Next time you go for a drive, really pay attention to the feedback in the steering wheel. If it’s shaky, you just might have a problem, and our Giuseppe Iatarola just might have the fix on MotorWeek’s “Your Drive!”

GIUSEPPE IATAROLA: Have you been driving down the road and your steering wheel starts to shake? Most people assume this is because of the high-speed balance. However, it could be several other causes. Today, I’m going to walk you through them.

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Steering Wheel Vibration 4
Steering Wheel Vibration 1

The main cause of a shaky steering wheel is warped brake rotors. There’s two ways of fixing this problem. First is replacing the brake rotor, which is the easiest but most expensive, and the second is the old-school way, resurfacing the brake rotor. What causes a warped rotor, it might be a sticky caliper. Which means the caliper is applied onto the brake rotor all the time. The brake rotor overheats and warps. Before we turn it, safety first…

This lathe has cutting blades on it that shaves the surface of the rotor until it’s perfectly even, just like this. There’s a limit to how many times you can turn a rotor. Most rotors are marked with a minimum allowable thickness. Once you go past that, it could get weak, is more prone to warping and is no longer safe to use.

Steering Wheel Vibration 3

Another cause for a shaky steering wheel is overtightened lug nuts. That’s what happens when you use a good old air gun. The air gun tightens the lug nuts unevenly. That’s why you always use a torque wrench. Torque your lug nuts to the specs of your car and you’re good to go.

You can’t tell from looking at it, but your wheel might be out of balance. Make sure there’s no mud or ice crusted in your wheel, make sure you don’t have any missing wheel weights, and if your tires are worn out, it could throw off your alignment and it can make your car wobble. 

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Steering Wheel Vibration 2
Steering Wheel Vibration 5

One more place to look is your suspension. Worn out parts, parts that are installed incorrectly, or parts that are rusty may not line up correctly, and make the car wobble.

If you’ve got shaky steering wheel problems, look these things over before you bring it to your local mechanic. You might save yourself some time and money. If you have any questions or comments, reach out to us, here at MotorWeek.