6 Reasons Your Steering Wheel is Vibrating

It’s not hard to discover a bumpy road that will make your steering wheel shake, but if you’re driving along a good, smooth paved road, there’s no need for your steering wheel to be trembling. Since automobiles are intricate marvels of engineering, there are a great many factors that might contribute to a wobbly steering wheel. In this article, we will examine six of the most frequent causes that our automobile experts have identified as the source of the issue.

1. The Wheels Are Out Of Balance

Have you ever had a problem with the balance of your ceiling fan, causing it to shake when it was switched on? Or, it’s possible that you’ve been through the ordeal of using a top-loading washing machine that went bonkers if all of the jeans accumulated on a single side. The wheels on your automobile operate according to the same basic concept.

As the wheel turns, it’s possible for them to start shaking and bouncing about if they aren’t precisely balanced. This is one of the most common reasons your steering wheel is vibrating. It’s possible that you won’t realize that your wheels are uneven until you’re driving at highway speeds, and even then, the problem could go away if you adjust your pace slightly faster or slower.

It makes no difference how fast the car is moving at this point. If you are driving a car and feel any vibrations, especially in the steering wheel, you need to have it checked out as soon as possible by a professional.

2. Warped Rotors

Even with routine maintenance, a car’s braking system might have warped rotors, so it is important to check them whenever you take your vehicle in for servicing. When you look through the openings in your front wheels, you should be able to see gleaming spherical discs. Those are the brake rotors, and they’re responsible for stopping your vehicle. The car is brought to a halt by the brake pads, which are clamped onto the rotors of each wheel by a hydraulic system.

It is possible for the brake rotors to acquire high and low patches as a result of unexpected stops, as well as additional demands brought on by our congested streets. Therefore, when the brake pads are forced against it, you may sense a shaking in the brake pedal, and often, you will also feel it in the steering wheel. If the issue is handled as soon as it is discovered, it is possible that the rotors may be resurfaced.

3. Suspension

The suspension is the most often seen cause of a vibrating steering wheel. This is particularly true for cars that haven’t had their oil changed or other routine maintenance performed. This is due to the fact that suspension issues develop slowly over time, which means that you probably won’t detect them until the problem has progressed to the point where it causes the steering wheel to shake.

When traveling over bumps, some components, such as loose tie rod ends and ball joints, may begin to make strange, understated sounds. Because of their role in linking the steering system to the wheels and the wheels to the automobile, these components have the potential to create a range of problems. Some of these problems include a vibrating steering wheel, uneven tire wear, and even the inability to turn the vehicle at all.

4. Tires Flat Spotted

Another unusual reason for a wobbly steering wheel is the presence of anti-lock brakes, which have been mandated as standard equipment on automobiles for quite some time. The reason for this is because anti-lock brakes when they are in good working order will keep your tires from locking up and giving you a flat spot.

On the other hand, if a brake caliper becomes jammed and a wheel stops rotating while you are driving or if you have an older car that locked the wheels up during an emergency stop, the tires may have flat patches. If one or more of your tires has a flat spot, you will feel a vibration in the steering wheel.

5. There’s A Problem With The Axles

The majority of automobiles on the road today have front-wheel drive, and this requires the axles to have half shafts. When they begin to fail, it will be far more probable that you will detect a ticking sound whenever you turn. Even though you might feel this in your steering wheel, the issue is often audible well before you begin to notice it in the steering wheel.

Did you realize that your axle is also balanced in the same way as your wheels are?

6. Bad Wheel Bearings

When doing a U-turn, if you just bounce the right front tire over the curb each time, you are significantly increasing the likelihood that the wheel bearing will wear out. If this is the problem, you could notice that the steering wheel is vibrating, and the shaking might spread to other parts of the car as well.

This is not a problem that comes up very often. Instead, it is more probable that the issue is the result of one of the explanations that are farther up on our list.

Steering Wheel Vibration in Different Driving Conditions

If you pay attention to the times when the wheel is most likely to vibrate, you may be able to obtain a basic idea of what could be wrong with it. When exactly do you feel the vibration in your steering wheel?

1. All The Time

If the steering wheel rattles regardless of how fast or slow the vehicle is driving, the issue is most likely caused by anything wrong with the suspension. Because the suspension system of your car is intricate and composed of a wide variety of components, isolating the root of the problem may be laborious and time-consuming. It might be something as easy as loose bushings or as complicated as real physical damage to the components of the suspension system. It is essential to have this looked at as soon as possible.

2. When You Turn

If you turn the steering wheel and feel a shuddering and vibrating sensation, the problem most likely lies with a wheel hub bearing that has become loose. These bearings provide an important service for your car by lowering the amount of friction experienced by the wheels. In the event that they are no longer lubricated, they are capable of producing excessive friction, which might result in damaging your wheel. When you turn, you can also hear some strange noises in addition to the vibration that you feel. Even though this is a rather unusual reason for steering wheel vibration, it is still something that has to be addressed.

3. At Faster Speeds

When you approach highway speeds, the steering wheel may start to shake and rattle. If anything like this occurs to you, the most probable cause is that your wheels are out of alignment or that your tires are out of balance.

One should not take this symptom lightly since it may also be an indication of axle damage.

4. When You Hit The Brakes

It should come as no surprise that the fault most likely lies within the braking system if the steering wheel remains still while you are driving along the highway but starts to shake when you use the brakes. Brake rotors that have been warped are the most probable source of the problem. Because of the warping of the rotors, the brake pads do not always make entire contact with the rotors.

In many cases, in addition to feeling the vibration in the steering wheel, you may also feel it in the brake pedal.

The Bottom Line

We have tried our best to address to you the reasons your steering wheel is vibrating along with different driving conditions. If you are one of those who is facing this issue, consider the above indicators and probable causes of the problem. In case you are still unable to detect the cause of the steering wheel vibration, do not hesitate to contact an automobile professional.