and up
THIS BULLETIN REPLACES LS204-009. A NUMBER OF CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE, INCLUDING ADDITION OF RANGE ROVER VEHICLES AND CHANGES TO SITUATION, REPAIR PROCEDURES AND PARTS. THIS IS A NEW BULLETIN. CHANGES FROM THE PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED DOCUMENT ARE NOT HIGHLIGHTED.

CONDITION SUMMARY:

STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION / STEERING SHIMMY

Situation:
A customer may report a concern that the steering wheel vibrates in a side to side motion or shimmy when the vehicle is traveling at 50-70 mph (80-112 kph). This situation is more noticeable when 20 inch alloy wheels are installed. Tire flat spots, wheel assembly balance or tire radial force variation can lead to this situation.

Action:
Should a customer express concern regarding the above, refer to the Repair Procedures detailed in this bulletin to resolve the concern.




PARTS

TOOLS:

Hunter 9700/9712 wheel balance machine




To ensure the wheel/tire assembly is balanced correctly, Land Rover recommends the use of a five fingered clamp to support the wheel/tire assembly on the balance machine. (Figure 1) Haweka 9700 hub to wheel adapter (Figure 2)




WARRANTY:

NOTE: Repair procedures are under constant review, and therefore times are subject to change; those quoted here must be taken as guidance only. Always refer to DDW to obtain the latest repair time.

NOTE: Steps 1 of the Repair Procedure are part of the Vehicle Preparation process. No claim should be initiated if the performance of these steps at initial vehicle preparation resolves the concern.

DDW requires the use of causal part numbers.

Labor only claims must show the causal part number with a quantity of zero.

REPAIR PROCEDURE

VEHICLE PREPARATION STEPS

NOTE: Step 1 of the procedure is part of the Vehicle Preparation process. No claim should be initiated if the performance of this step at initial vehicle preparation resolves the concern.

NOTE: Until flat-spots are removed, significant shimmy may be present, even if the car has only stood overnight. A test drive is required to ensure temporary tire flat spots are removed. For flat-spots from longer term stationary storage, a longer drive may be required. The test drive should be carried out on normal open roads to allow the highest speed that speed limits and road/traffic conditions allow.

1. If the vehicle is undergoing initial vehicle preparation, perform the following as part of the test drive:

^ Refer to the Vehicle Preparation Manual and adjust the tire pressures to the recommended cold tire pressures.

^ Drive the vehicle for at least 10 miles (15 km) before attempting to assess shimmy.

^ Assess the level of wheel vibration.


2. If a customer complaint is being resolved, perform the following:

^ Adjust the tire pressures to the recommended cold tire pressures.

^ Drive the vehicle for at least 10 miles (15 km) before attempting to assess shimmy.

^ Assess the level of wheel vibration.


3. If the level of steering vibration is considered acceptable, no further action is required.

4. If the levels of vibration remain unacceptable, perform the Balance Wheels section below.


BALANCE WHEELS AS REQUIRED

1. Raise vehicle on a lift immediately on return to the workshop, to avoid inducing further tire flat spots.

2. Remove all four road wheel and tire assemblies for balancing.

3. Inflate each tire to 36 psi (2.5 bar) +/- 1 psi (0.1 bar).

CAUTION: All 19 and 20 inch wheels used on Range Rover Sport vehicles must be balanced with adhesive balance weights in all locations whenever balancing is performed. 9J x 19 alloy wheel requiring balancing must only be fitted with adhesive balance weights on the inner surface of the wheel. Other types of weights will cause damage to the vehicle. Refer to Technical Bulletin RB039.

NOTE: For adhesive weights, use the attachment arm on the Hunter machine to ensure accurate weight positioning.





4. Refer to Figures 3, 4 and 5 for correct wheel fitting attachment to the balance machine and balance road wheel and tire assemblies until the residual imbalance dynamic is minimized:

^ Target is 0g on each plane; maximum is inner 5g, outer 5g.

^ Use the bulls-eye balancing mode to minimize residual imbalance.


5. If tire road force variation (RFV) measuring is available, the road wheel and tire assembly should aim for a maximum of:

60 Newton (6.1 kgf or 13.4 lbf) 1st harmonic RFV

100 Newton (10.2 kgf or 22.5 lbf) peak-to-peak.

6. If these levels cannot be achieved, perform the following:

^ Remove the tire.

^ Follow the match mounting procedure as detailed by the Hunter machine.

^ Mark the high point of 1st harmonic RFV on the tire (ideally also mark on the inside too, as a future reference).

^ Install the lowest 1st harmonic RFV units to the front.

^ Print out the results of balance and force variation before and after, and attach to repair order.

NOTE: If RFV equipment is not available and the tire has not been removed from the wheel and the RFV spot (red dot) is still visible this, should be installed at the bottom.

7. Mark the high-point of RFV.

NOTE: Nothing should be used to brace the wheel while tightening the nuts as this can disturb the match mounting.





8. Install all four road wheel and tire assemblies with the RFV high point at the bottom. (Figure 6).

9. Tighten the wheel nuts to a snug "finger tight" condition with no wobble between the wheel and the mounting surface.

10. Lower the vehicle partially so that a light to moderate load is placed on the wheel assemblies.

11. Tighten wheel nuts to 140 Nm (103 lbf-ft).

12. Completely lower the vehicle and verify tire pressures are at recommended settings.

13. Drive the vehicle for approximately 5 miles (7 km) carried out on normal roads and up to speeds of approximately 50 mph (80 kph) and assess the level of steering wheel vibration.

NOTE: All prior Repair Procedure steps must be completed before replacing the steering gear assembly. Replacement racks are obtained via the FRED procedure and require submission of wheel balance data.

NOTE: Global Technical Reference (GTR) lookup sequence is as follows:

GTR Home> NAS > Service Information / LS - Range Rover Sport/2006> Workshop Manuals> Bookmark "Chassis/Steering System/211-02: Power Power Steering" Link Removal and Installation Steering Gear - 4.2L vehicles with Supercharger (57.10.01) or Steering Gear - 4.4L (57.10.01)

OR

GTR Home> NAS > Service Information / LM - Range Rover/2005 > Workshop Manuals> Range Rover Workshop Manual Service Procedures> Bookmark "57 Steering" Link "57.10.01 Power Steering Rack - Left Hand Drive V8"

14. If the levels of vibration remain unacceptable, refer to GTR section 57.10.01 and replace the steering gear assembly following the FRED procedure to obtain the correct replacement component listed in this bulletin.

 

[Rangie_man]

Another interesting revelation and solution:

Solution:
3/22/03: One owner reported the problem finally identified and solved on his vehicle, after 7200 miles and 6 attempts at balancing the tires, including replacement of the front ones. It emerged emerged that the problem has nothing to do with the tires -- it is caused by a valve in the steering rack that controls the amount of fluid to the variable speed steering. Owners with the vibration problem reported that if you accelerated slowly from a dead stop, the vibration did not occur. If you floored it, vibration every time. It appears that the valve could not keep up with a rapid change and malfunctioned (55 mph is where it is programmed to make a major adjustment in steering tension). The defective steering would then shake the car out of balance explaining why it would drive well for about a week after balancing, then vibrate again. The fix was a replacement part for the defective valve in the steering box.

 

[Rangie_man]

Problems solved by replacing Wheels Tyres with brand new and correctly balanced units. There is still a VERY small shimmy between 53-58 but hardly noticeable.

This car is VERY susceptible to mid speed steering shimmy unless the the wheels are perfectly balanced and it a known Range Rover fault. End of.

 

[andrewbriggs]

I am amazed not to find more on this subject on the web... my 2010 TDV8 has suffered with quite violent steering shimmy, was supposedly fixed when modified parts were fitted (including steering rack and dampened steering wheel), but re-emerged when the car underwent a Kahn conversion, which included 22" wheels. In fact the 'fix' does not appear to be a fix at all- what LR appear to have done is mask the problem so it is imperceptible- or tolerable- to the majority. Originally I had a bad time with the local dealer as, according to them, mine was the first such reported problem. Now it is a recognized fault, but still there does not appear to be a proper, permanent fix, and it leads me to believe that actually LR are selling cars in the knowledge they are not fully roadworthy- or fit for the purpose. Short of taking my 22" Kahn wheels off, which is not in prospect given the wider wheel arches now in place, I have a car which is going to suffer quite violent shimmy for the rest of its days. When you think about it, people buy this model because it is an armchair on wheels, so making it an unpleasant drive on long distance journeys does not match the expectation. I have owned RR's for many years, and have had issues like everyone else, but this really has put me off. Does anyone know of anything in the pipeline at LR that addresses this problem properly?

 

[shaunhodson]

I completely agree with you, i purchased a new RR in Sept 03 which suffered viabration on steering lock. I sent the car back and got refunded suprisingly.
This time i have just purchased a 55 reg Vogue with 22" Overfinch fitted, it suffers from a steering wheel viabration from about 55 to 70 mph, just like my front wheels are out of balance, it passes when i exceed 75 mph. The wheels were balanced but still the same, i was advised by ATS that the Toyo tyres i have fitted have caused many balancing issues for them in the past. Due to the tyres being cheap, the rubber isnt moulded evenly all around the tyre so it causes an imbalance on the road even after a full wheel balance. I dont know how true it is, it kind of makes sence but not in other ways.
Anyone with other ideas to eliminate this problem because apart from this it is the most luxury car you can buy.

 

[bluemac]

my 03 keeps having this problem when I bought it I had it balanced and it went 6 months later started again, I change wheels around bought a new second hand set of alloys and tyres on ebay put these on no difference, had it balanced again this week and it seems ok so I think its the faulty valve that s mentioned earlier.

 

[bluemac]

FOund my problem after 2 months .... feel a bit daft.... vibration was coming from front left area but it was the rear drivers side tyre, some how it had got damaged and had swolen out if thats the right word then all the tread on that area had worn down (which is why i noticed) when I took it off and rolled it it looked quite bad, I must have missed swapping this wheel or moved it from somewhere else.