CONSTANT vibration in Steering Wheel & misc questions

stallion · #1 02-15-2007, 06:03 AM

Yes I've done a search.. I found that people have a shudder in their steering wheel when turning. I have this too at low-mid speeds (havent tested high speeds) although it is occasional.

HOWEVER

When on freeway going 50+, the steering wheel vibrates very noticeably... like back and forth but if I take my hands off the wheel (no more than 5 seconds mind you lol) the car doesnt move right to left like the steering wheel does. kinda weird. Any suggestions? I'm planning on adding the LSD additive but this weekend i'm getting my suspension replaced (springs + struts) at a shop so should I buy ball joints (if they have em at the stealership or the local auto part store) and have em replace it? I was going to get front sway bar bushings replaced since its easily accesible if theyre gonna replace my springs struts. or is this steering wheel vibration a result of bad front sway bar bushings? i had a leak in the valve cover gasket, does the oil drip right on the sway bar bushings? I used Bar's Engine treatment about 2x and the leak went away until I get my hands on actual gasket(s). Any suggestions on LSD additive brand(s) ? And advice about the steering wheel shudder?

stallion · #2 02-15-2007, 06:13 AM

or is this a "CV boot" problem ? i looked up online and a local auto parts store has a CV boot replacement kit. what does the CV boot do? is CV Boot Kit = CV joint? Oh god i'm so miserably confused

svxistentialist · #3 02-15-2007, 06:23 AM

Stallion

The shudder you mention people get in the steering when turning, this usually applies where people have air in the steering system. It is caused by cavitation. The most common and very simple fix for this is the O ring fix. it's written up in the How-To documents above.

The shimmy in the steering wheel you describe is much more like what happens from a bent or out of balance wheel rim. Bent is my guess.

Yeah, the car will track straight even with the wheel doing that, it is the way the steering geometry is set up.

The sway bar bushes will have little or no effect on that. While you are working on the front suspension, it is a good thing to check ball joints and track rod ends. They loosen and wear at close to 100K miles. Just as easy, they might be OK. A competent mechanic will check this thoroughly on a ramp in a few seconds. Your wheel alignment people are usually good at checking this. It's easier to check on a lift where the body of the car is supported, and the wheels hang loose. Either should do.

Joe

huck369 · #4 02-15-2007, 06:23 AM

It could be a number of things, in order of probability:
Unbalanced tires
Bad Struts
Bad ball joints
Bad tie rod ends
Bad steering rack
Bad CV Joint

If it were only while turning I'd say bad CV joint..
If the CV joint is bad enough to vibrate, then don't bother with a new boot kit, just replace the axle, as they are only about $70 at any local parts place.

stallion · #5 02-15-2007, 06:24 AM

Thanks guys

svxistentialist · #6 02-15-2007, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stallion

or is this a "CV boot" problem ? i looked up online and a local auto parts store has a CV boot replacement kit. what does the CV boot do? is CV Boot Kit = CV joint? Oh god i'm so miserably confused

CV boot is the rubber part that fits over the CV joint. It is like a concertina on the front so the joint can bend and flex.

If the boot splits, the lubricant escapes. When the lubricant goes, the joint wears out and rattles and can separate. Big expense.

So while your mechanic is checking the front, if the boots are split, you should replace them pronto.

Joe

Nomake Wan · #7 02-15-2007, 09:01 AM

It's great how I see problems I've had come up...

When driving my SVX home, I found that the steering vibrated almost violently at lower speeds, but once up by 60-65 MPH it calmed down to about nothing. On the other hand, I know for a fact that the wheels are bent and that the right-front tire is damaged. I just chalked it up to that. Does that sound about right?

svxistentialist · #8 02-15-2007, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nomake Wan

It's great how I see problems I've had come up...

When driving my SVX home, I found that the steering vibrated almost violently at lower speeds, but once up by 60-65 MPH it calmed down to about nothing. On the other hand, I know for a fact that the wheels are bent and that the right-front tire is damaged. I just chalked it up to that. Does that sound about right?

It certainly sounds possible, but is not what you call "right"

It's bad news and dangerous to be driving with a damaged front tyre/tire. Get your wheels balanced and good tires ASAP for your own safety.

Your car looks very nice, BTW. You will be able to get console parts for it with little trouble. It has only 79K on it. Once you fix up the cosmetics, you have a sweet motor there.

Joe

Nomake Wan · #9 02-15-2007, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svxistentialist

It certainly sounds possible, but is not what you call "right"

It's bad news and dangerous to be driving with a damaged front tyre/tire. Get your wheels balanced and good tires ASAP for your own safety.

Your car looks very nice, BTW. You will be able to get console parts for it with little trouble. It has only 79K on it. Once you fix up the cosmetics, you have a sweet motor there.

Joe

I haven't driven the car since I got it home. I would never drive a car in that condition. It has been sitting in my garage awaiting its new wheels and tires. ^-^

Thanks for the encouragement. I think I've found the console parts already, so we'll see how that goes...

svxistentialist · #10 02-15-2007, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nomake Wan

I haven't driven the car since I got it home. I would never drive a car in that condition. It has been sitting in my garage awaiting its new wheels and tires. ^-^

Thanks for the encouragement. I think I've found the console parts already, so we'll see how that goes...

You're welcome.

I understand you now, you are probably still driving the Legacy [I had a twin turbo one I sold last year, very nice car to own]

Your SVX looks genuinely very straight, and will be nice with some love and attention.

Joe

Nomake Wan · #11 02-15-2007, 11:51 AM

Sadly, the Legacy was a bargaining chip towards the SVX. So now I end up driving either my dad's m/t Ford Contour or my mom's minivan.

svxistentialist · #12 02-15-2007, 02:11 PM

Patience, my man, patience.....

immortal_suby · #13 02-15-2007, 09:16 PM

Sounds to me like it is your tires. Higher order harmonic radial variation. Do you also notice a slight bouncing at very low speeds - like you are going over small bumps? Combined it could be indicative of crappy tire uniformity.

NSTG8R · #14 02-15-2007, 09:41 PM

I'd have to agree with immortal_suby on the tire theory. A broken belt in a tire can cause all kinds of strange vibrations at certain speeds. Just as a cheap (read: free) experiment, try rotating your tires, and see if the shudder/bad vibes stops or changes.

-Kevin

stallion · #15 02-15-2007, 09:55 PM

I havent driven the car for about 3 months (I'm away at my university) but I recall the tires being in pretty bad condition. Problem solved (?) I already have a fresh set of tires waiting at home so I will find out for sure then. I'm also going to try the LSD additive on my tranny: should I be doing this before changing the tranny fluid or after? Also to solve the air in my P/S i'm going to try a turkey baster to suck as much as I can and replacing with fresh P/S fluid with maybe Lucas P/S additive. I guess i'll have to wait and see. Thank you for all your advice