When you are not turning your steering wheel, it should remain completely still. It should not vibrate or turn on its own. A healthy steering wheel means the driver has complete control over it always. There should be no shakiness whatsoever. If there ever comes a point when you feel the steering wheel shaking, whether you’re driving at low or high speed, then you need to examine the situation carefully. Are you driving on a flat road? If so, then something is definitely wrong somewhere in your vehicle. There could be a damaged component in your power steering system or somewhere else in your vehicle. Your mission should be to discover where the problem lies and then fix it by either repairing or replacing the necessary component.
7 Common Causes
There are several possible causes of a steering wheel that shakes at low and high speeds. The causes could range from having bad brakes to a bad engine. Educate yourself on all the possible causes because it will help you diagnose the cause of your particular steering wheel shakiness.
Below are the top 7 causes of a steering wheel that shakes while driving at low and high speeds.
1. Wheel Problems
Each tire of your vehicle has a wheel in the middle of it. The wheel is what secures the tire in place on the road. The wheel bearings, tie rod ends, and ball joints all play a role in keeping the wheel strong. If any of these components were to go bad or get damaged, then it could cause the steering wheel to shake profusely. Bad tie rod ends will shake the steering wheel as you go to turn it. Bad ball joints will shake the wheel as you drive straight. This will help you pinpoint which component of the wheel is causing the shakiness.
2. Tires Not Balanced
Most people experience steering wheel shaking because their tires are not balanced. There are two possible reasons why this may be the case. Either you have worn out tire treads or your tires have a low amount of air pressure in them. These problems can easily cause your steering wheel to shake. Not only that, it will make steering more difficult too. Driving under these conditions is totally unsafe. Replace your tires or fill them up with air at once.
3. Axle Issues
Most people don’t experience axle issues unless they’ve just been in a car accident. If you have a damaged axle, then you can expect steering wheel vibrations and shakes to occur quickly. The shaking will increase even more as you accelerate the vehicle faster. Sometimes the steering wheel will just jerk or pull too much to the right or left. This clearly shows that you have a driveshaft issue.
4. Engine Issues
There are a number of engine issues that can cause the steering wheel to shake. Perhaps you have an issue with your fuel injectors or the fuel delivery system in general. Maybe the power generated is so inconsistent that the steering wheel can no longer be operated smoothly. If you suspect this may be the case, have a mechanic inspect your engine even if the “Check Engine” light is not on.
5. Brake Problems
When you’re driving at high or low speeds and you step on the brake pedal, does the steering wheel shake a lot? If it does, then you probably have worn out brake discs. The brake caliper may also be bad too. Many older model vehicles had this particular problem. In any case, have the mechanic check your brakes if your steering wheel shakes after stepping on the brake pedal.
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6. Bad Wheel Alignment
All wheel of your car normally pointing at the same direction when parked at the plain surface. All side of tires touched the ground equally. If you have problem with the alignment, the situation could be different. When you run your car, especially when turning left or right, you feel your steering wheel shaking because the tires not tread the road equally. This situation could be worse because the tires will worn down quickly at the certain side, usually inside of the wheel. When you see it at your tires or feel the shake in your arm, please get the mechanic to get it back to normal for your own safety.
7. Bad Suspension
Advanced cars suspension technology make the driver and passenger comfort inside the cabin. This suspension system will reduced the shake from the road. Fortunately, the steering wheel component attach to suspension systems. And usually when suspension have problem, it will effect to the steering wheel.
