Identify the Cause of Shakes in the Steering Wheel

This article is about identifying steering problems with your automobile .

Steps

Notice what happens when coming to a quick stop. If the steering wheel shakes and sometimes the brake pedal may feel it moves up and down, the cause is warped front brake rotors. Brakes can overheat by driving with one foot on the brake pedal and one foot on the gas pedal. Try to drive using the right foot only.
- Brakes can also overheat through excessive use such as driving too fast. Staying with the traffic's normal speed will prolong the use of your vehicle.
Have a mechanic resurface or replace the front brake rotors.

Notice what happens when you are driving at 55mph and your steering wheel shakes but does not shake at lower speeds. The cause is that the wheel is out of balance. A wheel weight may have come off, or excessive tire wear.
Have a mechanic rotate and balance all four wheels.

Notice if when driving any speed, the steering wheels shakes and sometimes pops. The cause is a bad steering joint such as tie rod ends, ball joints or steering arms.
Look for tire wear and have a mechanic do a front end alignment. They will check joints and replace bad joints before alignment.

Drive slowly. If you notice that the vehicle seems to move up and down, and that the faster you drive the harder it bounces, then the cause is likely a knot or bubble on the tire. A bent rim can cause the same bounce. Usually this is caused by pot holes or driving off road.
Have a mechanic look for knots on tires. The wheel would need to be spin balanced to find bent rim.

Notice if when driving up hill on the highway or accelerating from a stop, the steering wheel shakes. This only happens to front wheel drive cars. The ball bearings in the front axles can become oval shaped, causing the shake under a load.
Have a mechanic replace the front axles and inspect the front wheel bearings.

Have a mechanic inspect your vehicle at each oil change for a longer lasting vehicle.

Failure to repair any problems with your vehicle will result in expensive repairs, auto accidents or death.