Steering System Symptom Definitions: Shimmy
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2005 Mercury Montego, 2005 Ford Freestyle, and 2005 Ford Five Hundred. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
Shimmy, as observed by the driver, is large, consistent, rotational oscillations of the steering wheel resulting from large, side to side (lateral) tire/wheel movements.
Shimmy is usually experienced near 64 km/h (40 mph), and can begin or be amplified when the tire contacts pot holes or irregularities in the road surface.