1995 Ford Crown Victoria Logo
Posted on Sep 24, 2009
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1995 Ford Crown Victoria - shakes/vibrates @ highway speeds.

1995 Ford Crown Victoria - front end vibration. I replaced the pitman arm and idler arm.
Was told that an inner tie rod end needs to be replaced.
If the tires are balanced, what would cause highway speed shimmy/vibration?
Also, what would NOT cause the shaking?
Alignment, shocks, tie rods, etc...

1 Answer

Ned C Cook

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  • Ford Master 3,433 Answers
  • Posted on Sep 24, 2009
Ned C Cook
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Alignment has alot to do with the tires not shimmying.. Like zero toe setting. Loose componants like tie rod ends and the idler ar worn. You can ck for excess front end play by holding the front and back of the wheel and pushing and pulling on it, like rocking it. OR have someone rock the steering while you watch where the play is from underneath. By rocking I mean turn the steering wheel back and forth. Look at all th joints and pivot points for excess play, which is, movement not immediate to the rest of the steering system. Tire balance is very important. Wheel hop is a sign of a bad tire and it overtaxes the shock absorber. Shocks don't cause shimmy because they are a vertical movement controlA shimmy is lateral or side to side.Wheel balance weights must be spit. If a 2 oz. weight is needed to balance the tire, Oe once should be on the inside of the wheel and one ounce on the outside directly across from each outher.. Loose wheel brgs will cause shimmy, but they would not last long. Caster setting on the wheel alignment will also cause shimmy. Like on a shopping car. too much caster causes the wheel to start fluttering and is very hard on other componants. This may be why you have worn tie rod ends and a bad pitman arm. Worn control arm bushings and ball joints directly affect titre wear and can only be feltwhen the front end hits a dip and detected by side wear on the tire edges. Summary: replace the tie rod end and have the car aligned. Good Luck, -Ned_ sorry about the book

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