7 Reasons Your Steering Wheel Shakes (at Low and High Speeds)
The steering wheel is one of the most important controls for a driver, and how it feels tells a lot about the car.
Have you ever felt your steering wheel shake or vibrate while driving? It shouldn’t have happened. A properly functioning car always drives smoothly and steadily on flat roads.
Of course, sometimes your steering wheel can vibrate or even vibrate on uneven surfaces. This driver feedback is intended to provide you with information about the road and a better idea of ​​the condition of the asphalt as you drive. If the shaking occurs regularly or gets worse over time, there may be a faulty part or component that is causing your car to be out of balance.
Main Causes of Steering Wheel Vibration
To understand why your steering wheel shakes when braking or driving at low and high speeds, you need to know all the main causes of this type of shaking. Here are some of the most common causes of steering wheel shaking while driving at low or high speeds.
1) Tires are out of balance
This is the most common cause of steering wheel shaking and is the first one you should check. Low tire pressure or worn tire tread can cause the tire to be out of balance when it comes into contact with the road surface. This imbalance causes the steering wheel to wobble, because the steering wheel controls the orientation of the wheels that hold the tires.
2) Wheel Issues
Typically, wheel weights are placed in specific locations on the wheels to balance the wheel-tire system. Wheels and tires are unbalanced at the factory, and this weight is needed to give a smooth ride.
Loss of weight on the wheels or a bent wheel can cause the car to go out of balance in corners. You’ll need a trip to a tire dealer to fix this.
3) Wheel Bearings
Wheel bearings often last a very long time, sometimes even the entire life of the vehicle. Still, it’s a good idea to check them anyway to make sure there aren’t any issues.
4) Wear on Steering Components
When resolving steering shake, it’s important to check ball joints and tie rod ends as well. A rattle that only occurs when turning is usually caused by a bad tie rod end. If the shaking only occurs when driving straight, it could be due to ball joints.
5) Brake Problems
If your brakes are not working well and your steering wheel shakes a lot when you press the brake pedal, you may have warped or worn rotors. You should also check the brake calipers, especially on older model vehicles, as they can cause the steering wheel to shake.
6) Damaged Axles or Driveshafts
If your car has been in a recent accident and your steering wheel started vibrating shortly after, this is often a problem with your axles. Damaged or bent axles will cause your steering wheel to shake at low speeds and the shaking will get worse as your speed increases.
7) Engine Mounting Issues
The last possible cause is actually an issue that comes from the engine, most commonly a poor engine mounting. If the problem worsens, the entire vehicle will start to shake. In these cases, your engine mounts may be the culprit.
Conclusion
Many people experience slight steering wheel shake but don’t think much about it. If the shaking gets worse, you may hesitate to go to a repair shop because you don’t want to spend money on repairs.
When rotating components are out of balance, the additional vibrations are more likely to cause further damage. These additional vibrations can also cause screws to loosen or come loose.
The longer you wait to fix the problem, the more damage you’ll cause to your tires, brakes, wheel components, axles, and engine. Then you’ll have to spend more money to repair or replace all of this. If you notice your steering wheel is shaking, have it inspected for the problem right away.
