Everyone has heard uncommon noises or felt alarming vibrations coming from one area or another in their vehicle. Quite often, the problem is with your tires or wheels! Other times, mechanical issues lie at the root of the problem. Let’s check out some of the common experiences with vehicle vibration and their likely causes.
We provide complete and thorough tire inspections to diagnose and repair any tire issues.
Tires are the number one cause for vibrations while driving your vehicle. Very commonly, vibrations felt through the floor are due to unbalanced wheels. It is imperative that your tires be balanced with initial tire installation. However, imbalance happens over time with weather change, poor road conditions, or even just with a poorly manufactured tire! It’s a good practice to get your tires professionally inspected and balanced regularly. (Remember to pay attention to your particular driving habits and any symptoms of imbalance arising in your vehicle!)
What does it mean to have your tires balanced? Tire imbalance refers to the various weight discrepancies that tire and wheel assemblies are prone to that can lead to a multitude of problems. This imbalance has other symptoms beside vibration, like tire squealing or pulling in one direction. To solve this issue, we Road Force balance all tires. Road Force balancing technology allows us to match the high spot in the tire with the low spot in the wheel, so that we can adjust the tire on the rim for the smoothest ride. Our tire balancing process is computerized to find the exact points of discrepancy. The process includes mounting the wheel on the machine, applying proper pressures and spinning it, simulating a drive. Based on the information we receive from our wheel balancing equipment, our service technicians then apply additional weight to the indicated areas in order to alleviate vibrations and help the assembly roll more smoothly.
Wheel weights are placed precisely to balance the wheel assembly and reduce vibration.
Other related tire problems causing vibration are uneven tire wear or improperly inflated tires. Uneven tire wear often happens when your tires aren’t regularly rotated. Since your front and rear tires wear down at different rates, the unevenness causes the feel of vibrations. Improperly inflated tires is pretty self explanatory–it’s unsafe to drive on both under- and overinflated tires! The vibration comes from your tires not making equal contact with the road. Improperly inflated tires also makes steering difficult and can multiply into other driving hazards. Simple solution: check up on your tires using a home tire gauge and make sure they’re at the PSI level recommended in your owner’s manual.
Use a home tire gauge regularly to monitor inflation.
When you feel shaking in your steering wheel exacerbated by higher speeds, it is commonly a result of a wobbling tire due to a number of possible factors. It may again be unbalanced tire and wheel assemblies. Other factors include loose wheel bearings, wheel runout, and misaligned wheels.
Wheel bearings are the part of your wheel assembly that allow your tires to rotate smoothly with minimal friction. When they become loose, your tire will wobble as you drive down the road, which is felt as a vibrating sensation in the steering wheel.
Wheel runout is when a tire is no longer perfectly round. Also called “out-of-round” tires, this occurs and only worsens after a tire is installed incorrectly. It also occurs on tires that are manufactured poorly. To avoid this issue, choose quality tires and have them installed professionally. You’ll be thankful in the long run!
Misaligned wheels can be noticed by a number of symptoms. In addition to a vibration sensation in the steering wheel, you might notice your vehicle pulling to one side, an off-center steering wheel, and uneven tire wear. If you notice these in your vehicle, it’s time for an alignment service.
Wheel alignment is a regular maintenance service to readjust wheel angles to manufacturer specifications.
What does it mean to have your wheels aligned? Your wheels come aligned when you first purchase your new vehicle; however, misalignment occurs over the course of its life. This is when your wheels are no longer parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground. We use professional computerized equipment to realign all wheels to manufacturer specifications, ensuring a safe ride, regular tread wear, and better fuel efficiency.
Damage to your suspension system or steering components can also be felt through the steering wheel. Do you experience shaky or unsteady steering? There may be an underlying suspension problem which, left untreated, affects the rest of the system leading to more extensive repairs.
Underlying suspension problems may cause vibrations felt throughout your vehicle.
The mechanics at our Scottville, Howard City, Holland, and Rensselaer locations are ready to help with your steering and suspension needs.
When your steering wheel shakes only while braking, you could be experiencing warped brake rotors. For more on brake vibrations, read on below.
If you’re experiencing vibration in your car steering wheel or pedals only when brakes are applied, it’s likely that your vehicle has worn out or warped brake rotors. Brake rotors typically last the lifetime of your brake pads and also give other signs when they are failing. These signs include vehicle pulling, longer braking times, and squealing noises when using the brakes. When these symptoms occur, you know that it’s time to replace your brake pads and rotors.
Driving with worn out brake components is not only a safety hazard, but can set off a number of other problems for your vehicle, including tire wear at an accelerated rate. Read on about our brake services here.
As your local one stop shop, we can help with all your tire and service needs! We can help you choose the perfect set of tires for your vehicle, so you can avoid the discomfort and hazard of riding on old tires. (For our current deals, click here!)
Wonderland Tire uses professional equipment for the finest service from tire installation to maintenance and repairs.
If you are currently experiencing any of these vibrations in your vehicle, we got you covered! Wonderland Tire provides professional services like tire installation, inspections, balancing, alignments, rotations, and more! Select Wonderland locations provide mechanical services like brake repair, tie rod replacement, and suspension system inspection and repair. Say goodbye to vehicle vibration and get ready for smooth and safe driving!
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