Lenferg

'96 LT1 daily driver with 150,000 miles has a shimmy & shake at 60 - 65 mph. At faster speeds it usually goes away, sometimes it doesn't. Wheels/tires are balanced. Preparing for a front end freshening up/rebuild and need some ideas on what to replace to address this problem. Thanks in advance for any help.

lt4obsesses

Were the wheels/tires balanced recently?
How old are the tires?
When was the last alignment done?
What shape are the rotors in?

As far as balancing, some techs are better than others as well machines they use.

Also, tire age/miles are a factor in this as the balance can change over time. Tires don't always wear evenly, develop flat spots etc. especially when you get into wider tires 245's +.

Some basic checks for alignment can be done simply by finding flat road and letting go of wheel and check for pulling consistantly to one side or other. Better is let go of wheel while breaking firmly from 40 mph or so. If you get a consistant pull you may need aligning.

I am replacing my rotors here this week. I have 109K and they're pretty well grooved. As these things wear, the heating and cooling can cause them to warp slightly. Though this usually shows up as a pulsing when breaking, it can also cause a shimmy at speeds.

engle1147

checking the all suspension components would be a good place to start.

A "shake" up front is not always a problem with the front end:
Check the 1/2 shafts U joints - those puppies , when bad, will make the front end shake at the speed ranges you mentioned....usually only under power...not coasting.