That shaking is a safety concern.
Your vehicle feels fine around town, but once you reach highway speeds, you notice a shake or vibration. Maybe you feel it in the steering wheel. Maybe the seat or floor seems to vibrate. Maybe the whole vehicle feels different once you reach a certain speed. A vibration at highway speeds is common, but there are several possible causes. The important thing is not to guess.
When a tire and wheel are not properly balanced, the imbalance may become more noticeable as speed increases.
You might feel a steering-wheel vibration, a shake that starts around a certain speed, vibration that gets worse as you go faster. A tire may also lose a wheel weight over time, causing a vibration that was not there before.
A tire does not have to be flat to create a problem. Possible tire-related causes include uneven tread wear, internal tire damage, a separated belt, flat spots, incorrect tire pressure, irregular wear from alignment or suspension problems. Some tire problems are difficult to see without a closer inspection.
A wheel can become bent after hitting a pothole, curb, or road debris. Even a small amount of damage may cause a vibration at higher speeds.This is one reason it is important to inspect both the tire and wheel rather than assuming the tire itself is the problem.
A poor alignment does not always cause a vibration by itself, but it can cause uneven tire wear that eventually leads to one. Signs of an alignment problem may include your vehicle pulling, off-center steering wheel, uneven tire wear, reduced tire life. If the tires are wearing unevenly, it is worth finding out why.
Worn steering or suspension parts may allow excess movement that becomes more noticeable at highway speeds.
Possible areas to inspect include your tie rods, ball joints, control-arm bushings, wheel bearings, struts or shocks, other steering and suspension components. A loose or worn component can affect both ride quality and safety.
A worn wheel bearing may cause a humming, growling, vibration, noise that changes while turning, a loose feeling in the wheel. Wheel-bearing problems often get worse over time, so they should not be ignored.
Not every vibration comes from the tires or suspension. Please do not ignore a vibration. It does not automatically mean something serious is about to fail. But it does mean something has changed. The sooner you have it checked, the easier it may be to find the cause before it creates additional wear.
Give us a call and let us take care of you. 541-791-2886
Happy Adventures,
Heather
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