Steering wheel shake at 90 - 120KM

[stevenma188]

I have a very strange problem with my car. At speeds of between 90 - 120KM, i get a vibration through the steering wheel. Originally, the entire car would shake at highway speeds, plus the steering wheel would wobble, due to the tires on the car being cupped. However, I had the tires replaced today, and the overall vibration seems to have gone away, but the steering wheel shake is still there.

I had my alignment checked a few weeks ago, and the shop said it was fine. Also, since I had tires mounted and balanced today, I assume the rims are not bent. I am also running hub spacers on my aftermarket rims, so it shouldn't be that.

Any ideas what else it could be?

[kckev99]

When the tires got replaced are you sure the spacers went back on when they re-installed the wheels on to your car?

Did the fronts or rears get replaced? From my experience, if the whole car shakes it would indicate an issue in the rear. If it's just the steering wheel then the issue is coming from the front.


I have a very strange problem with my car. At speeds of between 90 - 120KM, i get a vibration through the steering wheel. Originally, the entire car would shake at highway speeds, plus the steering wheel would wobble, due to the tires on the car being cupped. However, I had the tires replaced today, and the overall vibration seems to have gone away, but the steering wheel shake is still there.

I had my alignment checked a few weeks ago, and the shop said it was fine. Also, since I had tires mounted and balanced today, I assume the rims are not bent. I am also running hub spacers on my aftermarket rims, so it shouldn't be that.

Any ideas what else it could be?

[stevenma188]

The spacers went back on, I watched them do it.

Also, all 4 tires got replaced today.

[mazdabetty]

From my experience, if the whole car shakes it would indicate an issue in the rear. If it's just the steering wheel then the issue is coming from the front.
+1

I've had that a couple of times before. Balancing the wheels usually fixes the problem. A weight might have just fallen off.

[stevenma188]

They were just balanced this morning, when the new tires went on though :(

[mazdabetty]

Maybe they did a crappy job. LOL... that has happened to me too. The shop my dad works at didn't have the right kind of weights to use on my rims, they were just stuck on. One must have fallen off on my way home to Ottawa so my steering wheel shook like crazy. I brought it in to get it rebalanced and the problem went away. Sooo I dunno?

[m3mtl]

there are times when I have rebalanced tires and the steering wheel would shake once in a while, but not always. I think sometimes it is possible that some tires/rims cant be balanced perfectly. I'm not an expert but from experience that is my opinion. Nonetheless I'm talking about a very little vibration as being "normal" not vibration that is felt in the interior of the car.

[McGuyver_3]

front rotors might be warped

[bman13]

I had same issue and found out my right rear wheel is bent (had no idea)...until I swap to winters, I'm not gonna deal with it.

[kckev99]

if the problem still persists after replacing the tires bring it back to the tire shop and have them spin it on the balancing machine without the tire. If you see the wheel hop then your wheels are warped and they need to be straightened out depending on how bad they may not be able to. You'll need to do it for at least the two front ones.

The only possible things I can think of are:
1. Wheel spacers not installed
2. Weights on the wheels out of balance
3. Tires are deformed
4. Wheels are warped and no longer round

[Punkrockjohn]

looks like your rotors are warped

[bluemazda3]

front rotors might be warped

+1 possibly

[mazdabetty]

^ But wouldn't a shaking steering wheel when braking indicate warped rotors? I think he's getting this while driving straight...

[stevenma188]

Ya, I don't feel any shaking when braking. It's just a slight shake while driving straight. I think it's because some bushings are loose up front because if I hold the wheel firm, the shaking stops.

[leojadazol]

i have the same problem. im thinking about my engine mount.

[kckev99]

warped drive shaft possibly?

I figure a broken engine mount would give you the shakes at idle. When the revs are high the harmonics of the engine vibrations tend to cancel each other hence smoothing out the shakes. That's just my opinion though.

[stevenma188]

Wow, the list of possible things just keep getting worse... I figure I will take the car to StreetPerformance eventually to get it checked out. Just annoying that they are so far away from me.