Shimey/shudder fix described
03-12-2004, 07:11 PM
#1
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 65
Shimey/shudder fix described
I bought a new '04 SE last monday night. After lurking on this board for a few months, I found mine on the showroom floor, and now "had" to have it.Spirited Bronze with Black leather. Never test drove it. When driving it home I noticed a slight amount of the famous shimmey between about35-60 mph. Not much, but it was there. I was actually waiting for it tohappen. Next day I took someone's advise on this board and checked the tire pressure. 3 tires were at 30lbs. cold. One tire was at 15lbs. cold. Needless to say the car felt sloppy. So I took their advise andincreased tire pressure to 37lbs. cold on the fronts, and 35lbs. cold on the rear. The tire placard recommends 32 lbs., which I think is to soft.End result, no shimmey. Gone. At the higher pressures the car is much more stable, and feels glued to the road. Now the car
is without flaws. No shimmey, no gear shift clicking, no a/c motor gurgling. I traded in my '03 maxima, and this new one is much different.
Bigger and heavier feeling, and oh so smooth. If you are having trouble with the shimmey, try increasing the tire pressures. I just might work.
is without flaws. No shimmey, no gear shift clicking, no a/c motor gurgling. I traded in my '03 maxima, and this new one is much different.
Bigger and heavier feeling, and oh so smooth. If you are having trouble with the shimmey, try increasing the tire pressures. I just might work.
03-12-2004, 07:43 PM
#2
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Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 67
This and an incident that I've experienced is making me believe more and more that the real solution is a tightening of rack friction as described by a previous 04 owner in this forum.
I do have the shimmy problem but it has been minimized after replacing two defective tires, rotating two tires, and using a road force variance machine.
The incident that happened was that I was away on a business trip for a week at the end of January and I left my car at the park and fly. I had installed new wheels and snow tires for the winter and the shimmy was still there and a little more pronounced than with the originals. Well, that week my home city had a major snow storm and when I picked up my car at the end of my trip, I hadn't cleaned the snow that had piled into the new alloy rims. Driving home on the highway, the shimmy was greatly exaggerated and I could feel a strong vibration in the steering wheel. So I took the next exit and entered a parking lot where I cleaned the snow out of the wheels. It was still stuck in there even though I had been driving at highway speeds. I checked the tire pressure on all 4 tires and it was relatively normal and even for all tires (around 34 psi). I got back on the highway and the pronounced shimmy was back to a normal shimmy.
I realize that a little weight difference can cause this but I think the car is oversensitive to this when it should not be. That's why I believe that the rack friction is probably not set correctly. Make it a little tighter and you won't have sensitivity to minor weight variances. If I came out of my driveway with clean rims and then I were to drive in deep snow for a while and then drive on the highway, I wouldn't expect to have to clean my rims before getting on the highway. Or should I?
Thoughts?
I do have the shimmy problem but it has been minimized after replacing two defective tires, rotating two tires, and using a road force variance machine.
The incident that happened was that I was away on a business trip for a week at the end of January and I left my car at the park and fly. I had installed new wheels and snow tires for the winter and the shimmy was still there and a little more pronounced than with the originals. Well, that week my home city had a major snow storm and when I picked up my car at the end of my trip, I hadn't cleaned the snow that had piled into the new alloy rims. Driving home on the highway, the shimmy was greatly exaggerated and I could feel a strong vibration in the steering wheel. So I took the next exit and entered a parking lot where I cleaned the snow out of the wheels. It was still stuck in there even though I had been driving at highway speeds. I checked the tire pressure on all 4 tires and it was relatively normal and even for all tires (around 34 psi). I got back on the highway and the pronounced shimmy was back to a normal shimmy.
I realize that a little weight difference can cause this but I think the car is oversensitive to this when it should not be. That's why I believe that the rack friction is probably not set correctly. Make it a little tighter and you won't have sensitivity to minor weight variances. If I came out of my driveway with clean rims and then I were to drive in deep snow for a while and then drive on the highway, I wouldn't expect to have to clean my rims before getting on the highway. Or should I?
Thoughts?
03-12-2004, 10:54 PM
#3
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: a meadow south of Atlanta
Posts: 8,143
high888 - good move on the tire pressure. I have carried 36 or 37 front and 34 rear for around twenty years. Seems to give me the best control and most even tire wear for my style of driving.
hanzar - in the 'old days', with 14" and 15" wheels for tire profiles like 70, 65, and even 60, there was not a large horizontal surface inside the wheel for much snow or ice to stick to. The 17"and 18" wheels for tire profiles like 55, 50 and even 45 however, have horizontal surfaces inside the wheel large enough to serve dinner on.
I may be wrong, but I have a feeling the icing problem you describe may be something that will plague the '04 Maxima (and other vehicles using similar wheel/tire sizes) for several years before someone comes up with a solution. Heated wheels may be impractical, so it may be that a wheel redesign (or special wheel for use in snowy climes) may be necessary.
hanzar - in the 'old days', with 14" and 15" wheels for tire profiles like 70, 65, and even 60, there was not a large horizontal surface inside the wheel for much snow or ice to stick to. The 17"and 18" wheels for tire profiles like 55, 50 and even 45 however, have horizontal surfaces inside the wheel large enough to serve dinner on.
I may be wrong, but I have a feeling the icing problem you describe may be something that will plague the '04 Maxima (and other vehicles using similar wheel/tire sizes) for several years before someone comes up with a solution. Heated wheels may be impractical, so it may be that a wheel redesign (or special wheel for use in snowy climes) may be necessary.
03-14-2004, 06:36 AM
#4
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 67
Yes, lightonthehill, you're quite right. I guess that's why many snow tire users also use the black steel rims in the winter (which look awful and can rust). Perhaps a teflon coating, or spray on the rims would work, with a slight slope for the horizontal surface. Seems to me the alloys are already pretty slippery though.
03-14-2004, 08:23 AM
#5
Banned
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 102
I'm also very sensitive to alignment and driveability issues with my cars. My '04 does not shimmy at any speed. I check tire pressures every 2 weeks and set them at 33 pounds.
However, during a recent snowfall, quite a bit of snow built up in the front wheels. The steering wheel shook like crazy unlike any car I've ever owned. Cleaning out the build up brought the car back to normal.
From reading various posts on this forum I see that Max's have an inherent problem with shimmy. I don't know about the steering mechanism, but I do know that alignment, balance and pressure make a big difference in wear, smoothness and tracking.
I also think that wide, low profile tires are more sensitive to these three issues.
However, during a recent snowfall, quite a bit of snow built up in the front wheels. The steering wheel shook like crazy unlike any car I've ever owned. Cleaning out the build up brought the car back to normal.
From reading various posts on this forum I see that Max's have an inherent problem with shimmy. I don't know about the steering mechanism, but I do know that alignment, balance and pressure make a big difference in wear, smoothness and tracking.
I also think that wide, low profile tires are more sensitive to these three issues.
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