AboutJohn McInnis Expertise Land Rover Discovery.
I've had most of the common mechanical failures, altenator, water leaks, wiper failure, door/hinge problems, roof rust, floor rust, loads of electrical problems. Remember, I'm not a dealer or a mechanic, just an owner like most of you.
Experience
Experience Owner of a Discovery. I've had many mishaps with our Disco but I still like this vehicle. Talk to a fellow LR owner instead of a dealership rep. I'm not in this for the money. I'm just an owner who wants to help others.
Question John have you ever experienced bad steering shimmy? When driving at between 50 and 100 kph and go thru a pot hole or rut the steering wheel goes back and forth very quickly as does the road wheels. this is only stopped by letting the vehicle slowdown without braking and usually increases in movement while slowing, any clues as to what could be causing it??
regards Brent.
Answer Hi Brent,
you bet I have. Many other LR owners will also tell you the nightmare about those shimmys at high speed.
The first time it happened to me I thought I lost a wheel!! I was driving along a major highway at 100 km/h when I passed over a railroad track (yes, here in Canada some idiot put a RR track across a major highway). The steering wheel seemed to come to life as the vibrations shook the entire truck. I could barely hold the vehicle on the road.
I was able to stop the Disco and after looking around, noting the wheels were still on and axle was not broken, I saw no damage and continued driving (at a slower speed). I vowed to take a thorough look when I returned home.
At first I thought it was the steering damper. It was easy to replace and it seemed to solve the problem. That same year, I had a wheel alignment done and had to replace the balljoints. About a year, I crossed those same tracks and the vibration came back, not as strong but it was present.
I then took a closer look at the suspension. I decided to change the shocks all around for Bilsteins. A neighbour helped me out with the install and I can tell you the vibrations never came back.
My guess is that worn shocks combined with a unique steering system can result in much of those vibrations. Ball joints also can play a part in this problem, so don't forget them either.
