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Steering wheel vibration


PJSnow
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So I tried searching this but couldnt get the answer. So a few months ago i started getting a slight vibration in my steering wheel at bout 70-80 mph. I didnt think much of it because i was going to get my tires rotated soon and thought it would go away. Now the vibration has intensified. Now it starts at 60mph and gets really bad at about 65mph. at 70 its not as bad but i still feel it till 80. When it is really bad the steering wheel moves side to side about 1/2 inch really quick. almost feels like i am constantly going over potholes at those speeds. Anyone have any ideas what it could be? i heard it might be the metal strip in the tire got moved and is on top of another metal strip? i also heard the bearing might be bad. But any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks guys!

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If your wheel bearings were loose you would always have the vibration. Easy to re seat them, the tool is available at Napa. That vibration sounds just like a tire vibration. How were they balanced? Just spin balanced? That type of balance is typically good for up to about 60ish mph. If you really want to know, find a place that will road force balance them. They will be able to determine which tire is out of wack at higher speeds.

You can also check your rack and pinion bushings, but those usually cause a wandering or pull from side to side.

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Had a similar issue on my 01, road force balance helped quite a bit, but didn't totally cure it, wheel alignment helped more but again, not completely gone. Still get a slight shimmy in the wheel right around 65ish. Within the next few weeks I'll be replacing struts, mounts, shocks, full front brake job (pads and drilled/slotted rotors) and upgrading to MileMarker hubs. All this will require repacking wheel bearings and a new wheel alignment. Hopefully it'll all be gone after that.

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I had a similar problem with steering wheel vibration. I got an android app called "vibrations" that uses the accelerometer in your phone to measure vibration frequency. By holding it against the steering wheel and measuring the peak frequency and using the speed, tire diameter, and final drive ratio, I was able to determine that it was a drive shaft.

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Go jack up the front end of your pathy until both front wheels are off the ground. Properly secure it (hand brake set, tranny in park, jack stands etc.), and grab ahold of the front tire, see if there's any play in either. There shouldn't be any movement, if there is, it may be your wheel bearings.

 

I went through the exact same issue, and it turned out to be my tires feathering. I had them balanced and rotated over and over again until I just live with it now, but it certainly has hastened my buying of new tires. (Next month).

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I had this issue as well, check all the usual suspects (sway bar end links, ball joints, rotated tires and found that it was actually the right front strut that was dead, even though it was just 2 years old. ended up replacing both struts no more problem.

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Go jack up the front end of your pathy until both front wheels are off the ground. Properly secure it (hand brake set, tranny in park, jack stands etc.), and grab ahold of the front tire, see if there's any play in either. There shouldn't be any movement, if there is, it may be your wheel bearings.

 

I went through the exact same issue, and it turned out to be my tires feathering. I had them balanced and rotated over and over again until I just live with it now, but it certainly has hastened my buying of new tires. (Next month).

Obviously do the first part, but start by examining the tires. If they are scalloped, that usually indicates bad struts and even balancing/replacing the struts won't make it ride smooth again. Vibration at a specific speed often points to wheel balance due to harmonic frequency in the vibration, that's why you can be relatively fine under and over the specific range. Of course Murphy's Law dictates that the vibration range will be at the speed you drive the most...

 

B

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  • 2 weeks later...

or throw on some manual locking hubs and while your in there replace and or repack the wheel bearings. ;P if its the front shaft it wont do it with the hubs unlocked. I have the same thing, 50 to 65 ish. pretty sure my tires were worn unevenly because i waited to address a wheel bearing issue. the longer i drive it the less it does it. (after the wheel bearings were replaced) pretty sure once the tread wears down past the crappy part it will go away, at least that's what i keep telling myself hehe.

 

Pat

 

 

 

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na they shouldnt, they just free wheel if they are unlocked. and your front diff and front drive shaft just sits when the hubs arn't locked as well. Probably a wheel bearing, or bad struts making uneven tire wear, Or a warped brake rotor. There are a few checks you can do to try to track it down. I believe someone mentioned the tire wiggle test. grab it at 12 and 6 and wiggle, should be no play, and 3 and 9 and wiggle, should be no play also. 12 / 6 = wheel bearing, 3 / 9 tierod end. while you have it up spin the tire and see if you hear an uneven drag, there should be a little drag from the brake pad riding on the rotor, but you will be able to tell if its uneven.

 

Thats all i have, hope you track it down. but mine is doing the same thing. I am thinking the bad wheel bearing wore the tire uneven because it was a while before i could line out the bearing. "like a year"

 

Good luck

 

Pat

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