How To Fix Wheel Vibration

There are many kinds of noises and vibrations that naturally occur in a vehicle while you drive it. Sometimes, a new vibration, bump, knock, or other noise manifests itself. There are several reasons for a front wheel vibration. The most common is a bad tire.

Radial tires are made of rubber along with nylon and steel belts. When some of the belts become separated, they cause an unbalanced condition in the tire. You can feel this as you drive because the tire will actually bounce. If the car is vibrating at higher speeds and the steering wheel shakes, then there is a good chance that you have a bad tire. If the car tends to drift to one side, then there is a clear indication of a bad tire.

Other vibrations are caused by a drive axle constant velocity joint going bad. This kind of a vibration usually occurs at higher speeds. The vibration will start slowly and gradually become worse as you gain more speed.

Worn struts and shocks cause another vibration you may feel. The purpose of the shocks and struts are to keep your tires in contact with the road. When the tires bounce because of weak shocks and struts, it causes a vibration. The erratic contact with the road causes the tires to wear irregularly, causing even more vibration.

Your car is supported by wheel bearings on all four wheels. If one of the wheel bearings starts going bad, this can cause a very minor vibration. The noise is frequently more noticeable than the vibration. If you hear a roaring noise while turning, this is an indicator of a bad bearing. The problem will be on the weight bearing side of the car in the turn when you hear the noise.

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