Have you ever been driving down the road and you started to feel you steering wheel start to shake when you get up to a certain speed? Or when you apply the brakes, you can feel the whole car shaking and you can feel it through the steering wheel? This can be genuinely concerning for most people and for good reason! This is an early indication of a few problems that you need to get fixed before the issue gets worse and more expensive.
We are going to discuss a few options as to why your steering wheel is shaking while you are driving down the road so you can start doing a little “self-diagnosis” on your vehicle before bringing it into us at Chapman Auto Repair in Orange
1) Warped Brake Rotors.
This is the most common reason as to why your car will start to shake when you are driving or when applying the brakes. As the problem continues to get worse and left unsolved you will notice how your car will start to shake more violently. The reason this happens is because the surface of your brake rotor gets worn down over time and eventually becomes too thin. This is a pretty easy fix, however, left for too long and the problem can start to effect other aspects of your vehicle.
2) Uneven or Unbalanced Tires
Like we just were talking about, if your tires are unevenly getting worn down, if the tire pressure isn’t even in all four tires or if you started to notice that when you would get up over speeds of 20-30 mph and you can feel your whole car shake – that could be because of your tires. This is an easy fix and most tire shops will rebalance your tires for free or a small fee.
3) Alignment Problems
Do you live on roads that are constantly under construction because every year it seems like the road has twice as many potholes from the year before? Or do you do any kind of off roading? When you are driving on rough or uneven roads over long periods of time eventually your alignment can get shifted in your vehicle and you will know this is happening because of the shaking of your steering wheel. This also effects your tires causing them to get ware down unevenly which means you must buy new tires sooner than you should have if your alignment was correct. Only was to get this corrected is to bring it in so we can get it realigned for you and get you back on the road!
4) Bad Bearings
Your wheel hub bearings are vital to the proper working condition of your car, and if they are not lubricated, are damaged, or are broken, the result can be a shaky steering wheel and a variety of other issues. Your bearings allow your wheels to turn properly without friction, and they also provide support for the weight of your car. The bearings connect to the axle or hub assembly, so when they don’t work properly, they directly affect the drive shaft, leading to a shaking steering wheel.
5) Suspension Issues
The suspension system of vehicles includes a complex structure of shocks, pistons, springs, and rods that connect the wheels to the rest of your car. Suspension contributes to how your vehicle handles and brakes, in addition to minimizing bumps, noises, and vibrations within the cab. A variety of suspension issues can arise over time, and while these issues may be difficult to pinpoint, they are generally easy to fix once discovered. Some of the most common suspension issues that may lead to a shaking steering wheel are worn or corroded parts, loose connections, driveshaft imbalance, and old shocks.