What Does It Mean When Your Steering Wheel Shakes

A warped or damaged disc brake rotor or out of round brake drum can cause a steering wheel to shake.

The brake caliper could be responsible too but only in older vehicles. While it may seem like a simple annoyance a shaking steering wheel can indicate a variety of serious issues that need to be handled promptly. A misaligned vehicle is a reason for the tires to wear unevenly which eventually leads to steering wheel shakes at high speeds. It usually indicates a problem with your brakes one of your car s most critical safety systems.

The most common reason your tires shake or your steering wheel vibrates is simple. You can remove and check your bearings for damage. This causes the steering wheel to vibrate as well as make you lose control and stability on the wheels. Here are the five.

A shaking steering wheel is typically the result of tire wheel problems suspension and steering problems brake problems or some combination of the three. If you are experiencing a shaking steering wheel your vehicle likely has one or more of the following issues. Bad bearings normally trigger a noise that comes from your wheels. If the steering wheel shakes at 50mph or so and it is followed by a burning smell you should immediately take the car to a repair shop.

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Tires take a beating when they hit potholes bridge expansion joints and curbs. If your car passes on a straight road your damaged bearings won t trigger shaking. More commonly you will see the steering wheel shake when you put some pressure on the brake. Usually when you have weak bearings the steering wheel shakes when the car turns to any direction.

If your steering wheel shakes even at low speed there is a high possibility that the problem is in the suspension system. The harder the vibration the more damaged the rotor or even the brake pads might be. While the most common culprits of a shaky steering wheel are your tires a couple other issues could be contributing to or be solely responsible for that obnoxious steering wheel shake. Improper alignment of suspension parts can impact the stability of the vehicle and can also cause shaking in the steering wheel.

However if brake rotors cause the steering wheel to vibrate when the brake isn t engaged it means you have a particularly warped rotor. A warped disc means the thickness run out across the face of the rotor differs. As the brake pads move over a thinner area of the rotor when stopping the brake pedal will move up and down. The shaking is typically caused by suspension parts that are worn out or loose which causes the alignment issues.

A shaking steering wheel when braking is not only annoying it means something is wrong with the brake or steering system. Updated december 25 2018. The probable cause could be either any of the suspension parts has become loose or worn out.