Even if car enthusiasts react quite nervously to such common phenomena as the rattling of glass and plastic inside a car, vibration of the steering wheel can put almost every driver in a mental hospital - this is a very annoying and unpleasant process. Jokes aside, vibrations on the steering wheel are a very serious problem. Today we will find out the reasons for its occurrence and tell you how to cope with this disaster.

Causes of vibrations on the steering wheel

As a rule, vibrations on the steering wheel appear in various conditions: when the car is moving at different speeds, braking or when the car is stationary and its engine is running at idle speed. If the beating of the steering wheel has become annoying, you need to determine in what circumstances it manifests itself, and depending on this, diagnose the cause.

Steering wheel wobble when the car is stationary

Vibrations in this case can occur for two reasons: due to loose engine mounts or due to problems with the steering rack drive shaft. In the first option, when the engine is idling, the steering wheel hits quite hard. Such vibrations appear on cars with high mileage: either fastenings power unit weakened over time, or the engine was not reinstalled properly afterward. If even at low speeds a significant beating of the steering wheel is felt, then as the speed increases, the vibrations increase and driving such a car becomes not only uncomfortable, but also unsafe.

The second option: the occurrence of vibrations on idling at standing car may be caused by wear of the splined part of the steering rack drive shaft or deformation of the shaft itself. With this option, the steering wheel runout may also increase when the car moves.

The photo shows ball joint. Read about him

You cannot drive with such vibrations for a long time because it can lead to destruction of the steering mechanism elements, and, as a result, loss of control of the car - an accident.

Steering wheel vibration when driving at different speeds

Here there are more factors causing vibrations, and they are mainly related to the condition of the wheels.

Firstly, steering wheel beating can occur due to the fact that the wheel rims become clogged with snow or dirt, which leads to imbalance of the wheels and, as a result, the appearance of those same annoying vibrations. In this case, the steering wheel only shakes at low speeds, and as the speed increases, the vibrations disappear completely.

Secondly, steering wheel vibrations can occur at medium (no more than 60 km/h) and high speeds if the wheels were not properly balanced during a seasonal tire change or after tire repair.

In this case, the masses of the wheels become different; when the speed increases, the centrifugal forces of such wheels differ, which is why the steering wheel wobbles. You cannot drive with unbalanced wheels for a long time - in addition to driving discomfort, you can ruin the tires ( uneven wear) or, more seriously, damage the suspension elements (the hubs suffer the most in this case).

Thirdly, steering wheel beating can be caused by deformation rims(most often steel wheels are susceptible to this). Most often, vibrations in this case occur after the car has crashed into a pothole with one or even two wheels. It happens that a deformed wheel rim is sold to you in a store or market - this is a manufacturing defect. It is not always possible to determine by eye whether crooked rims are the cause of vibrations on the steering wheel - often this bends the inner part of the rim, not the outer one.

You can diagnose this reason by removing the wheels yourself, or by contacting the nearest tire shop.

Fourthly, steering wheel vibration may occur if the holes in the wheel rim do not match the diameter of the bolts on the wheel hub. This manifests itself when non-original rims are installed on the car. In this case, the disk begins to “jump” on , vibration occurs, which is transmitted to steering wheel. The higher the speed, the more the steering wheel vibrates.

Fifthly, steering “fever” occurs due to tire defects. This includes deformation of the cord or sidewall of the tire, which can be caused by manufacturing defects or improper use of the rubber (driving on roads with potholes).

The sixth reason for vibration at speed is uneven tire pressure. Due to the fact that there are different pressures in the wheels on the same axle, the steering wheel begins to shake even at low speeds.

Another cause of vibration in the steering wheel, which can occur at medium and high speeds, is unevenly tightened or loose wheel bolts. In the first case, due to the fact that the bolts are tightened with different forces, a misalignment occurs when the wheel rotates. The greater its centrifugal force, the stronger the distortion and the more noticeable the beating of the steering wheel. In the second case, if the bolts are loosened, the wheel begins to “jump” on the hub, generating vibrations that radiate into the steering wheel.

Finally, worn-out suspension or steering components can lead to vibrations in the steering wheel. Wear of these parts leads to the appearance of backlashes of various sizes, and the larger they are, the more severely the steering wheel hits at speed. In this case, the appearance of vibrations on the steering wheel serves as a signal to check the suspension or steering elements. For example, vibration in the steering wheel may occur when cornering. Worn constant velocity joints (), or failed front arms, are to blame for this. And if the steering wheel shakes when driving over bumps, we risk breaking the steering rack bushings.

Steering wheel wobble when braking

Vibrations in the steering wheel when braking occur due to deformation of the elements brake system car - brake discs or drums. A change in the shape of discs or drums can be caused by a) a manufacturing defect; b) improper operation of the brake system (overheating of the brake discs followed by sudden cooling).

How to fix vibrations on the steering wheel

Having determined exactly why the steering wheel is beating, you can begin to correct this defect. Let's talk about how to get rid of vibrations on the steering wheel in the same order in which we determined the causes of their occurrence.

1. Secure the engine. Using suitable keys, we tighten all the engine mounts, with which it is fixed in the engine compartment. If the fastening is broken or the bolts, washers and nuts are worn out, we replace them with new ones. In order to ensure reliable fastening, we wrap flax tow soaked in grease around the bolt.

2. Replace the drive shaft. A deformed drive shaft cannot be restored - its geometry cannot be corrected even at a service station, and therefore it is better to install a new one in place of the failed shaft.

3. Clean the rims from snow and dirt. The simplest thing is to go to a car wash and knock off the snow accumulated on the wheels with a powerful jet of water. If the vibrations are very annoying, and you have a long way to go to the nearest car wash, you can knock off the snow stuck to the disc with any object that comes to hand. We will not completely remove vibrations, but we will reduce their intensity.

4. We balance the wheels correctly. We go to a tire shop and ask a specialist to balance all four wheels.

5. Correcting deformed rims. You can give the disk its previous shape using special straightening equipment, which is available to any self-respecting tire shop.

In the case of steel wheels, their irregularities can be eliminated more easily (sometimes a tire service worker uses a sledgehammer for this) than with light alloy wheels - to restore their geometry, you will need a special disk straightening machine.

6. Install spacers on the wheels. Hub bolts and holes of different diameters in non-original wheel rims can be “matched” using special spacers (), which are mounted either at a tire shop or independently.

7. We replace defective tires. Unlike deformed rims, tires with defects cannot be repaired. You will have to buy new tires and install them, observing all balancing rules.

8. Inflate the wheels. To eliminate the difference and, as a result, get rid of vibrations on the steering wheel, we inflate the wheels to the parameters specified by the manufacturer. You can find them in the instruction manual or on special plate, which is often mounted on the B-pillar on the driver or front passenger side.

9. Tighten the bolts. We take the gas cylinder wrench in our hands and tighten all the wheel bolts with the same force. After this simple operation, steering wheel vibration usually disappears.

10. We repair the suspension or steering mechanism. The beating of the steering wheel in this case is only a sign of more serious problems. Here you will have to disassemble the front or rear suspension, inspect the integrity of all parts and if a failed element is detected (constant velocity joints, front and rear silent blocks of levers, steering rack bushings, etc.), replace it.

Suspension repair

11. We repair or replace brake discs/drums. There are two methods to get rid of vibration on the steering wheel when braking. The first is the grooving of brake discs or drums. It runs on special equipment at the service station, you can also do it yourself. With its help, we restore the deformed surface of the brake disc, but only if the deformation has not reached critical values. In this case, there is only one way out - replacing worn out brake discs and drums with new ones.

In any case, if vibrations occur on the steering wheel, immediately carry out diagnostics.

In this section we want to give some useful tips on the topic of the emergence wheel vibrations on the car and how to solve them. Let us immediately note that 90% of vibrations on the steering wheel and on the car body are caused by its wheels. Therefore, here we will analyze cases of wheel vibrations and tell you how to solve these problems. First of all, you must have an understanding that a wheel rolls along the road, and does not jump, only if a number of conditions are simultaneously met, namely: the wheel (and this is both the tire and the disk) must be level, accurately balanced and correctly centered on the hub . Next, we will describe in order the causes of vibrations, ways to eliminate them, and tell you how we can help you.

Cause 1 Wheel imbalance.

This is the most common thing that happens when wheels vibrate. As a result of the imbalance, the wheel rotates unevenly and jerkily, hence vibrations on the steering wheel and body. The most typical speed of manifestation of imbalance is 80-120 km/h. Let us also note that all cars have a different design and therefore 10-15g is enough for one car to make the steering wheel and body tremble, while for another you don’t even feel 60-100g. The problem begins after changing tires, unsuccessful balancing, falling into a hole, deformation of the tire as a result of improper use, long-term parking a car without moving, after parking on a flat tire, after washing a car, when weights are washed off the wheel and more.

• The solution is proper wheel balancing. Read more about proper balancing here.
• How we can help: We will remove the wheels, wash them and balance them correctly.

Cause 2 Dirt or snow stuck to the wheel rim

By and large, adhered dirt and snow lead to the same effect as inaccurate balancing, only the magnitude of the vibrations is much higher. Dirt forms after driving off-road, and snow sticks after driving through snowdrifts or parking in them. Many car owners are perplexed as to how a pile of snow can cause vibrations in the wheels of a car starting at 60 km/h, but the answer is simple. When balancing the middle wheel, weights in the range of 20-60 grams are used. A piece of ice the size of half a wheel rim and 2-3 cm thick weighs many times more. It often happens that a layer of dirt or snow is evenly located on the wheel rim and does not cause imbalance, and then only half of the rim is washed at the car wash and strong vibrations of the wheels are obtained.

• The solution is to remove everything unnecessary from the wheel. You can go to a car wash and most likely they will help you, the dirt and snow will be washed away, the vibrations will disappear, but not all wheels can have the rim washed without removing the wheel.
• How we can help: Remove the wheels and wash them thoroughly in a special wheel washing machine. We can balance it for a better result.

Reason 3 Deformed disk (crooked, broken, whatever you want to call it)

A disk that has runout as a result of falling into a hole or an accident, depending on The magnitude of the damage will result in vibrations on the steering wheel and body. As a rule, as a result of an impact, not only deformations of the wheel appear, but also the imbalance changes for the worse. Feels like driving on unbalanced wheels.

• Solution 1 - if the disc deformation is small (1-2mm in the radial or axial direction), it will be quite possible to balance the wheel quite well.
• Solution 2 – disk repair (correct). Straightening cast or rolling steel on special stands to bring the disk geometry to standard.
• How we can help: We will remove the wheels, wash them thoroughly, disassemble them, restore the geometry of the discs, put them back together and accurately balance them.

IMPORTANT! Do not try to repair a wheel rim with a hammer or other improvised means; in most cases, you lose the opportunity to properly and efficiently repair your rim in the future, because most often they hit the wrong place and the tire seats still remain deformed, especially for steel ones. disks.

Reason 4 Broken tire geometry (crooked tires)

Tires can be “crooked” in two cases. The first is a defect, the tire was originally like this. The second case is defects resulting from improper operation (the car was stationary, stood on a flat tire, the tire was operated with incorrect pressure, overload, out of season, falling into holes). If a hole has formed on the tread as a result of parking on a flat tire, then such a tire still has a chance to roll out and take its previous shape. The symptom of such wheels is similar to poorly balanced ones.

• The solution is to re-balance the wheels.

If a lump or a so-called radial hernia has formed on the tread, which quickly grows and goes bald, then nothing can be done about it. Most often found on NOKIAN tires, especially winter ones. Vibrations on the steering wheel are similar to swaying from side to side, and if the problem tire is at the rear, then the car seems to be dancing starting at a speed of 10-20 km/h.

• The solution is accurate diagnosis and replacement of such tires.
• How we can help: We'll remove the wheels and give a 100% diagnosis. Next, we either balance it or replace it with serviceable tires.

Cause 5 The wheel is not centered on the hub.

The effect when the wheel is not centered on the hub is the same as from an imbalance, only it can be even stronger and vibration of the wheels and steering wheel appears at lower speeds. Most often found on non-original disks, where the diameter of the hub hole is at least 1 mm larger than the diameter of the protruding part of the hub. To diagnose, you need to unscrew the wheel on a raised car, press the disk to the hub and move the wheel up and down to determine the presence of play. If the disk sits tightly and does not move, then the reason for the vibrations on the steering wheel and body is different; if there is a play of 1 mm or more, then most likely this is the reason.

• The solution is either installing centering rings, or replacing disks, or installing by eye with maximum accuracy and uniformly tightening the fasteners.
• How we can help: We will remove the wheels and determine the dimensions of the car hub and disk, inform the owner, if the necessary rings are available, we will install them. Wheel balancing for preventive maintenance – optional.

Cause 6 Dirt and corrosion on the mating surface of the wheel rim.

The mounting surface is where the wheel fits to the vehicle's hub and brake disc. There are two options here. The first is when the disc is clean and properly balanced. When installed on a dirty hub, the disc does not sit in place, axial runout or, more simply put, a figure of eight occurs.

The second option is more common. The hub part of the car is in good condition, but there is dirt and corrosion on the mating surface of the disc. The disk itself may be level, but due to dirt and corrosion it is not installed correctly on the balancing stand.
The difference in the imbalance of such a wheel in a dirty and clean form can differ significantly.

• The solution is to clean the hub and rebalance it.
• How we can help: We will remove the wheels, clean the hubs, and balance the wheels correctly.

Reason 7 Wheel geometry changes when heated

A very rare and difficult to diagnose problem. With standard diagnostics, everything is normal, the tires and wheels are straight, balanced and centered on the hub, but the vibrations of the wheels on the car continue. The fact is that in the rarest cases, the geometry of the tire is disrupted only when warming up (while driving a car), and when it cools down it returns to normal.

• Solution - tire replacement
• How we can help: We will carry out standard diagnostics of the wheels, then we will carry out diagnostics of the chassis and only then we will look at the geometry of the heated tires immediately on the car without removing the wheels (on a lift).

An alternative is to install similar wheels on which the absence of vibrations is known for certain. Further when excluded chassis, problem tires are excluded.

Other reasons

Since in the vast majority of cases the wheels are to blame for vibrations on the steering wheel and body, and we know these problems well and solve them, everything is described in detail above. However, there are other reasons. Below we briefly list common reasons vibrations (mainly in the chassis), which we often also have the ability to identify and eliminate.

• Runout of drive shafts and CV joints
• Runout cardan shafts(including worn crosspieces)
• Brake disc runout
• Worn rubber and undercarriage joints
• Wedging brake mechanisms
• Transmission malfunction
• Dirt or corrosion between the hub and the wheel or the hub and the brake disc (usually vibration occurs after metalwork)

End (axial) runout of the wheel occurs during rotation and looks like the oscillatory movement of humps rim in a plane parallel to the axis of rotation.

Radial runout occurs under similar conditions, but means oscillatory movements of the wheel rim in a vertical plane.

In the figure on the left you can see a schematic representation of both types of runout.

Large values ​​of axial runout are often the result of wheel impacts during a side collision with a curb. Sometimes this can be seen when the jeep skids slippery road. Exceeding the radial runout value appears as a result of a strong frontal impact on the wheel, that is, when colliding with a pothole or hole. But more often than not, the consequence of a “good” blow will be the presence of both types of runout. In pronounced cases, the steel disc gets dents on the edges of the rim, chips, and “figure eights” visible to the naked eye when rolling.

What is considered an excess?

In accordance with the domestic standard GOST R 50511-93, wheel rim runout passenger car in the area of ​​contact of the tire (humps) there should be no more than 0.5 mm in any type of runout. This standard also applies to SUVs.

Do not try to determine the amount of runout of a steel disk visually, since in this case vision will not allow you to accurately assess the size of the deviation. In some cases, with such small beating sizes as 0.3 mm, the average person becomes convinced of its prohibitive size. For accurate measurements, a clock or electronic indicator must be used, which is located on the axis of symmetry of the jeep wheel.

The most common causes of beating

A significant part of the causes of runout is not related to changes in geometry alloy wheel SUV, but refers to production or operational:

• Uneven paint coating on the mating surface of the disk
• Sticky pieces of road surface and dirt
• Presence of debris and foreign inclusions on the balancing stand flange

In other words, you should not always blame yourself or the previous owner of the car for an unacceptable amount of runout. The reason may be more prosaic and may not require large investments to eliminate.

As soon as the first car appeared, the first problems with wheel balancing appeared. Over the years, road speeds have increased, road surfaces have changed, and attitudes toward imbalance have changed accordingly.

What is wheel imbalance?

An imbalance is the presence of unbalanced rotating masses: hubs, brake drums, rims and especially tires make it difficult to control a car. This imbalance reduces the life of shock absorbers, suspension, steering, tires, driving safety and increases maintenance costs.

Any wheel is an object of rotation that has a symmetrical shape, due to which the center of gravity must lie on the axis of rotation, and all points of the wheel surface in sections must be equidistant from it.

Which wheel is considered balanced?

A wheel is considered balanced when its axis of rotation is also the main central axis of inertia. However, both wheels and car tires are produced with certain permissible errors. From this we can conclude that any wheel is almost always asymmetrical, and therefore has an imbalance.

What types of imbalances exist?

There are two types of imbalance: static and dynamic.

Static imbalance– this is an uneven distribution of mass along the axis of rotation, while the wheel hits in a vertical plane. When the wheel rotates, the unbalanced mass creates its own centrifugal force F, which, when the wheel rotates, creates a torque on the axle that varies in direction, which leads to breaking of the suspension. Such an imbalance is eliminated by applying a force Fу equal to the force F in magnitude, but opposite in direction. This is achieved by attaching an additional weight at a point opposite to the point where the unbalanced mass is located. This is called static balancing.

Dynamic imbalance appears due to uneven distribution of masses in the planes of the wheel. When there is a dynamic imbalance, a pair of oppositely directed forces F acts on the wheel, acting on a certain shoulder relative to the plane of rotation of the wheel. Dynamic balancing is carried out on special balancing stands. Basically, when balancing a wheel, we are faced with a combined imbalance (“combination” of static and dynamic imbalances).

What causes imbalance?

Sometimes, wheel imbalance can occur due to its design features - variable pitch of the tire tread pattern, the presence of a valve hole in the disk, a hatch for adjusting the brakes in brake drum, or manufacturability - inaccuracies in geometric shape, dimensional deviations, heterogeneity of materials, etc.

The biggest influence on wheel imbalance is car tire. It is farthest from the center of rotation, has a large weight, a complex multi-component structure, and is made of various materials: rubber, fabrics, steel wire, etc. The farther away from the center the excess tire material is, the greater the impact it has on the imbalance.

There are several main factors influencing tire imbalance:

• tread joint, unevenness of its thickness along the circumference, variable pitch of the tread pattern, in studded winter tires there are studs (in a new tire and as they fall out);
• joints in the cord layer, joints of cord layers in the frame and breaker;
• joint of the sealing layer in a tubeless tire;
• non-concentricity of the bead rings, large overlap of wire in the bead ring;
• inconstancy of the angles of inclination of the cord threads in the layers of the carcass and breaker;
• divergence of cord threads in layers;
• precision mold manufacturing;
• different thickness of side walls and sides;
• grouped in one place markings on the sidewall of the tire, etc.

Increasing the requirements for technological accuracy of all production processes of tires and wheel parts is an indispensable condition for improving their quality, and therefore reducing imbalance and runout.

It is advisable to check the imbalance of the wheels and tires every 2-3,000 km, and every 10 thousand, the wheels and tires must be rebalanced.

New rims will definitely freshen up appearance cars that are incorrectly selected or installed will cause you to worry, causing the wheels to wobble. If you are sure that the tires are not deformed, the rims are straight, and the wheels were assembled correctly at the tire shop, then the problem is an inaccurate fit of the rims.

When selecting disks, always pay attention to the diameter of their central hole: ideally, it should coincide with the diameter of the seating belt on the hub. If central hole If it’s smaller, you simply won’t be able to install the discs; if it’s larger, you’ll need centering rings or spacers for installation.

The power of the rings

Today you can find spacers different sizes, under any . The simplest ones are plastic. But they are also made from various aluminum-based alloys (from silumin or duralumin). Despite the fact that the load on the centering rings is small, sooner or later they wear out or become deformed, which means they need to be changed periodically.

You cannot drive without spacers if the diameters of the hole in the disk and the seating belt on the hub do not match. Otherwise, incorrect installation of the wheel rim will put a large load on the suspension and can lead to serious damage, including destruction of individual suspension parts.

Keep your eyes open

We suggest you see everything once. First we will show when a centering ring is not needed. We put the disk on the hub and see how it fits tightly: the diameter of the hub corresponds to the central hole of the disk, there is practically no gap between them.

Now look what happens when we install a disk on the hub whose central hole is larger than its diameter. There is a gap between the seating belt and the hole in the disk, and it is quite large. This is what causes the disc to be installed incorrectly and causes beating. This means that you can’t do without a spacer here.

• How to disassemble a wheel with your own hands is shown