I have a 2004 Lexus RX 330. When I’m traveling at a velocity of over 60 miles and I try to brake, the car and driver’s wheel shudder slightly. This doesn’t happen when I’m traveling at velocities below 60. Should I be worried?
You MAY have the beginnings of a tire separation.
While this fault is not always visible on the outside, (Unless there is a bulge or tread separation) a dismounted tire can be inspected on the inside for belt separation.
You can relocate your tires (one at a time) to see if there is a noticeable change.
Other suspects could be a worn cv-joints or perhaps a worn wheel bearing although these are noticeable at low speeds too.
No doubt someone will chime in with a more logical solution.
Thanks. I’m due for a maintenance visit. I’ll ask them to check for this.
I just thought of one other possibility, a faulty harmonic balancer (mounted on the crankshaft).
May I suggest that one or more of the tie rod ends (particularly the inner ones) could be worn out?
My folks have a 2000 Intrepid that was acting very much like your Lexus…applying the brakes at highway speeds would bring about noticeable shuddering/shaking, and the steering wheel would wobble badly. Turned out both inner tie rod ends were worn out and loose as heck. New tie rod ends, problem solved.
Any idea how much this would cost?
Another possibility is a warped disc rotor.