Steering Wheel Shaking

[sumoboi7]

Hey everybody i need help... my steering wheel shakes when i first drive my car but when it drives for a little while it stops. then when the car cools off again n i drive it it does the same thing. the guy that did my tires said its my rack n pinion and im quite sure. my tie rods n crap are pretty bad n need replacing... could it be those? is it ok to drive it like this... its been goin on a while and it doesnt seem to get any worse.

[ms!3]

Hows your alignment?
Are your tires balance?

[sumoboi7]

yup got n alignment n got tires less then 3 months after.

[S-Nation S13]

hm...well if the dam thing shakes while braking...you rotors are warpped if you feel the rear vibrate than its the rear rotors that are warpped your steering rack...im assuming its leaking from the boots..but im not quite sure that will cause a vibration if anything you steering will be hella hard if there is a leak..like driving witno power steering...tie rods..not to sure on that one to if anything you alignment will be f***ed but you can tell that if your tires are balding at a fast ass rate pm me if you find out anymore info

[Landers]

Yes it couold be your tie rod ends but also check the steering rod bushing thing....it should be near your downpipe.....or errrrr next to your header whichever you have N/a or Turb.

[sumoboi7]

i have turbo. ill check it when its not friggin raining like a mofo.... the days it doesnt rain im too busy or lazy to work on my car then days when its raining i want to but i cant.

[cloudstrife930]

you can always start with something simple like rotating the tires from front to back. This way you could eliminate if the tires are the problem. Yes i know you have new tires, but i have seen brand new tires out of round, and yes brand new ones!! Trust me I couldnt get um fully balenced myself! If the vibration goes away then you know you have a tire balencing problem. Most of the bad balenced tire issues make the wheel shake between 40-60mph. Try also looking out for a bent rim. You can also jack up the front and have someone shake the steering wheel a lil and look for excess play in the steering. Start at tie rod ends and check the whole rack for sxcessive play. Also look check the intermediate shaft and all bushing including rack bushing etc. I have seen tie rod ends cause heavy vibration while driving at certian speeds, however my tierod ends are shot and i dont get that much vibration. Good way to check tierod ends while you have the car jacked up shake the actual wheel (outside the car) left and right, you will feel and see the wheel move back and fourth without the rest of the steering moving, thats a bad tierod end, what ever the case maybe, change um if they are shot, the inner tie rod can comeout at anytime, god forbid on the highway, you just lost control bro, o dont worry about me i drive local home from work :)

[devonkyle77]

warped rotors.

[Skullavera]

the guy that did my tires said its my rack n pinion and im quite sure.

You're quite sure but you still ask?

my tie rods n crap are pretty bad n need replacing... could it be those?

Hmmm......tie rods "n crap" link to your wheels to your steering wheel and they are pretty bad. You stated this yourself! If they are shot I wonder.......would they vibrate the play and then in turn cause your steering wheel to vibrate? It's not rocket science buddy.

[Hashiriya415]

sumoboi7 (http://www.zilvia.net/f/member.php?u=51606) u answered u'r own question why it shakes, cuz of the tie rods, or maybe the rack n pinion.
Be sure which part is wrong, i think the guy doing your tires wants to make some money off u, have someone u trust check it out.
Also stay away from cheap wheels I see those bent all the time in the shop, they will cause u problems

[slid-kid]

warpped rotors or check all the front suspension bushings.

[sumoboi7]

i meant in not quite sure... ne ways i have stock teardrop rims n im pretty sure they arent bent. but ill def check everything..

[MadMaverick]

my steering wheel shakes when i first drive my car but when it drives for a little while it stops.

Did anybody here miss this part?

Be more specific about when it vibrates or doesnt:
What speed does it vibrate?
Does the brake pedal vibrate when you step on it?
Is it while turning or steering straight?

Answer these questions and you can narrow it down to just a few problems. Search on "how to check your front end", all you need is a jack and two hands. Then we can figure out whats causing the problem instead of guessing at it.

[sumoboi7]

Did anybody here miss this part?

Be more specific about when it vibrates or doesnt:
What speed does it vibrate?
Does the brake pedal vibrate when you step on it?
Is it while turning or steering straight?

Answer these questions and you can narrow it down to just a few problems. Search on "how to check your front end", all you need is a jack and two hands. Then we can figure out whats causing the problem instead of guessing at it.


1 it vibrates after 25 or so mph
2 brake rotors r not warped, brake pedal does not vibrate, i just changed rotors a few months ago
3 i does not shake when i turn only when going straight.

also sometimes when i step on theb rake hard if its shaking it stops, SOMETIMES... its so annoying

[MadMaverick]

OK

Jack the car up and shake down the front end (12 & 6 for balljoints/wheel bearing, 3 & 9 for tie rods). There should be no sloppy play, even with a tie-rod/balljoint that is a little loose, you wont necessary feel it in the steering). The first next check is wheels out of balance, bent wheel, belt seperation in the tire or a bubble (tire issue). Run you fingertips around the tread of the tire in wide sweeps. Do you feel a bump or wavy pattern(tire chop)? If you just got the tires replaced, i would go back to that shop and ask them to check the balance. They will prolly warantee it, Goodyear and other retailers offer "lifetime warrantee" on balancing for the life of the tire. Let us know.

[sumoboi7]

ok.. ya it was shaking after i got my tires on and i took it back.. they said it was balanced and sent me on my way. could caster be the problem?? i just remembered the guy saying sumthing bout caster. and what do you mean by (12 & 6 for balljoints/wheel bearing, 3 & 9 for tie rods). just wondering.. im not super savy with the suspension stuff.

[MadMaverick]

Caster wont cause a vibration, in fact your alignment will pretty much NEVER cause a vibration. I have seen cars with alignments so bad the tires squeal going straight down the road with NO vibration in the wheel. Vibrations are caused by a rotating mass out of round or out of balance before anything else. Then look to loose parts.

Take it to the shop and ask them to check for a bent wheel/balance. If a rim is bent, it can be balanced and still cause a vibration. A good tech will watch a wheel on the balancer to make sure it isnt waffled.

12 & 6: hands at 12 oclock and 6 oclock, wiggle the wheel
3 & 9: hands at 9 and six, wiggle the wheel

check both front wheels.

[sumoboi7]

ok cool thanks. will def do that