Why is my steering wheel shaking at 60 mph? (2023)

Why is my car shaking when I drive over 60 mph?

Tires are the most common reason your car shakes at high speed. If your vehicle experiences intense shaking after about 60 mph, the reason could be tires that are out of balance. You can tell that the tires are out of balance by checking for flat spots. Ensure to have such tires balanced out.

Unbalanced tires can impact your suspension and axle, which leads to steering wheel vibrations. This issue can be repaired (or prevented) with a routine tire balancing service. On average, your tires should be balanced every 10,000-12,000 miles.

If vibration is felt at certain speeds, the tires may need to be balanced. If the tires are wearing unevenly and causing the car to vibrate, the driver may need a tire rotation. In some cases, the driver may need new tires to solve the problem of vibration.

If your wheels are misaligned, your car will usually “drift” when you take your hands off the wheel, and the steering wheel itself may vibrate or shake. This is a pretty easy fix – just take your car in for an alignment, and the problem will be resolved.

You can still drive your car with a shaking steering wheel, but it does indicate that you should speak with an expert technician as soon as possible. The majority of shaky steering wheels are due to the five following issues: Unbalanced Wheels — Weight should be evenly distributed between all four tires.

Poor Alignment

Most of the time, you'll detect other problems, like uneven tire wear, an off-center steering wheel and a pulling sensation to the left or right as you drive, if your vehicle's alignment is off. That said, if the alignment is off by enough, it can even cause your vehicle to shake!

If your steering wheel is wobbling too much, it could be a sign that the wheel bearings, tie rod ends, or ball joints are damaged. To help a mechanic diagnose and resolve this problem, take note of when you're experiencing the most shake while driving.

If your steering wheel only shakes when you turn, bearings are the likely culprit. Usually, this problem can be fixed with a simple cleaning, but if they're damaged, replacement can cost up to $430 dollars including labor costs.

Improperly functioning spark plugs cause an uneven burn of fuel in the engine, resulting in fluctuating RPMs and a louder noise. You might also experience increased vibrations of your vehicle while sitting idle or while traveling at low speeds. These vibrations originate from the engine and can shake the entire car.

When your car vibrates every time you drive at 50-70 mph, it is most likely that your wheels are out of balance. The vibrations will emanate from the steering wheel across the seat and through the vehicle's floor.

What does a car feel like that is out of alignment?

Your vehicle pulls to one side. Uneven or rapid tire wear. Your steering wheel is crooked when driving straight. Squealing tires.

Balancing also contributes to ride comfort: Imbalanced tires will wobble or hop up and down, which causes vibration. If a front tire isn't properly balanced you'll likely feel vibration in the steering wheel. If the problem is in the rear the tremor will be noticeable in the seat or floor.

Low automatic transmission fluid can cause shaking. If the shaking is accompanied by the check engine light, it's time to visit a mechanic.

Pedal and Brake Pads Problems

Brake pads can also create a vibration while braking, and this implies the possibility of low brake fluid. If such happens, you should drive to a nearby automotive shop to get professional help before the problem persists, leading to unimaginable damages to you and your vehicle.

Because the tie rods link the steering wheel to the front wheels, steering problems can be a symptom of a loose or damaged tie rod. Common signs include a steering wheel that shakes or vibrates and looseness or excessive play in the steering wheel. The vibration typically becomes worse as you accelerate or turn.

When your tie rods go bad, the symptom you're most likely to experience first is a vibration or shaking sensation in your steering wheel. You may also hear associated clunking and rattling noises, especially when turning the vehicle at low speeds. These sounds are caused by tie rods that are starting to wear out.

The most common signs of bad spark plugs include start-up trouble, rough idling, sluggish acceleration, declining fuel economy, engine misfiring, and engine knocking.

Common signs of faulty spark plugs include slow acceleration, loss of power, poor fuel economy, engine misfires, and difficulty starting the car.

Vibration is usually caused by an out of balance or defective tire, a bent wheel or a worn driveline U-joint. You may find that the car shakes the car in an up and down motion. You may feel vibration through the seat, the steering wheel or even in the brake pedal.

How do you check your car alignment at home?

Jack up one of the front tires, secure the vehicle on jack stands, then spray-paint a stripe on the tread while spinning the tire. Try to keep your hand as steady as possible so your line can be even on both tires. Measure from line to line with the tape level with the floor.

One quick way to check if your body is in good alignment is by the way you walk. Simply walk around your home and take a look at how your feet are positioned. Ideally, your foot's line of progression should form an angle of 4-7 degrees with a line from the center of your heel to your second toe.

Corpus Christi Auto Repair

If you're feeling your vehicle vibrate or shake excessively, don't ignore it. Understanding that an abnormal symptom is an indication of a problem can help you take better care of your vehicle and ensure your safety on the road.

The cost of an alignment depends on several factors: The number of wheels: A front-end alignment, which involves only the two wheels on the front of the car, typically costs anywhere from $50 to $75. Four-wheel alignments cost more, usually $100 to $168.

Depending on your location and your vehicle, service costs for both wheel balancing and alignment can vary. In general, the U.S. average for wheel balancing is between $40-$75. How much does a wheel alignment service cost? A front-end alignment typically costs between $65-$100, or sometimes more depending on the brand.

Sometimes, additional weights are enough to fix a tire that is out of balance. However, the technician may need to rotate the tire on the wheel. The reason for this is that the heavier spot of the wheel and that of the tire may line up, causing more imbalance. Another thing to do is to check for locking wheel lugs.

When your car vibrates every time you drive at 50-70 mph, it is most likely that your wheels are out of balance. The vibrations will emanate from the steering wheel across the seat and through the vehicle's floor.

Vehicle wobbles at 30 to 50 mph: The most common cause of vehicle wobbles in this speed range is a bent wheel or mildly out of round tire. Transmission and drive line issues can also show up in this range, but tires are the first thing to check. Unlike the low speed wobble, this is usually not a safety issue.

Why does my car shake between 50 and 60 mph?

The most common reason for a car to shake is related to tires. If the tires are out of balance then the steering wheel can shake. This shaking starts at around 50-55 miles per hour (mph). It gets worse around 60 mph but starts to get better at high speeds.

The common symptoms of out-of-balance tires are uneven and faster tread wear, poor fuel economy, and vibration in the steering wheel, the floorboard or the seat that gets worse at faster speeds. When all areas of the wheel-tire unit are as equal in weight as possible, the tire will roll smoothly.

Consistent Shaking: Alignment issues will cause constant vehicle vibration, no matter whether you are braking, accelerating, or maintaining a consistent speed. Steering Wheel Pulling: You may also notice that your vehicle is “pulling” towards one side of the road or another rather than seamlessly steering straight.

What Is Death Wobble? Death wobble happens in Jeeps, 4x4s, and trucks when rapidly rotating steering wheel components cause your steering wheel to move rapidly from side to side. This causes your vehicle to feel like it's about to fall apart and you want to hold onto the steering wheel for dear life.

Generally, death wobble is caused by several worn-out steering or suspension parts, although out-of-balance tires, bent wheels, loose wheel bearings, a bad alignment, low tire pressure, a bent tie rod, and more can all contribute to or cause death wobble.

Tires are one of the most common causes of car vibrations. One of the possible issues are out-of-balance tires. Your problems may not be noticeable at slow speeds, but the shaking will intensify as you accelerate to 55-60 miles per hour. The steering wheel, or even the entire car, will start to vibrate.

A shudder or vibration may develop while driving at speeds between 35 and 40 MPH. Our technicians tell us this condition is commonly caused by a failed automatic transmission torque converter. It is recommend to replace the torque converter and install an updated powertrain control module (PCM) to correct this concern.

This is something that can happen when tires and wheels are out of balance or the car needs to be aligned. This can also happen when the brake rotors are warped or when the wheel bearings are bad or in some cases worn out ball joints as you suggest.