It’s kind of irritating when the wheels start trembling while you are driving on the road. It mainly happens if you have bad bearings in your car. Besides, unbalanced tires, tire or wheel misalignment, unstable rims, warped brake rotors, and suspension issues can cause the steering wheel to shake.
Read the whole article If you want to eliminate your curiosity about why the steering wheel quivers.
6 Common Causes: Why Is My Steering Wheel Shaking?
When you begin to notice that your steering wheel is trembling while driving your car, these six common things can cause this issue. Check those out.
1. Bad Bearings
If you talk about which parts are the most critical parts of a car, bearings will surely be on the list. Its primary function is to support the car’s weight. It also helps the wheels turn effortlessly.
When it gets worn out and damaged after a certain period, friction appears in the bearing. This friction makes the wheel tremble while you drive at higher speeds or take turns from one road to another.
Besides, poor lubrication can increase friction on bearings, which can also lead to shaking the wheels while driving.
2. Unbalanced Tires
Another reason, probably the key reason, you may experience your car’s steering wheel vibrating is if the tires are not balanced.
When the manufacturers make a car, they ensure that the vehicle’s weight is evenly distributed, and that they can run smoothly simultaneously.
However, over time, running into several factors like impact with potholes, tire wear, and being hit with the curbs can disrupt the balance.
Because of the uneven weight distribution, the wheel becomes unbalanced, and you feel the vibration on the steering wheel when driving your car at a certain speed.
3. Warped Brake Rotors
Warped brake rotors can also cause your steering wheel while you ride your car. It happens when you attempt to stop your vehicle and press the brake pads.
At that time, between the brake rotors and brake pads, friction occurs and it generates heat. Due to heat and friction, worn brake rotors can develop, leading to vibration every time you press the brake.
Moreover, pulsations can occur in the braking system if brake pads wear unevenly. And the pulsations can transmit to the steering wheel; you can feel the vibration for that as well.
4. Wheel Misalignment
Wheel misalignment (or tire misalignment) is another leading cause of this issue. It indicates the improper positioning of a vehicle’s wheels relative to each other and the vehicle’s frame. It occurs when the tires get off from their natural position.
The wheels will be misaligned if you regularly drive on roads with potholes, railroads, uneven roads, etc. As a result, it will cause an imbalance which you can say steering wheel vibrations.
5. Unstable Rims
The rims in your tires can trigger an issue that throws off your vehicle’s handling. Every rim has a maximum weight limit that it can handle.
If the rim experiences too much pressure than it can manage, it will bend or break. If that is the case, then due to rim instability, you will see your steering wheel shaking or moving automatically.
6. Suspension Issues
To give you smooth riding over the course, suspension components like bushings, struts, or shock absorbers play a crucial role. These components absorb vibrations to give the driver a fluent driving experience.
If any of the suspension components wear out or get damaged, they can’t alleviate damped vibrations and cause them to be transmitted to the steering system.
That’s why you feel the shaking on the steering wheel.
How Do You Prevent Your Steering Wheel from Wobbling?
You can take a few steps to stop the vibrating issue of your steering wheel while you drive. Below I have explained those.
Replace the Bearings
If the shaking is because of the bearings, you need to replace it immediately. Replacing a bearing can cost around $150 to $800. However, it entirely depends on your car type and model.
Change the Tires
As I explained in the causes, tires can be the main reason your steering wheel is often vibrating. In that case, you can exchange your front tires with the rear tires. It is not an actual fix; instead, you can say it’s one kind of lifehack.
If the problem gets fixed with that, the problem is definitely in the tires. Then, you should identify the defective tires and swap those tires with a good one.
Moreover, you should take extra care once you install new tires in your car and ensure they are perfectly balanced. Otherwise, it can affect your suspension and axle, and you will get continuous steering wheel vibrations.
The issue can be resolved with a routine checkup from your trusted mechanic. However, you must remember that your tires should be balanced on average every 10,000 to 12,000 miles.
Your wobbly steering wheel issue will be gone once the bad ones are changed and the tires are balanced.
Change the Bent Rims
If the rim in your tire is bent, you must change it, since it can be one of the reasons that your steering wheel is quivering.
But before that, you must find out which one is defective. After that, you should start changing it.
Get Suggestions from a Trusted Mechanic
If you don’t know much about the car and don’t know how to fix the wheel vibration issue, you should seek help from a professional mechanic. They can tell you what is causing the problem and how to fix it.
But make sure the mechanic you are seeing is a trusted one. And when you are going to explain about the problem, tell him with proper details.
For example, the steering wheel is shivering while driving at high or low speed, pushing the brake paddles, or some other situation.
It will help detect the issue properly, and he can act according to the problem.