I have a '97 Legacy Outback wagon that has intermittent steering shimmy.

 

When the shimmy occurs, it's like somebody is grabbing the wheel and moving it up and down. It can go from very gentle to pretty strong at times.

 

I noticed that if I take my foot off the gas when it happens, the shimmy immediately stops, and if I hit the gas again, it starts.

 

I've taken it to my mechanic 3 times, but it won't seem to do it for him, and he says he needs to feel it to fix it. It's driving me nuts. Anyone have an idea what could be causing this?

Has anyone checked the inner tie rods ?

You may also be due for outer tie rods and or balljoints, the car is old enough.

 

 

also get a new mechanic.

 

 

nipper

+1 ^ ..I would be shaking down the front end first and doing a very through visual inspection...How do the tires look? inflated properly? Are the tires cupped/choppy at all? How new are they? How many miles are on the vehicle?

Could be any thing from a wheel bearing, to a tie rod end. Hard to say, but if its got that much shimmy in the wheel, it shouldn't be hard to track down.

 

Does it change with brake application?

 

Does it happen on turns? Or is there any other noise or vibration on turns?

 

Is there play/slop on the wheel if you turn it side to side while stopped? Can you hear a clunk if you turn the wheel side to side while stopped?

 

More questions than answers, but it'd be good information to have

 

Dan

Thanks for the responses, guys.

 

I had new brakes put on and the front wheel bearings repacked, it seems to be happening much less often, and with much less force when it does, and it doesn't last as long.

 

It started doing it early yesterday, and it stopped immediately when I took my foot off the gas. Did this twice to confirm. It's more likely to do it after a left turn or going around a curve to the left. But later, it just did it out of the blue, even with my foot off the gas. Weird.

 

Sounds like it's time to get in and start checking the other front end components.

Wheel balance should be first check, then the other things, However I just found the reason for a shimmy in my Subaru after replacing front struts, springs, ball joints, and tierods.

The arm that comes in and out of the rack and pinion would wobber when extended out on sharp turns. I would have thought it would have leaked before wearing out but it did not.