I’ve got a little steering shake around 55–62 mph after installing TRD Pro wheels and aftermarket tires. Truck has low miles. Not a big deal to me—just chalked it up to ‘truck stuff.’
Shaking when braking on my 4th gen was definitely the rotors. It started off subtle but eventually got really bad. Swapped the rotors and it was gone.
Dorian said:
Shaking when braking on my 4th gen was definitely the rotors. It started off subtle but eventually got really bad. Swapped the rotors and it was gone.
Same here—happened twice. Both times, it was the rotors. Tech said downhill braking might’ve been the cause.
Uneven brake pad wear doesn’t always mean you’ll get pedal pulsation or wheel shake. I work on Mercedes and it happens all the time without those issues. Could be other systems like lane assist applying brakes, or even dry caliper slides. But if you do have pulsation, I’d start by checking rotor runout.
@Drake
Yeah, I agree—different cars handle uneven pads differently. I’ve just found that when everything else checks out, this is often the overlooked cause. My method is cheap and easy to try before replacing parts that might still be fine.
Yeah, no. Don’t listen to this guy.
And obviously, if it only happens when braking, it’s brake-related.
Most of this is off. Warped rotors and frozen slide pins can both cause pulsing or shaking.
Sounds like someone posted before doing any actual research.
What worked for me was just replacing all the pads—front and back. Haven’t had any wheel shake since doing that last September.
Nuri said:
What worked for me was just replacing all the pads—front and back. Haven’t had any wheel shake since doing that last September.
Yep! New pads will usually solve it for sure.
A lot of steering shake in 4Runners comes from oversized, heavy tires. Frozen caliper pins are a known issue, too. I’ve seen them lead to uneven braking but not steering wheel shake directly. When I finally got pulsing, it was the rotors—rusted and worn. Changing those helped the most.
@Alden
I agree. I always clean and grease those pins every summer. I stick with stock-size tires, so I haven’t run into that shake from bigger rubber. Did you end up downsizing your tires?
AloisSpewer said:
@Alden
I agree. I always clean and grease those pins every summer. I stick with stock-size tires, so I haven’t run into that shake from bigger rubber. Did you end up downsizing your tires?
Nah, the shake at 55 didn’t bug me because I don’t drive 55—lead foot problems. At 65+, the shake went away. That was on my FJ. My 4Runner with stock tires doesn’t shake but I do feel pedal pulse. Probably the rotors, honestly. Gotta get under it and check.
@Alden
If it’s bugging you, try checking or replacing the front pads. Even a 0.5mm difference can cause that feeling. If you think it’s the rotors, grab a dial indicator and test the runout—it should be under 0.002". You’d be surprised how many ‘warped’ rotors are actually within spec.
And tie rods too eventually, right?
Mine ended up being warped tires causing the shake.
Am I the only one who read that title in Deckard Cain’s voice?
Got new pads and had my rotors resurfaced at 65k… and now the whole thing shakes like crazy.
laura said:
Got new pads and had my rotors resurfaced at 65k… and now the whole thing shakes like crazy.
Yeah, that might be the resurfacing. I’ve seen perfectly straight rotors ruined by bad resurfacing jobs. They don’t check runout with an indicator and just grind away. Tolerance is 0.002" but I’ve seen post-resurface runout hit 0.007". Most shops don’t even measure it. 
@AloisSpewer
At this point, it’s just money → trash can.