Need help with violent shaking of steering wheel

[muncie21]

My 99 4WD Tahoe has a nasty wheel shake that I can't seem to get rid of. The shake can come/go, but it's mostly present from 30+ MPH. When it starts my steering wheel shakes left/right very vigorously and gets worse as the speed increases.

I have replaced the pitman arm, idler arm and the inner/outer tie rods and sleeves.

Putting my winter tires/rims (completely different tires/rims) on it doesn't make a difference either.

Suggestions?

 

[TTZ06]

how are the hubs?

 

[muncie21]

how are the hubs?

Not sure how to check the hubs...
I had the hoe on a lift and had someone shake the wheels 'left to right'. I could feel something loose in the steering, but couldn't see what was causing it. My thought is that it's either the center link or the steering box....but not sure if there's something I'm mising.

 

[Donnie Yukonie]

i dont think hubs are an issue but they are easily cheched by getting the wheels off the ground next grab the top and bottom of the tire and see if there is any play i.e bad hubs i dont think your center link could do this i doubt it i think it would have to be bent , these trucks will have a little play left to right just happens . i would vote for the steering box myself. comet might know this because ive never expierenced these symptoms myself

 

[SunlitComet]

Shake them again and have one or two others watch while you do otherwise use I dial gauge on the components and the problem will show itself.

 

[muncie21]

I checked the hubs/bearings by grabbing the top & bottom of the tires, no movement/play there.

If this issue is the steering box, is there an adjustment or do you just replace it?

 

[retorq]

Unbalanced tires??

 

[muncie21]

Unbalanced tires??

Happens with both my summer and winter tires (different rims too)

 

[jeffro72]

I had one do that with 37'tires on it and put a new rancho Dual steering stabalizers on it and that fixed it!!!

 

[Gzes]

Maybe all ur tires are rotted? U live ib the north right? If so them maybe because down here in the south our tires dont rot unless they are submerged in water for a long time or sun rotted. Maybe ur stabiluzer is going out tho

 

[cpv2door]

uper control arms?

have you checked if they are loose? i took my 97 4x4 2 door for an alignment when i put my 20's on a while back n after a few miles id get the same wobble you describe come n go n notice my camber was a little positive (passanger side), i took my wheel of n notice the camber bolts had moved as far positive as it can go so i just loosened them up (took absolutely no force at all which made me think the shop didn't over tighten them so the bushing had slight movement?) pushed them as far negative as i could then tighten them back up (tight) and the wobble disappeared. idk if that help you?

 

[purple 'hoe]

Not thinking this is your issue, but are you sure you don't have really bad driveline vibration? Maybe a U-joint worn out? When mine start to wear out, my steering wheel and dash all shake really bad.