Really Bad Steering Wheel Wobble

[PaulR]

Hi everyone,

I am having an issue with my 1999 Solara V6 auto with 201,000 miles. The steering wheel wobbles/shakes violently at low speeds. It wobbles/shakes at high speeds, but not as badly, and at times is worse than others. It pulls to the left, and noticeably so, at highway speeds. It seems to get just a little better when I turn the wheel to the right a little bit (I can't really tell whether it helps or I just does think it does ). I have rotated the left side tires front to back because there was an issue with a plugged tire there, and I put the full size spare in to check as well, none of this helped. The brake pads and rotor look okay without taking the wheel off, and there isn't any excessive heat or burning smell from the break area. How would you recommend that I continue with troubleshooting this issue?

Thanks for all help in advance!

[ftw]

When was the last time you got an alignment?

[PaulR]

When was the last time you got an alignment?

Hi ftw,

Thanks for your help. The car was aligned a year or so ago. Unfortunately, I have since figured out this mechanic's alignments are terrible (I had him work on another car and the alignment was completely off after he "aligned" it). The alignment could be very well off, and the Firestone near me offers a great lifetime alignment plan. I would prefer, if possible, to replace any broken/worn parts that cause this wobble/vibration and then get it aligned at Firestone. Is there anything I should check before getting the alignment checked?

Thanks!

[1gSE]

Put the front on jacks and shake each wheel side to side to see if it feels loose

[PaulR]

Put the front on jacks and shake each wheel side to side to see if it feels loose

Hi 1gSE,

Thanks for your help! I put the car up on one side at a time (only have one jack, no stands at the moment) and tried to shake the wheel side by side. There is no play at all in any of the four wheels in any direction, at least that I can tell. Would this rule out a bad wheel bearing or ball joint? If so, what other diagnostics can I do?

Thanks again!

[TheGreenDutch]

Did you make sure your lug nuts were tight? One time I had a guy repair a tire and only tighten 1 lug all the way and I had some serious wobbles going on. I know this is obvious but you never know. Also maybe a linkage is broken or a bad strut mount is moving around? Sometimes a tire can break the radial and throw the wheel out of round. Check for that too. Like after hitting a bad pothole.
Good luck hope you figure it out.

[PaulR]

Did you make sure your lug nuts were tight? One time I had a guy repair a tire and only tighten 1 lug all the way and I had some serious wobbles going on. I know this is obvious but you never know. Also maybe a linkage is broken or a bad strut mount is moving around? Sometimes a tire can break the radial and throw the wheel out of round. Check for that too. Like after hitting a bad pothole.
Good luck hope you figure it out.

Hi TheGreenDutch,

Thanks so much for your help! I rotated the right side tires front to back today (I did the left a few weeks ago) and the issue seems resolved. It is still pulling, but I will get the car aligned. I was not the last person to remove the tires, so a lug nut definitely could have been loose, but they were tightened with my impact wrench today. I will let you guys know if the issue comes back. Could I have a bent wheel or just a bad/worn tire belt somewhere?

[ThurzNite]

Balance the tires?

A few other things
1) Front wheel shimmy while driving could be a control arm bushing
2) If the whole car's shaking, could be wheel hub/bearing
3) If the steering wanders, could be your rack, bad tires (balance?), broken springs (rare), worn struts (when was the last time they were changed?)
4) If the whole car bounces, check struts and the strut mounts
5) If it's loose steering, check tie rod ends
6) If it's a shimmy, check your cv joints
7) If the steering wheel jerks, check your power steering fluid

Dr J

[PaulR]

Balance the tires?

A few other things
1) Front wheel shimmy while driving could be a control arm bushing
2) If the whole car's shaking, could be wheel hub/bearing
3) If the steering wanders, could be your rack, bad tires (balance?), broken springs (rare), worn struts (when was the last time they were changed?)
4) If the whole car bounces, check struts and the strut mounts
5) If it's loose steering, check tie rod ends
6) If it's a shimmy, check your cv joints
7) If the steering wheel jerks, check your power steering fluid

Dr J

Dr J,

Thanks for your help. The issue was "resolved" by rotating the right side tires front to back. I had the car aligned and the shop let me know my rear clunk was caused by rear sway bar bushings, so I went to Advance Auto and picked up a set of Moogs and installed them. All seems to be well now. The steering wheel is positioned a little left when going straight, but I attribute this to the bad tires? Thanks for your help everyone!