I have a 96 Sunfire. At about 45 MPH the car will shimmy/shake, it feels kind of like the car is vibrating in the front end. Once you get past 50MPH the shimmy/shake stops. The car has new balljoints, tie-rods, wheel bearings, and sway bar links. I was thinking it was the tire. I am correct? What could be causing this problem?
Thanks in advance for your advice.
Tires.
Shake in the steering wheel generally means it's a front tire.
Shake in the seat/floor you're probably looking at a back tire.
Just take it to a tire shop, tell them you got a vibration at about 45mph, and where you feel it. They should be able to take care of it.
Did you curb the car and bent the rim?
It has been my experience that a tire ( assuming you mean broken belt) will cause a viberation starting about 25mph, and as you go faster it gets wrose, and higher speeds is terrible.
Not saying for sure it isnt a tire, just not my first though.
I would jack the car up, with it in neutral, and shake each front tire back and forth, and see if you feel any play. You said it has all those parts, but I would start with that.
- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new
I work at a tire shop. The first thing we would do is check the tire balance. As the tires wear the areas that need the wait change. So if you've put some miles on them they're probably out of balance. So as SHOoff suggested take it in and have them balanced.
The Outlaw
98 Pontiac Sunfire (Christine)
2200 5spd
Red with Black racing stripes.
Don't let the punks get to you. If they can't say anything helpful its because they probably
have VERY LITTLE IF ANY MECHANICAL SKILLS . Talking crap is just their way of hiding that
fact. They figure the more crap they say the less likley anyone will know how dumb they are.
tire balance is your culprit.
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Tire balance isn't exactly the whole problem here, a separated tire could also be the problem as well. I would atleast expect them to tell you that you might need to replace a tire just incase.
1983 Camaro Z28
ling427ttvette wrote:Tire balance isn't exactly the whole problem here, a separated tire could also be the problem as well. I would atleast expect them to tell you that you might need to replace a tire just incase.
A seperated tire could also do this. But if you take it in to have them balanced. They would see if it was seperated. A seperated tire will have a bubble or major tread seperation. If it has either of these yes they will tell you that you need to replace it. My recommendation is to go to your local tireshop and have them balanced. Let them know its due to a high speed vibration and they will balance them then test drive to makesure its gone. Atleast thats the way we do it at goodyear. 9 times out of 10 its caused by the tires being out of balance. But what do I know. I only do this for a living. HA HA HA. Let me know how it turns out.
The Outlaw
98 Pontiac Sunfire (Christine)
2200 5spd
Red with Black racing stripes.
Don't let the punks get to you. If they can't say anything helpful its because they probably
have VERY LITTLE IF ANY MECHANICAL SKILLS . Talking crap is just their way of hiding that
fact. They figure the more crap they say the less likley anyone will know how dumb they are.
