The last thing you ever want to experience as a driver is your vehicles steering while vibrating like it’s a Nokia 3310. This vibration could occur while driving slowly in your suburbs or doing the legal maximum on the open highway.
A shaking steering wheel is an early symptom of many common car problems ranging from simply needing new brake pads to more serious suspension issues. By knowing what other signs and symptoms to look out for, you can easily narrow down the cause of the shimmy and address the problem before it becomes a serious issue. So, what could cause this? There are various reasons as to why, the best way would be to understand them all and then troubleshoot your problem.
Your trusty old tires are the first thing you would look at. The basic understanding is that your steering wheel is directing which way your wheels would go. Out of balance tyres could definitely cause the vibration at higher speeds but not so much as slower ones. Once you have checked your tyres tread for evenly worn rubber, ensure you are running the correct pressure on all four tyres as well. Wheel alignment can often be overlooked, but it is extremely important to have this checked out on a regular basis. Not only will this increase your fuel efficiency but it will prevent your tyres from been worn out irregularly.
Next you can check your wheels. Worn out wheel bearings could be the culprit here even though they are set to last a life time. If you are unsure on how to do this, pop into your local repairs shop. Problems with tie rod ends or ball joints are easy to diagnose. If the steering wheel shakes only when cornering and never while driving straight, it’s likely the tie rod ends. The ball joints produce opposite results when going bad. They will only produce shaking while driving straight, never while cornering.
If the shaking of your steering wheel started occurring after a slight bumper bashing then possibly your axle has been bent or damaged resulting in a lack of smoothness through the wheels and steering. A broken driveshaft would be a serious problem as you start to feel random jerks of the steering wheel. In this case, stop driving immediately and have a mechanic look at your car. Your engine could be causing your shaking problems. How you ask? Well its actually simple in reflection, if your air filter, spark plugs or fuel supply are faulty this could prevent your car from running smoothly, which could in turn cause your vehicle to be out of sync.
Your brakes are the most important safety feature on your vehicle, if they are not working or performing correctly you will not be able to bring your vehicle to a complete stop or slow it down in case of an emergency. In most cases, if your brakes are faulty and you try to slow down while cruising, you will notice a shaking experience that will vibrate throughout your body. However, a brake calliper that is stuck will cause noticeable steering wheel shake at high speeds.
Either way, you will need to see a professional if you are unsure on how to diagnose the problem at hand. Safe travels!
We are based in Boksburg and are able to service everyone in the East Rand Area. Don’t take chances with your brakes. If you are in any doubt about your brakes, come to us and get them checked while you wait. We offer a speedy brake repair service. Contact us: 0118267000, Email: info@astrobrake.co.za.
