Tuesday, October 25, 2011

I have a bad vibration in my steering wheel at highway speeds?

The brand new 17%26quot; whaeels and tires have been balanced twice and no change in vibration. Any help? It is a 1996 civic ex
I have a bad vibration in my steering wheel at highway speeds?
Is it really a vibration or is it the increased road feel caused by a low profile tire on an increased wheel size.



The original size on your car should have been 185/65-14. Now you are probably using a 205/40-17. Your old tire had 4.75 inches of rubber between the wheel and the road your new combination gives you 3.25 inches of rubber from the wheel to the road.



The decrease in rubber will make you be able to feel every bump and crack in the road more, it may be felt in the steering wheel. Especially if struts, ball joints or tie rods have any wear in them which would come with age or mileage. An alignment shop will be able to tell you if you have any of these problems. I would highly recommend an alignment when upgrading tires anyway.



Try another tire shop you may have defective tires, up-sized wheels also are easier to warp.
I have a bad vibration in my steering wheel at highway speeds?
the problem most likly is bad motor mounts



after a while the mounts that hold the engine in place crack or break since they are made out of rubber



so when your running fast the motor creates high torque and makes the vehicle shake a little



double check to make sure its not just mud or something stuck to the rim



also check your tires for bumps
It's your rocker panel; its what holds your motor in place... my car did the same thing and when I got it fixed it stopped. It's pretty cheap to fix. Contact your dealer to see how much...
try a front wheel alignment
Could be a failing torque converter (automatic cars)...Could be a bent rim.



Could be a damaged tire, Could be %26quot;Blem%26quot; tires.



Lots of things can cause what you describe.
if balance is good.........check alignment , shock,s/ strut,s, disc brake rotor,s [ for warped condition ] , wheel lug nut,s [ for proper torque ] , or any front steering / suspension part,s for wear/play.
Sounds like either a bad tierod end or bad ball joint. Either could cause it. the larger tires if they are larger than stock could amplify it making it noticeable now. You can take it to a front end alignment shop and they will check it out or u can do it yourself. Not that hard. But if either is changed you will definitely need a front end alignment afterwards. good luck
have you checked for any play in your suspension components ie ball joints,track rod ends,anti roll links

i would check these before going any further
power steering is off it hapened to me also need a new steering motor
it sounds like the tires themselves are separating in the tread (belt tread). have the tires rotated and if the vibration goes away or isn't as bad, then you know you need tires.