Steering wheel Vibration
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 534
Likes: 0
From: Duncan South Carolina
St. Jude Donor '10
Steering wheel Vibration
I've got a 90 L-98 and since I've owned it there has been a slight vibration in the steering wheel from 60mph and over. Had it aligned and put new tires on it and still vibrates. Last night, I was going to a cruise-in and at about 50mph I thought the hood was going to shake off. I looked under the hood and grabbed on to the steering linkage and was able to move it less than a quarter of an inch. There is no play in the u-joint but there is play where the yoke goes into the steering box. Could the yoke be bad? Is there a bearing where the yoke goes into the steering box that can be replaced or do I need to a new steering box?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,564
Likes: 6
From: Woodstock Georgia
You should not even have a steering box, unless you are referring to the rack and pinion as a steering box. If you have free play in the steering wheel then the column u-joints and mounts could be suspect, but from your description a bad wheel bearing is most likely. Next likely items would be tie rod ends, ball joints, and of course out of round or misbalanced steer tires. Jack it up and check for looseness in the above components. Hope this helps.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,050
Likes: 147
From: Phoenix AZ
2021 C4 of the Year - Modified Finalist
vibration
I had the same thing. If i rotated the tires, balanced them, balanced the rotors, changed the rack, it would never go away.
It got so bad that I couldn't go over 45 without the steering wheel about to jump out of my hands!!!
I changed the wheels, and put a known set of tires on it, and voila!!! no more vibration.
I was told that the wheels tend to take the shape of the tires (eliptical) If the car sits more than it drives, and the wheels are good aluminum, but that they are forced out of round by the tires.
If they are Z rated tires, the casing is nylon, and nylon takes a set.
All I did was change the wheels, and it went away.
rotating did nothing except the vibration frequency seemed to change, or either that I was sittin on them with the seats being almost over the rear wheels.
Try borrowing a friend's wheels and driving it, or get a friend to use your wheels for an excursion down the freeway.
It is also possible that you have a cracked wheel, disc out of balance (they have weights on them in between the fins), bad rack, bad tie rod ends, tires poorly balanced, or you threw a balance weight off during a high speed run. anything is possible
It got so bad that I couldn't go over 45 without the steering wheel about to jump out of my hands!!!
I changed the wheels, and put a known set of tires on it, and voila!!! no more vibration.
I was told that the wheels tend to take the shape of the tires (eliptical) If the car sits more than it drives, and the wheels are good aluminum, but that they are forced out of round by the tires.
If they are Z rated tires, the casing is nylon, and nylon takes a set.
All I did was change the wheels, and it went away.
rotating did nothing except the vibration frequency seemed to change, or either that I was sittin on them with the seats being almost over the rear wheels.
Try borrowing a friend's wheels and driving it, or get a friend to use your wheels for an excursion down the freeway.
It is also possible that you have a cracked wheel, disc out of balance (they have weights on them in between the fins), bad rack, bad tie rod ends, tires poorly balanced, or you threw a balance weight off during a high speed run. anything is possible
Last edited by coupeguy2001; Apr 15, 2007 at 11:46 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,178
Likes: 5
From: Daleville Indiana
St. Jude Donor '08
Wheel bearing, I had a vibration above 80 after the new bearings want on no more vibration.
