Steering wheel shakes at 70mph

[ToyAv98]

Hi all. I seem to be experiencing a problem where the steering wheel starts to shake around between 60-70mph and smooths out again around 75-80mph. I also have a leak in the rack and pinion. I would normally assume I just need to get a realignment, but am unsure since I've noticed the leak. Could the leak be the cause, or am I correct to assume it's a realignment issue?

[Zembonez]

Doubtful of it being an alignment issue. Vibrations like you describe are almost always tire/wheel related. Need to have the tires checked / balanced for starters.

[ToyAv98]

I didn't even think of that. I'll have my mechanic check the balancing. Hopefully it's something as simple and cheap like that to correct. I have Pirelli Cinturato P3000's on the vehicle. I've put at least 20-25,000 miles on them so far and the tread has half it's life left it looks. Maybe the balancing has been thrown off somewhere in between all those miles. Thank you for your feedback.

[TrailDust]

It's not unusual to throw a weight. Getting them rebalanced is a good first step.

[Dave's]

As suggested, a vibration which begins at any speed and disappears about 10 mph later is ALMOST always a tire balance issue. I did have one which was due to separated belts inside the tire but it was still tire balance. It just couldn't be fixed without replacing the tires. Other issues are usually intermittent or get worse as speed increases. But that's just my opinion from years of driving. There are exceptions as I'm sure some here can attest to.

[turbofrank@verizon]

Do the search calibers and rotors.

[Dave's]

You may want to try swapping all four tires front to rear. If it changes the problem it's probably a tire issue. If not, you can look for other causes.

[ToyAv98]

Thank you all for your input. I was able to take my car in to the mechanic this morning, and asked to have the tires balanced. That was the problem. Both front tires were out of balance with one being waaay off. The mechanic added the weights and it was a smooth ride into work this morning. Thanks again for everyone's help.

[TrailDust]

Originally Posted by ToyAv98

Thank you all for your input. I was able to take my car in to the mechanic this morning, and asked to have the tires balanced. That was the problem. Both front tires were out of balance with one being waaay off. The mechanic added the weights and it was a smooth ride into work this morning. Thanks again for everyone's help.

Glad to hear it, thanks for the update.