Car/steering wheel is shaking intensely at speeds 60mph/100km/h+

**Yodums** · 01-16-2007, 02:48 PM

I'm not sure what happened, but I was driving out to school today and I noticed how jittery the steering wheel was when I reached speeds of 100km/h. I checked for any physical signs, but nothing seemed to show.

Any ideas?

Evil06si · 01-16-2007, 02:54 PM

check pressure and condition of your tires to see if there are any manufactures defects in them.....

Skyline · 01-16-2007, 03:09 PM

Yeah, the first thing that comes to mind is low pressure/rotation/alignment.

**dentrecords** · 01-16-2007, 03:12 PM

Considering the weather we've had lately.... it's most likely snow caked on the inside of your rims, making them unbalanced.

Wash them out with hot water and take it for a drive right away. If it doesn't disappear, you may need to get your tires balanced. Since it's probably just snow/ice, you might be wasting your money by trying that without making sure there is no ice/snow built up first.

20strong · 01-16-2007, 03:13 PM

A couple years experiance in a tire shop tells me that you need your tires balanced. They recommend that you balance and rotate every 5,000 miles to ensure the longest life and ride quality. (I cant spell ughhh)

gbae007 · 01-16-2007, 03:37 PM

I've had this issue on other cars. Alignment and balance of the wheel is culprit.

**Yodums** · 01-16-2007, 03:56 PM

Hey guys, thanks for all your feedback.

I'm really leaning towards the balancing of my tires. It's been 22,000 kilometers since they've been balanced, so I'm going to schedule an appointment to do it tomorrow.

While the replies were coming in, I was rotating the tires and the shaking has minimized, but now evident at 130-140 km/h (85-90mph?).

I've repped everyone but dentrecords because I need to distribute more rep before coming back to the big guy. :)

***darna*** · 01-16-2007, 04:18 PM

ya, sounds like u have balancing/alignment issue.

i also have an issue w/ mine. but mine shakes a lot when its parked and i and my girl are at the backseat... i don't understand! lol

j/k.

vetkiller · 01-16-2007, 04:38 PM

It could be your rotors. I have had rotors warp before and it caused a violent shake at certain speeds, particularly when braking. However I don't think that this is it because it is generally associated with extreme braking and high temperatures (enough to cause the warp in the first place). My guess is you may even need new tires.

cappykd · 01-16-2007, 05:46 PM

Just get'um balanced and you'll be fine.

rmfa · 01-16-2007, 06:23 PM

This is a good rule to live by:

If the wheel shakes, check balance. If the car pulls to either side or isn't dead on, check alignment.

Kevin · 01-17-2007, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dentrecords

Considering the weather we've had lately.... it's most likely snow caked on the inside of your rims, making them unbalanced.

Wash them out with hot water and take it for a drive right away. If it doesn't disappear, you may need to get your tires balanced. Since it's probably just snow/ice, you might be wasting your money by trying that without making sure there is no ice/snow built up first.

I agree with dentrecords here due to your timing of the post and the current weather. The exact thing happened to me last year, and someone told me to get rid of the ice/snow build up. Did that, and everything was back to normal.

**Yodums** · 01-17-2007, 08:10 PM

Thanks for the follow ups.

I wonder if there's any sort of car sauna that I can swing by? hah.

articsilber323 · 01-17-2007, 08:12 PM

sounds like your tires are worn unevenly

RealDeal · 01-18-2007, 10:24 AM

Have you put any fix a flat in there? If the shaking shifts then something is moving either inside your tire or something on your rim.

Also another good rule to live by, if the vehicle shakes at low speeds then you have a seperated tire. Definately not the rotors b/c it happens while you're driving, not while braking.

**Yodums** · 01-18-2007, 12:35 PM

Update:

I'm not sure what the problem is now. I took it for a drive this morning and the car was back to its original state at around 100 km/h. I took it into a tire shop and had all four tires rebalanced. Afterwards, the help desk guy said the tires weren't off at all. Although the problem is not as evident now compared to before, it's still there. I took it up to 150-160 km/h and it still produces a noticeable shake.

I'm going to schedule an appointment to have the dealership look at it.

SIcBoy · 01-18-2007, 12:45 PM

balance your tires

**Yodums** · 01-18-2007, 02:16 PM

Read above, I've already got it balanced.

I called the dealership and the service manager told me that there have been 500 calls this week after the snow storm reporting the same symptoms that I've been having. He said go for a car wash and save my 100 bucks that would've cost me for diagnosing the snow/ice build up in my tires.

RealDeal · 01-18-2007, 02:42 PM

So you're driving it that fast? Yeah its not supposed to shake at super high speeds BUT balance machines are only accurate up to so fast. Our machines at the dealer can only balance accurately up to around 70 mph. If you want it absolutely perfect up at that speed, you need to go to a shop that specializes in high speed balancing.

Vince · 01-18-2007, 09:18 PM

so rebalanced and still a problem...hmmm...something that I've run in to in the past was "Single Plane balancing" vs. "Dynamic Balancing". There should be some weight on the BOTH sides of the rim, although with most wheels these days with no outer lip to clip on, there are tape weights just behind the face of the wheel.
I had taken my Mazda3 in one time to a shop, rotate and balance, and even though they clearly removed the tape weights, they did not replace them. I had weight on just the inner lip and a pretty vibe at around 60mph. I took it into my regular shop and quickly learned the difference between balancing types.
ALso, with FWD cars with high camber angles on the rear and having not rotated and balanced in 22k, you've got tire problems even though they seem to check out ok, they could be cupped or feathered.
Ill be interested to see how you get this worked out.

01-16-2007, 02:48 PM	#1 (permalink)
Yodums Scrodums Join Date: May 2006 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 8,330 HIRO - ಠ_ಠ iTrader: 9 / 100%	Car/steering wheel is shaking intensely at speeds 60mph/100km/h+ I'm not sure what happened, but I was driving out to school today and I noticed how jittery the steering wheel was when I reached speeds of 100km/h. I checked for any physical signs, but nothing seemed to show. Any ideas?

01-16-2007, 04:18 PM	#8 (permalink)
*darna* Tang Na! Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: anaheim Age: 34 Posts: 2,888 christian iTrader: 6 / 100%	ya, sounds like u have balancing/alignment issue. i also have an issue w/ mine. but mine shakes a lot when its parked and i and my girl are at the backseat... i don't understand! lol j/k. __________________ *The last time I was inside a woman was when I went to the Statue of Liberty*

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01-16-2007, 02:54 PM	#2 (permalink)
Evil06si Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 291 iTrader: 4 / 100%	check pressure and condition of your tires to see if there are any manufactures defects in them.....

01-16-2007, 03:09 PM	#3 (permalink)
Skyline Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Hermitage, TN Age: 27 Posts: 407 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Yeah, the first thing that comes to mind is low pressure/rotation/alignment.

01-16-2007, 03:13 PM	#5 (permalink)
20strong Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Desert Posts: 2,402 Marcus iTrader: 0 / 0%	A couple years experiance in a tire shop tells me that you need your tires balanced. They recommend that you balance and rotate every 5,000 miles to ensure the longest life and ride quality. (I cant spell ughhh)

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gbae007 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Portland, Oregon Age: 27 Posts: 878 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I've had this issue on other cars. Alignment and balance of the wheel is culprit.

01-16-2007, 03:56 PM	#7 (permalink)
Yodums Scrodums Join Date: May 2006 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 8,330 HIRO - ಠ_ಠ iTrader: 9 / 100%	Hey guys, thanks for all your feedback. I'm really leaning towards the balancing of my tires. It's been 22,000 kilometers since they've been balanced, so I'm going to schedule an appointment to do it tomorrow. While the replies were coming in, I was rotating the tires and the shaking has minimized, but now evident at 130-140 km/h (85-90mph?). I've repped everyone but dentrecords because I need to distribute more rep before coming back to the big guy. :)

01-16-2007, 04:38 PM	#9 (permalink)
vetkiller Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 528 iTrader: 0 / 0%	It could be your rotors. I have had rotors warp before and it caused a violent shake at certain speeds, particularly when braking. However I don't think that this is it because it is generally associated with extreme braking and high temperatures (enough to cause the warp in the first place). My guess is you may even need new tires.

01-16-2007, 05:46 PM	#10 (permalink)
cappykd Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: SoCal Age: 39 Posts: 1,806 Kirk iTrader: 9 / 100%	Just get'um balanced and you'll be fine.

01-16-2007, 06:23 PM	#11 (permalink)
rmfa Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Austin, TX Age: 27 Posts: 3,469 Ronnie iTrader: 2 / 100%	This is a good rule to live by: If the wheel shakes, check balance. If the car pulls to either side or isn't dead on, check alignment.

01-17-2007, 08:10 PM	#13 (permalink)
Yodums Scrodums Join Date: May 2006 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 8,330 HIRO - ಠ_ಠ iTrader: 9 / 100%	Thanks for the follow ups. I wonder if there's any sort of car sauna that I can swing by? hah.

01-17-2007, 08:12 PM	#14 (permalink)
articsilber323 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,011 iTrader: 5 / 100%	sounds like your tires are worn unevenly

01-18-2007, 10:24 AM	#15 (permalink)
RealDeal Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 181 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Have you put any fix a flat in there? If the shaking shifts then something is moving either inside your tire or something on your rim. Also another good rule to live by, if the vehicle shakes at low speeds then you have a seperated tire. Definately not the rotors b/c it happens while you're driving, not while braking.

01-18-2007, 12:35 PM	#16 (permalink)
Yodums Scrodums Join Date: May 2006 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 8,330 HIRO - ಠ_ಠ iTrader: 9 / 100%	Update: I'm not sure what the problem is now. I took it for a drive this morning and the car was back to its original state at around 100 km/h. I took it into a tire shop and had all four tires rebalanced. Afterwards, the help desk guy said the tires weren't off at all. Although the problem is not as evident now compared to before, it's still there. I took it up to 150-160 km/h and it still produces a noticeable shake. I'm going to schedule an appointment to have the dealership look at it.

01-18-2007, 12:45 PM	#17 (permalink)
SIcBoy Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: peoria az Age: 24 Posts: 3,419 jr iTrader: 3 / 100%	balance your tires

01-18-2007, 02:16 PM	#18 (permalink)
Yodums Scrodums Join Date: May 2006 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 8,330 HIRO - ಠ_ಠ iTrader: 9 / 100%	Read above, I've already got it balanced. I called the dealership and the service manager told me that there have been 500 calls this week after the snow storm reporting the same symptoms that I've been having. He said go for a car wash and save my 100 bucks that would've cost me for diagnosing the snow/ice build up in my tires.

01-18-2007, 02:42 PM	#19 (permalink)
RealDeal Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 181 iTrader: 0 / 0%	So you're driving it that fast? Yeah its not supposed to shake at super high speeds BUT balance machines are only accurate up to so fast. Our machines at the dealer can only balance accurately up to around 70 mph. If you want it absolutely perfect up at that speed, you need to go to a shop that specializes in high speed balancing.

01-18-2007, 09:18 PM	#20 (permalink)
Vince Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Platte City, MO Age: 36 Posts: 901 Stephen "Vince" Carter iTrader: 0 / 0%	so rebalanced and still a problem...hmmm...something that I've run in to in the past was "Single Plane balancing" vs. "Dynamic Balancing". There should be some weight on the BOTH sides of the rim, although with most wheels these days with no outer lip to clip on, there are tape weights just behind the face of the wheel. I had taken my Mazda3 in one time to a shop, rotate and balance, and even though they clearly removed the tape weights, they did not replace them. I had weight on just the inner lip and a pretty vibe at around 60mph. I took it into my regular shop and quickly learned the difference between balancing types. ALso, with FWD cars with high camber angles on the rear and having not rotated and balanced in 22k, you've got tire problems even though they seem to check out ok, they could be cupped or feathered. Ill be interested to see how you get this worked out.