Steering wheel vibrating 99 5sfe

[josht913]

Hey guys, The steering wheel on my camry is vibrating and I'm not sure what the issue is. It happens at all speeds and seems to calm more when I turn the wheel to the left some. It vibrates almost as if I had a flat tire. If anyone can tell me what to look for or what this problem sounds like I would really appreciate it.

thanks in advance.

Josh

[ruggz]

Sounds like it could be tires. That's where I would start try rotating them and see if that helps your next step would be struts.

[josht913]

I've actually changed tires and wheels, and it's still the same problem. The faster I go the faster it vibrates.

Thanks for the reply.

[josht913]

Any other suggestions?

[BMR]

How many miles on it?

Could be a lot of things.

Does it get worse if you touch the brakes? If yes, could be the rotors are warped.

REALLY worn out struts?

My Cam had a similar problem. After replacing a lot of other things, it turned out to be wheel bearings.

[josht913]

It doesn't affect it any when hitting the breaks. It has right under 150k. Is there a way to check to see if a wheel bearing is worn?

Thanks again.

[JohnGD]

Wheel bearing can have a grinding, growling noise that intensifies with weight (the bearing leaned on during a turn). So if you turn to the left (weight shifts to the right) and the noise lessens, turn to the right (weight shifts to the left) and the noise intensifies, maybe check the left bearing?

Jack up the car and try to shake the wheel at 6-12 o'clock and then 3-9 o'clock positions. You shouldn't notice any free play.

Ball joints? CV joints? Hub runout? Alignment?

Originally Posted by josht913

Hey guys, The steering wheel on my camry is vibrating and I'm not sure what the issue is. It happens at all speeds and seems to calm more when I turn the wheel to the left some. It vibrates almost as if I had a flat tire. If anyone can tell me what to look for or what this problem sounds like I would really appreciate it.

thanks in advance.

Josh

[JohnGD]

If you ever need to change out the wheel bearing, you may be able to find Hub Tamer rental. Some people reported $25/day or something like that.

http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=1996133

Or many parts stores will rent out a simpler kit:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=66829

Not sure if Autozone has this on their free loaner program.

[josht913]

Thanks! I'm about to go change the oil i'll check for free play in the wheels.

[josht913]

Well I found what at least a majority of the problem is, my front left tire has a nice long bubble in it...Maybe I hit a nasty pothole or something.

I also checked/wiggled the tires from side to side and noticed a little play where the steering wheel would move slightly back and forth with it, i'm not sure if this is normal, but it almost seemed like the wheel isn't fully seated against the hub? I tightened the lugs double check. After doing this it seemed to have helped a little, but like I said I know that bubble is a majority of the issue.

[JohnGD]

Bubble on a new tire? What brand? There is a reason I use only Michelins (unless it's not available).

If you turn hard enough you can move the steering wheel a bit. So I'm not too clear if that's a problem there for sure.

Did you check the tie rods? That's where the steering rack hooks up to the knuckles (the large hunk of metal with the wheel hub). If you grab the tie rod itself and move it in/out/up/down/left/right, you should not feel any play. If it's the outer, it's easy to replace with free loaner tools from Autozone. The Raybestos with urethane bushing is about $30 online.

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=1031304

However, if it's the inner end, it may be best to get. See if it comes with lifetime replacement warranty:

http://info.rockauto.com/Cardone/Det.../261690-01.jpg

Also check the lower ball joints.

Originally Posted by josht913

Well I found what at least a majority of the problem is, my front left tire has a nice long bubble in it...Maybe I hit a nasty pothole or something.

I also checked/wiggled the tires from side to side and noticed a little play where the steering wheel would move slightly back and forth with it, i'm not sure if this is normal, but it almost seemed like the wheel isn't fully seated against the hub? I tightened the lugs double check. After doing this it seemed to have helped a little, but like I said I know that bubble is a majority of the issue.

[josht913]

The tires are atleast 2yrs old. I haven't had a chance to check out any of this other stuff yet. I really appreciate the info, i'll post up more as I'm able to check.

Thanks again!

Originally Posted by JohnGD

Bubble on a new tire? What brand? There is a reason I use only Michelins (unless it's not available).

If you turn hard enough you can move the steering wheel a bit. So I'm not too clear if that's a problem there for sure.

Did you check the tie rods? That's where the steering rack hooks up to the knuckles (the large hunk of metal with the wheel hub). If you grab the tie rod itself and move it in/out/up/down/left/right, you should not feel any play. If it's the outer, it's easy to replace with free loaner tools from Autozone. The Raybestos with urethane bushing is about $30 online.

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=1031304

However, if it's the inner end, it may be best to get. See if it comes with lifetime replacement warranty:

http://info.rockauto.com/Cardone/Det.../261690-01.jpg

Also check the lower ball joints.

[fenixus]

if steering wheel shaking/vibration happens at higher speeds (above 70-80mph) only and you cannot ehar any other noises mentioned above (wheel bearing, etc.) I would try re-aligning the wheels. that's what fixed such problem on a bunch of my cars developing same problems in past.

EDIT:
never mind, just read post about tire bubble. seems you've got it nailed down already. good luck man!