Ive got a 1992 subaru legacy vz, A few weeks ago when my wife took the car for a drive she said The steering wheel started shaking - at the time I thought she was just taking about a little bit of a "wheel out of balance" vibration when traveling at 100K+ as I had driven it alot before and ~1000km afterwards and hadn't noticed anything other then this. and the car was due for new tyres, different rims, balance and wheel alignment. But it turns out she was talking about alot stronger shaking then this for 2 of the 4 legs of the trip she drove
When I was taking the car in for the new tyres I did notice a bit of a shake but I put this down to the snow and ice on the road.
Today I went out in the car with the 4 new tyres, different rims, balanced and wheel alignment, and sometimes I would get a really strong steering shake to the point it became uncomfortable to hold the wheel, but If I stopped (or often just slowed below 20km) the shaking would stop and I could speed back up to 100 and drive with no shaking or vibration at all for 15km+ then sometimes the shake would return and was constant ie if you did not stop it would still be shaking 5km later.
What is going on here - am I likely to be right in assuming its not the tyres, rims, balance or alignment since it has occurred both before and after these were changed!
supernova2,
Jun 9, 4:03am
Wheel bearing, loose hub, grabbing brakes maybe!
realtrader1,
Jun 9, 4:30am
Need to check methodically: suspension, steering and as said above, w/brgs, loose hub nut/ splines worn etc.An alignment shop / suspension shop etc. should be able to put you right.
lookoutas,
Jun 9, 4:42am
Do a "U turn" one way, and then the other. Then try it. Had this happen on an older model. All I could put it down to, was the front CV's were getting out of line - maybe pulling apart, and the turns shoved them back together. But the "U'es" worked every time.
bill-robinson,
Jun 9, 5:33pm
x1
strip and rebuild the front INNER Cv,s I had this problem and that is the cure.
ceebee2,
Jun 9, 9:12pm
Steering wheel shake is a wheel "wobbling" out of alignment or balance.take it back and get the tradesman to balance them instead of the apprentice. However check wheel nut tightness first.hope a wheel nut(s) aren't loose.
unbeatabull,
Jun 9, 9:17pm
x1
It was doing it before the alignment if you read OP.
My guess would be a CV or Wheel Bearing as well, but if they all checkout you will have to start checking every joint, bush etc in the front steering. The fact it comes and goes points back to the CV and/or Wheel Bearing/Hub assembly though.
ceebee2,
Jun 9, 9:18pm
Having re read post, do you mean a visible steering wheel shake OR intense vibration. If vibration the could be the inner C.V joints, common on higher mileage cars. The difference is eliminated by the way it stops.if its wheel balance it will be present at the same speed generally each time. where as the inner C.V wear will occur at a different range of speeds (Under load) and require slowing to a larger degree to stop it.
humvee,
Jun 10, 11:28pm
When it does happen It is both visable and intense shake/vibration of steering wheel, but most the time it does not seem to happen, Just drove another 30km at speeds between 0-100kmh on both sealed and gravel roads and no sign of the shake at all.
Those who have said CV's could be right - they do make a bit of noise and are on the to do list, as at 2 weeks ago they were still in a "wof passable state"
humvee,
Jun 10, 11:31pm
I did not experience it before the tyres and rims were changed - but my wife did implying it is not a balance issue.
Already checked all wheel nuts - its not that
cjdnzl,
Jun 11, 12:25am
In the old days with beam front axles there was a similar thing could happen, called shimmying.It was due to the steering geometry being wrong somewhere.If your car has whacked something with one or both front wheels then the castor may be out of whack. With shimmying, the cure was to slow down until it stopped, like you are doing.I think you need a suspension alignment.
humvee,
Jun 11, 8:36am
is a "suspension alignment" different to a wheel alignment!
movnon,
Jun 11, 1:56pm
Could be the loose nut holding the steering wheel! - its pretty common in enzed!
joe-996,
Jun 11, 9:29pm
center diff! does it have the fuse holded up by the front right strutt! throw a fuse in that, take it to 2wd and see if its any different, also as stated check to cvs the front outter cv nut needs to be corrcetly torqued as it holds the hub, wheelbearing all together and the inner cvs need to be floating, nice and greased and the boots in good condition,
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