# Steering wheel shake



## Partsguru1 (May 21, 2007)

How many of you have had the steering wheel move back and forth over certain types of pavement? Most of the time I don't notice this happening, but there are certain roads that it seems to happen constantly. You can hold the wheel firmly and it isn't noticable, but if you take your hands off the wheel it looks pretty bad. I know it isn't a wheel balance issue as we checked them and they were all fine, as well as road force well within specs.

I have a tech here at the dealership that had a 05 and he claimed the same thing happened to him, and he never could get it to quit. Mine is an 04 with only 3K miles on it and with the BFG factory issue tires. I'm wondering if it is a quirk of these tires, as the guy with the 05 had the same tires on his car? I have checked and have no strut rub, so that isn't a possible cause. 

Any thoughts or ideas? :confused


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## b_a_betterperson (Feb 16, 2005)

Not sure what you mean. Shaking is one thing. Having the steering wheel move back and forth on certain road conditions is another.

If you're experiencing vibration and the wheels are balanced, you probably have an out of round tire. Had the same problem on my '04 -- and it was a bitch to correct. Wound up getting some General Exclaim UHP tires -- which did the trick.

If the car seems to be hunting around on certain types of pavement, such as asphalt roads with slight indentations where the traffic flows, it's a fairly common occurance in cars that have wide tires.


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## Partsguru1 (May 21, 2007)

Yeah, I guess the "hunting around" description is pretty fitting for what I'm experiencing. Its not a vibration. It is like the wheel is moving by itself back and forth. I felt like it was an issue maybe due to wider than usual tires, but wasn't certain. I'm thinking it also may be due to the agressive tread pattern on the tires I have? Thanks for the input.

If anyone else has experienced this I'd still like to hear from you!


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

*There are a few different roads that when I travel on them I get road noise, a slight thumping sensation and can feel it vibrating (slightly) through the steering wheel. It's the asphalt and the way it was laid. It's only short portions and once I leave those areas all is well. The road noise is similar to that of a grooved roadway but not as loud. I have noticed on newly paved roads of asphalt my tires sing but do not vibrate. 

I have traveled asphalt laid roadways where the mix of the asphalt was not as fine as others, you can see this as the stones in the mix are larger and the quality isn't as good as a fine mix in asphalt. Sounds and vibrations radiate up from the road and you can feel it. I have NOT incurred violent shaking but enough to see the steering wheel vibrating.*


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## BV GTO (Jul 14, 2006)

Here in California, they had cut rain grooves in the freeway pavement . I've had cars that'd follow the grooves but haven't noticed it in the GTO. CalTrans has started using pavement that drains rain better and lessens puddling so has eliminated rain grooving.


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## Partsguru1 (May 21, 2007)

The issue I'm talking about is best described as the steering wheel moving back and forth very quickly. Its not a big movement but enough that you can see it if you take your hands off the wheel. Maybe my coworker and I are the only ones this has happened to?


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## shelbygto2 (Jun 11, 2007)

my cars steering wheels shakes but the guy at pontiac told me it is tire balancing... anyone know were i can get a front bumper for an 04 gto??


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## dancastle (Feb 21, 2007)

mine vibrates shakes slighty for the first few miles but smooths out after that i suppose the steering components loosen up a bit if it does it all the time wheel balance is what i would check first


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## silversport (Mar 23, 2007)

is it a road travelled much by Truck traffic??? I live up near Chicago and I saw the steering wheel moving slightly and quickly back and forth on certain roads...probably damaged by truck traffic...if it doesn't do it on all roads, it isn't your car.
Bill


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## Partsguru1 (May 21, 2007)

Yeah Bill, you pretty much described it. All the roads around here (So IL) are have heavy truck traffic, so that may be whats causing the problem. It still is aggrivating though!:willy:


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## J.E.T. (Sep 30, 2005)

Partsguru1 said:


> Yeah Bill, you pretty much described it. All the roads around here (So IL) are have heavy truck traffic, so that may be whats causing the problem. It still is aggrivating though!:willy:


Prolly a tire balance issue..........find a place that shaves tires and then balances them "on-car". THAT will fix the problem........guaranteed. 

JET


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## Taxman (Dec 24, 2005)

Mine shook, after the dealer said that "aligned" it, car shook worse. New tires, check balance at 2 other places, rotate tires same issue, never got better. Was at the point when I sold it that I couldnt go 50+ without fighting the car


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## Rovalis (Aug 5, 2007)

I just drove my car off the lot today . Absolutely amazed by the car. I have noticed that I have what is described here, however. The steering wheel seems to jerk a lot, like in those Rush video games at the arcade. Like... just resistant, sometimes. I checked the air in the tires, upped it a few PSI, and noticed that it's not really there since I drove it right after. But on the high way, around 80+, it begins to get really unsteady. I figured it was just some alignment issue.


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

Rovalis said:


> I just drove my car off the lot today . Absolutely amazed by the car. I have noticed that I have what is described here, however. The steering wheel seems to jerk a lot, like in those Rush video games at the arcade. Like... just resistant, sometimes. I checked the air in the tires, upped it a few PSI, and noticed that it's not really there since I drove it right after. But on the high way, around 80+, it begins to get really unsteady. I figured it was just some alignment issue.


*Welcome to the herd Rovalis....:cheers 

I would drive the car right back and tell them to correct the problem. Check the inside of the wheels and see if the balancing weights are still there. Could be some came off. The problem you describe sounds like a wheel balance problem. IF this shake is a result of an alignment need, play close attention to the tires for any kind contact with the struts.

You may want to check to make sure the lugs are properly torqued. If it is shaking that bad that would be the first thing I'd check. Also beware of over inflating the tires, keep it at spec reason being, over inflating the front tires will cause the tires to be closer to the struts. There is very little clearance there now as it is. *


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## Rovalis (Aug 5, 2007)

I considered that too, but it doesn't do the usual "oval" feel at low speeds that a balance issue is notorious for. I also noticed that just today, it was doing it ONLY when I was at idle. Stepping on the gas and it doesn't really do it that much. It also STAYS straight, so I outruled the alignment possibility... when I let go of the steering wheel, it just... goes back and forth, but the car stays pretty true to the course that I had when I let go, so I'm thinking it's something along the lines of your thinking, the struts.


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