Do you have a vibration in your 4R? Dealer having issues diagnosing? (Blaming tires?)

[Hadelson]

If it can't be measured and quantified (level of vibration), then how can the issue be identified and tracked?

Dude, see you're back at it again.

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[Maximus4R]

Still lurking on the boards but traded my 4R less than 2 weeks ago for this type of issue. I had an insane wobble/vibration that started right at 70mph every single highway drive. It rode perfectly smooth at slow speeds, but get over 70 and I could feel it in my seat, the wheel, the door, etc. It had my calves shaking most of the time. I tried balancing at the dealer first, then three different discount tires. The dealer said they were off balance but they weren’t fixed. The first discount tire said the same thing but still the same issue. The next two said they were under 30 on their road force machine so no issues found. I’ve had two other 6th gen’s mistakes were made) and neither had the issue. Beyond frustrated with the whole thing and ended up eating more than I care to admit getting out of it. As someone with a 1+ hour commute depending on traffic I was done. I know I can be a little crazy/OCD so had plenty of others try as well and all thought it was an unacceptable amount of shake.

 

[Cranberry]

Following thread. Curious where this goes. Wishing all your wobbly worries get resolved.

 

[xp0nex]

My 4R has been rock solid and when I moved over to RT tires it also has been rock solid. Sometimes weights will fall off, not balanced correctly, or the tire itself is just bad. Hopefully you get this issue figured out.

 

[Hadelson]

This potentially is a tire issue. Can folks share what tires they changed out from the OEM and if issue continued? I have 10K on my stock Trail hunter OEM tires/Wheels. No issues up to approximately 70MPH and then have very slight vibration. Tires rotated twice and with it the vibration is in the rear area. A guess is a rotor issue.

 

[6thGen1419]

This potentially is a tire issue. Can folks share what tires they changed out from the OEM and if issue continued? I have 10K on my stock Trail hunter OEM tires/Wheels. No issues up to approximately 70MPH and then have very slight vibration. Tires rotated twice and with it the vibration is in the rear area. A guess is a rotor issue.

Can the frequency and amplitude can be measured and characterized? Does the vibration frequency change with speed? Only happen at certain speeds? Comes and goes or is a constant problem? Is there vibration only when the car is moving? RPM correlation? etc?

 

[watchbuzz]

Did the driveline ever get checked for imbalance (mainly: driveshaft balance etc)?

 

[Hadelson]

Can the frequency and amplitude can be measured and characterized? Does the vibration frequency change with speed? Only happen at certain speeds? Comes and goes or is a constant problem? Is there vibration only when the car is moving? RPM correlation? etc?

Do you have anything valuable to add to this thread except asking multiple questions? Just asking

 

[Gumpus]

Do you have anything valuable to add to this thread except asking multiple questions? Just asking

Those are the things the dealer would have asked and checked if they followed a diagnostic procedure vs a trial and error parts-swapping approach (where the customer and Toyota pay for dealer incompetence). Just measuring the frequency (at a couple different speeds) will tell you if it's related to tires/wheels/rotors or driveshaft/driveline or not.

 

[6thGen1419]

Those are the things the dealer would have asked and checked if they followed a diagnostic procedure vs a trial and error parts-swapping approach (where the customer and Toyota pay for dealer incompetence). Just measuring the frequency (at a couple different speeds) will tell you if it's related to tires/wheels/rotors or driveshaft/driveline or not.

It would be nice to figure out what the source is and what the actual issue is.

 

[LAR4R6G]

ISSUE RESOLVED - for me anyhow.
My balancing woes have ended. I just came back from Discount Tire where I had 4 new Toyo Open Country AT3s (SL load) installed. I got it up to 75 mph with no vibration. I can rest easy over this issue now and get on with my mods...

Hi.
What "SL load" means?

Are Toyo Open Country AT3s SL Load different from the OEM Toyo Open Country AT3 I have in my 2025 Trailhunter from the factory?

Trying to find out the origin of the vibration/wobble I am experiencing from 30mph.

Thanks.

 

[6thGen1419]

Dude, see you're back at it again.

Looks like it was the tires, not Toyota.

Do you have anything valuable to add to this thread except asking multiple questions? Just asking

Here's something. Looks like it was the tires.

https://www.4runner6g.com/forum/threads/trailhunter-wheel-vibration.5882/post-84171

 

[IRFAN0922]

Here's your note with your additional point added naturally at the end.

I came from a 5th Gen 4Runner, so let me clear up a few things first.

A lot of people immediately blame the tires or say the vehicle just needs a road force balance. However, most people don't understand that road force balancing is only half of the process. The second and most important step is called match mounting (force matching).

During match mounting, the machine identifies the high and low spots on both the tire and the wheel. The technician then has to dismount the tire and reposition it on the rim so those high and low points match correctly. This is one of the most difficult and time-consuming procedures, and most dealerships and tire shops skip it unless you specifically ask for it. I had this done on my 5th Gen at Mr. Tire, but it also requires a properly calibrated machine and an experienced technician. This process is especially important for sensitive vehicles like the 4Runner.

This video explains it well:


Now, does this have anything to do with the vibration issue? No. Proper road force balancing and match mounting should always be done, but they are not the root cause of the vibration.

Vibration can come from several different sources:

• Defective or out-of-round tires.
• Tire rubber compound or uneven tread wear.
• An unbalanced or damaged driveshaft.
• The engine itself.
• Engine mounts.
• The steering rack.

On the 5th Gen, many owners experienced vibrations, seat shaking, and steering wheel shake. Replacing the front needle bearing along with performing a proper road force balance and match mounting reduced the vibration for many people, but it never completely eliminated the steering wheel shake. The needle bearing mainly helped reduce the vibration felt through the seat and drivetrain.

In my experience, a proper road force balance with match mounting plus a needle bearing replacement lowers the chances of vibration, but it never fixes the issue 100%.

Now let's talk about the 6th Gen.

The team that designed and built the 6th Gen is different from the team that built the 5th Gen. In large companies like Toyota, engineering teams follow established design principles and blueprints, but over the years many experienced engineers have left. This happened across many companies after COVID, and in my opinion, Toyota is no exception.

The biggest issue with the 6th Gen is the overall reduction in build quality. There is much more aluminum and lightweight material used throughout the vehicle. Many of the components connected to the engine and drivetrain are not isolated as well as they should be.

In my opinion, the 6th Gen actually has the same vibration problems as the 5th Gen—and in some cases, they're even worse. Not every 4Runner does it. Some owners are more sensitive to vibrations than others, and some vehicles seem better than others. Since many components are sourced from outside suppliers, there can be variations from one vehicle to another.

I believe the main causes are:

• Body mounts.
• Engine mounts.
• Driveshaft.
• Steering rack.

Personally, I don't believe Toyota will ever completely fix this issue. I wouldn't waste a lot of time going back and forth with dealerships.

Instead, if enough owners experience the same problem, raise your voice by filing reports with NHTSA and sharing your experience on YouTube and social media.

I say this because I already went through this with my 2021 5th Gen. I spent countless hours visiting dealerships, opened two cases with Toyota, and never received a real solution. Eventually, I simply learned to live with it.

Now I own a 6th Gen, and honestly, I think the vibration is worse than it was on my 5th Gen because of the lighter construction and increased use of aluminum and lightweight materials.

That said, if someone actually finds the real root cause and a permanent fix, it will be a game changer—a rocket fix for the entire 4Runner community. Thousands of owners would benefit from it. I truly hope someone proves me wrong, because I'd be the first person to apply the fix.

This is just my personal experience after owning both generations.

 

[Nodak]

yeah i still have a vibration in my defender ltx ms2 and they have been balanced twice by 2 different shops.

i have them at 33 psi at @40F but i still havent gotten around to bump them up to 35 psi as its been pushing 90/100s the past few weeks here and it doesnt cool off to about 70F until midnight or so.

hoping maybe 2 psi will help the vibration as it goes away around 36-38 psi it seems but then again it makes the tires harsh for normal city/highway driving.

forgot to add, the new tires was a noticeably difference in ride quality over the oem grandtrek PT5A tires, but know i just have a little nagging vibration that "I" think is the tires not completely balanced correctly even after 2 tries.

the 2nd shop did a better job than the first but its still there. i usually judge it by how bad the passenger seatback vibrates

if its really bad, clothing and other objects in the passenger seat cushion noticeably vibrate

 

[pmedicj]

Hi.
What "SL load" means?

Are Toyo Open Country AT3s SL Load different from the OEM Toyo Open Country AT3 I have in my 2025 Trailhunter from the factory?

Trying to find out the origin of the vibration/wobble I am experiencing from 30mph.

Thanks.

Yes, OEM open country AT3 are manufactured at different specs than the commercial SL tires. The OEM’s are horrible and have been known to have vibration issues.

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