jcalabria

Upping the pressure makes sense if it is helping to minimize variations in the tire's physical spring rate around its circumference (the whole point of the Hunter road force balancing system, and why "normal" dynamic balancing doesn't always fix vibration issues).

I noticed a very slight vibration @ 80 mph in the rear of my '07 this week, but the rears are set to 33psi (fronts are 35psi). Gonna up them and see what happens.

jcalabria

You are right that things can change, but if it was running perfectly I'd be hesitant to mess with a good thing. The Max is apparantly more sensitive than the balancing equipment and can probably tell you better than the mechanics can if there is a problem.

About a year into my '03 lease, my wife took it into Nissan for an (unfortunately) routine Bose HU swapout. It was also due for an oil change at the time and they were running a special, so she had them do that. No problem. Then they talked her into a rotate/balance (even though I had just rotated the tires). Well, they ended up focking up what had been an absolutely perfect balance setup from the factory. Never was the same again. I was so pissed its not funny.

Lovemycar

It's funny that you say that my 2001 MAX had the shimmy to was perfect in till i had the rotors changed

MaxFan

I think I brought up the tire pressure observation which many don't quite take it seriously. However, it only cover up slightly-off balance situations. Don't expect it can fix the shimmy by itself.

jcalabria

Actually, tire pressure should not have any effect whatsoever on a balance issue. It will only help equalize variations in a tire's mechanical spring rate around its circumference ("dynamic" out of round). It covers up the tire's "soft spot", not its balance.

macming

I had big problems with my RSA. Made my front right floor board shake like a ****. All 4 tires also developed cracking on the sidewalls. I wouldn't touch any more good year products.

macming

I bought my car at 21k miles, and had somewhat serious shimmy that was pressure dependent. When the shimmy was on, the front right floor board would shake violently, to the point it was embrassing to have people in my car. My right front RSA had a bad crack on the side wall, and the treads were worn to the wear bar, so I bought new tires today.

So I went out and bought a pair of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires from a speciality tire shop. I mentioned the shimmy issue and the shop balanced my tires carefully. I told them to use the 5 bolt lugs to mount the tires. After I got it back, the car is perfectly smooth and quiet, and finally is driving like a car in this price range is supposed to!

So to all with the shimmy, I recommend going to a tire speciality shop with a Hunter GPS9700 and pay for a balance. Don't go to the dealer since they don't specialize in anything really. Even if this does not work, it should significantly improve the situation.

Good luck

Ming

chef

I've gone to everything to try to fix the shimmy, nothing, got a lawyer to get the lawsuit going, he said "we're ready, but is going to take about 18 months before we know something", I said forget it, I'm not driving mister shimmy that long, plus numerous other problems, I'm going to settle for enough money to get me out of the car (read good enough to do that a more) into a brand new 07 Passat 2.0T with sport package 2 and ground kit, going back to german cars after the fiasco with Honda and Nissan in the last 3 years. They might be good (not in my case), but will never equal the built and hadling of germans. I know they have their issues like any other manufacturer, nut at least they take care of it and I get a loaner without asking or failing.
This is a bitter sweet departure for sure, the Max could be the best cars out there for its price range if it didn't have the NIssan logo on it, NNA sucks big time, and that's why I'm trading my Max.
I'll be loosing 40 HP with the trade-in, but I drove it for a day, and holly macarroni! for me, is a win hands down. The safety feeling at 120 mph on I-20, the Max with all of its power would never match it.
Anyways, thank you guys for everything, a sea of knowledge I've learned here, and a few try to help me a lot and I really appreciated, but no more Nissans or Infinity for me.
I know about VWs, I had three of them for the last 7 years, and my problems were minor ones, and if you put them all together (again 7 years) are 10% of the ones I got on my Max in 8 moths.

Adios muchachos, thank you for everything :-)

Chef

haunt14

has anyone had luck with resolving the shimmy, i have changed rotors & pads, had the rack adjusted, was told i had 3 bent rims so i replaces with 4 aftermarked rims with stock tire size, michilen pilots that r z rated. and i still have the dreaded shimmy. it makes me sick when i drove this car on the highways. i cant believe i paid for such a horrible ride. anyone with the answer? please!!!!!!!!!!!!!

brn5150

OMG!!!!!! This is exactly what I have going on right now.

So, many iof you may know I traded a 2006 Altima SE for a 2006 Maxima SE about 2 mos back.

It started on day one when I drove my car home. It had just 50 miles on it and when I was driving it home, noticed a HORRIFIC shimmy in the steering wheel. Next day, they replaced the rotors and said " seems to be fixed" have a nice day. Got one mile down the road and noticed a the same shimmy.

Next day, dropped car off at dealer and said balance every tire again. They did. Got on the highway and there was the shimmy. Took it back and said FIX IT AND DONT GIVE IT BACK UNTIL then. They call and say its fixed.
I get it back, get on highway and there it is again. Now I am getting pissed.

So, I had to drive to Cleveland next day which is about 2 hrs from here. Not only is the car shimmying, but my watch is vibrating so bad, I have to take it off.

While in Cleveland, I decide I cant drive another 2hrs back or I may go Postal at a Nissan Dealer, so I take it to an NTB which has the Road Force machine and I pay the $150 for Roadforce and road hazard protection. They take off all the tires, to tell (and show) me that 3 of the four tires are defective and one rim should be replaced.

The good news, I take the paperwork that NTB gave me to my dealership and they order three new tires and a new rim, no questions asked. They get everything in and replace the tires/rim. I drive away with what feels like the car should when its brand new. That was about 1000 miles ago.

Sure as $hit, the shimmy is back. I was out with customers the other night and we were driving down the hwy when my boss goes "Brian, why is your watch shaking so bad?" I was embarrassed and wanted to drive the car off a bridge.

NISSAN, YOU MUST FIX THIS F'N problem. This car drives like a 1990 Ford Tempo. I didnt pay $30+k for a car that looks great on the inside but drives like a POS!!!!!

I absolutely HATE my car right now. I have had it for 2 mos and feel absolutely raped when I am driving down the hwy and everything that isnt bolted down inside the car is shaking.

jsuggs

What year is your car ?? It cant be an 07 as I was told by Nissan that its impossible . She told me that she has and 07 too and it doesnt shimmy . So mine cant possibly shimmy .. And there you have it !!


But you know I bet if I was to call her back, now that its been a couple of months, she just might have a different story ...

brn5150

I have a 2006 Maxima SE

soupnazi67

My 04 does the shim sham shimmy only between 75-80 MPH. The Mitsubishi dealer I purchased it at a few weeks ago was supposed to have fixed it before I picked it up. Now it just occurs at a higher speed, 75-80 instead of 68-73. I'm hoping I just need a good balance job. This car has new Raptor tires on it. Not sure if they're worth a sh**... probably not.

povartrader

Hmm...been trying to find out about the raptors....they aren't good?

Hotnikks

Just so I'm clear on something...Does this happen while just normal driving or during braking?? Cause I get steering wheel shimmy while slightly braking but no other time...

VRod

i have a 2000 max with aftermarket rims (i bought the car used that way, i believe they are 16" scorpions). months ago i had 2 new continental tires put in on the rear rims, and then had them rotated up to the front. i immediately noticed a shimmy on the steering wheel, and no amount of rebalancing or aligning would get rid of the shimmy. however, i went to a mechanic who rotated the rears to the fronts (the new tires were then in the back), and then the shimmy was gone. i went back to the tire place and they replaced the continentals with toyos, and then put those toyos back up to the front. the shimmy is back; this eliminates the idea that it was perhaps out of round tires. my question is if it's most likely one of the rims, can they be fixed in any way? or would replacing them be my option?

i also experience shimmy when i brake, although not bad. this leads me to believe it's warped rotors, which i had replaced at 86,000 miles (i'm at 105,000 now). is this a normal lifetime for rotors?

VRod

Am I posting in the wrong thread for my post?
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

djohns08

Hey,
Just wondering what some experts would say. I have a 98 Maxima GLE 125,000 and is an obsolute workhorse. I love the car. I have been offered an 04 max SE by one of my clients for just the payoff. The car has 78,000 and is in immaculate condition. Well maintained and highway miles. He got 70,000 out of the goodyear RSA's and replaced just recently with same tire. I am scared to buy this vehicle per the reviews. But I love the maxima and am going off the durability of my 98. Would you guys do it?

Nightscape

I had a slight shimmy when my car was brand new at around 55-60mph. It's been 6 months now, and 6000 miles later, the shimmy seems to have disappeared.

SteVTEC

OMFG 2007 Maximas are STILL having shimmy issues?




Well damn, because I'm looking to replace my 99SE and figured they would have had this crap wrapped up long ago. I guess this just shows that the whole front end system as a whole is BAD and poorly designed, and that a true "fix" for it is way too expensive. Hopefully the D-platform cars will be better.

philoforlife

So since I've bought my 2004 SL, I've been privy to the shivy.

I mean, shimmy.

I caught on the day I bought it. I remember thinking, driving home from the dealer "The car is vibrating. They screwed me on alignment."

So the next week I took the car back. Perfect alignment. Perfect balance.

What the hell?

Then I started doing research on the org. I found all the shimmy threads, all the same problems that I had, between 55 and 70. And I mean there was a strong *** shimmy. Not just a vibration. The car freakin vibrated.

It stopped this morning. Completely.

I'm going to tell you about what fixed it, and the one thing every person has overlooked, because it seems like there is no way it could be what it is.

It's a stupid piece of plastic.

The piece of plastic guard that covers the engine in the front? The part that bolts onto the bottom of the front bumper, with the 2 inch lip guard that sticks down. Covers the front, bottom of the engine.

I accidentally nailed a bump hard in a trailer park this morning, my trailer park. I got down and the piece had busted out the back bolts closest to the cockpit. Not having any of the plastic screws that hold it in, I had to take the entire thing off and leave it in my shed.

The the miracle...on the way home - no shimmy. I tried taking it to 60 and then letting off the gas (when floored it didn't shimmy as much, more so when it was coasting) - nothing. Nothing at any range. That damn piece of plastic vibrating caused the whole thing.

Someone mentioned that Nissan put a bigger bushing in the steering column in the 05s which solved the problem. I'm betting it just masked the problem, and allowed for more vibration to be eliminated on the way to the wheel.

Ultimately, I went to the Altima forums (they too have the shimmy) and read a 14 page thread on the same issue...and go figure, the last page - someone discovered the same thing.

If you don't want to take the entire shield off, you could shave the two inch lip that sticks down - that's actually what is causing the vibration.

Can I say that this will fix every shimmy? No. But is it worth a try? It certainly fixed mine.

Joshua boink

djohns08

Hello All,

Had my 04 Max SE balanced with the Hunter Road Force and was told that my 2 front rims were bent. I have shimmy like everyone else. Also noise from the passenger front side like the pad rubbing the rotor. The tech told me the rotor and caliper were both moving in and out 1/2 inch. Tech said it is an issue with the wheel hub on the passenger side. IS this BS? I've only owned the car for 2 months. It seems possible that the previous owner hit railroad tracks REALLY REALLY hard. Do I fork over the money for rims and fix the wheel hub? Or is this a issue that can't be resolved given all the previous issues with the SHIMMY. (2004 Maxima SE 83,000 miles)

lobewiper

It's not possible for even 1/2 inch of total side to side caliper movement, let alone the full inch (1/2 in plus 1/2 out) the tech claimed. I hope this tech was not a certified Nissan mechanic! Rotor could be out of trueness and need resurfacing. Take your car to a reputable shop for a second opinion, or to a dealer without unresolved BBB complaints for another look. I think two bent front rims is unlikely...

fredk

I have an 04 and the shimmy is there since day 1. What I noticed however is that if the telescopic steering is all the way in (not extended), the shimmy is diminished.

At this point it doesn't really matter anymore since I'm trading the thing anyways.

Bygdaug

When I first bought my 04 Max SI I had the infamous "shimmy". I took it to my local dealer and had the tires high speed balanced. While the tech had the tires off he noticed that the tread had "oh so slightly" separated. Needless to say I changed the tires, had them balanced and now no shimmy. I have had the car up to 170 kms per hour and it is smooth.

FYI----the tires were the originals and still loked brand new from what I could tell. The separation was almost invisible but it was there.

06maximabadwaddle

shimmy still exist in 06 models

macakin

So eveyone with the shimmy also notices a loud (vibrating) noise from the front end when the shimmy is in effect?

Brudderray

My 2005 Max vibed at 55 -65 . What a PITA! I tried a few tricks but no good. Then I spent $1000 on new rubber and that solved the problem. I read somewhere that the bead is tricky to seat. Some other forum said that. They explained and diagramed the bead situation.

Kryogen

i dont believe in shimmy.... there is a cause. bad balance on tires, rims, whatever. there is no dreaded "shimmy"

revvinMAXto11

well sir, might i be the first to say you... are an idiot or is the word ignorant... take your pick!

Kryogen

Sorry to be ignorant or stupid. Since you are obviously very intelligent and seem to think that I am not, could you list me the real mechanical reasons for "shimmy" that are not related to :

unbalanced rotors, tires, rims, rust on hubs or rotors
front end problems or worn suspension, bad alignment

I'm just saying, because from reading the posts here, most people eventually found their "shimmy" related to bad tire balance, alignment, or a defective part. Therefore I wouldnt call this "tEh sHiMmY", I would call this simply a symptom of a defective or worn part.

Please instruct us with all your knowledge.

Or stop posting flame posts telling people they are retarded.

Thanks

BadBlackMaxSL

iTrader: (1)

The shimmy is real. I had it for 5 years and now its been gone for almost a year since tightening the steering rack. It wasn't in the tires, rims, axels, rotors, end links, struts, springs.

Kryogen

well it was in the steering rack.

What I mean is that im sick of that "shimmy" ****.... there is no shimmy. theres a cause, theres a problem, theres a solution. People all over the forum have different problems and solutions......

BadBlackMaxSL

iTrader: (1)

True, it was the rack but when this thread was started no one had any clue what would or could solve the issue. For me, the solution of the shimmy was the rack adjustment.

NYCMAXIMA

Ok so mh shimmy is finaly gone!!!! I took the car for road force balancing on the hunter gsp 9700 machine. Cost me $40, turns out that one of my front rims is a little out of round they say it cant b fixed just gotta get a new rim. They balanced it as best they could anyway and put it in the back passenger side. Now my car is o so smooth!!!!! I love driving again!!! Good luck to everyone else with this problem.