Should have joined the forum two years ago and plenty of guys would have jumped all over this recommendation. Glad you got it figured out. Nothing worse than a shaking steering wheel. Now get out and drive that thing!
Steering wheel shake fix!!!!!!!!!
STEERING WHEEL SHAKE FIX!!!!!!!!!
2010 Mustang GT Convertible, Khona Blue.
I have dealt with this problem going on almost 2 years. I am very good with vehicles. First, my factory tires started to cup around 14,000 miles. Nothing can be done for cupped tires except to get new ones. That is what I did. I got the best tires I could. Firestone Serenity. Front end alignment. I still noticed a shake in the steering wheel when appraoching 40mph and above. When on the highway the steering wheel shakes and shimmys back and forth real quick. Annoying as hell. had tires road forced balanced. Took back to dealer. No effect. I read a bunch of posts regarding this subject. Some recommend the ford GT500 lower control arms and tie rod ends to correct. This weekend it was time for a oil change and tire rotation. While I was doing this I was checking out what I would need to do to installed the before mentioned parts. To see amount of work invovled. Most toublesome would be unbolting the steering rack in order to removed the bolts for the lower control arm. No room in there. So, I got the part numbers off the lower control arms for reference, etc. I was even considering trading the car in. Now hold on to yuur hats guys and hot mustang chicks. Before bolting on my wheels I saw those lock washers on every rotor to hold it flush on the car during assembly and for caliper installation. I remembered back in my mind reading a post somewhere about removing those washers. I remember thinking these stupid washers could not have that kind of effect on my steering wheel. However, I was willing to try anything. It was free. So I removed all the washers on all 4 rotors. I cleaned with brake clean the inside of my wheeels and the rotor mating surface. I torqued the wheels to 105flbs. OMG! I could not believe it! It feels like a brand new car. I had the thing up to 80mph and not a bit of shake anywhere! The whole suspension feels better! That washer was not permitting the wheel to be bolted flush to the rotor! With Aluminum wheels that one lug on each wheel where the washer was on the stud would not torque correctly. Plus its made of different metal which would expand and contract from the heat and the cold. I wanted to post this. It's unbelievable but it's true. Good luck all.
2010 Mustang GT Convertible, Khona Blue.
I have dealt with this problem going on almost 2 years. I am very good with vehicles. First, my factory tires started to cup around 14,000 miles. Nothing can be done for cupped tires except to get new ones. That is what I did. I got the best tires I could. Firestone Serenity. Front end alignment. I still noticed a shake in the steering wheel when appraoching 40mph and above. When on the highway the steering wheel shakes and shimmys back and forth real quick. Annoying as hell. had tires road forced balanced. Took back to dealer. No effect. I read a bunch of posts regarding this subject. Some recommend the ford GT500 lower control arms and tie rod ends to correct. This weekend it was time for a oil change and tire rotation. While I was doing this I was checking out what I would need to do to installed the before mentioned parts. To see amount of work invovled. Most toublesome would be unbolting the steering rack in order to removed the bolts for the lower control arm. No room in there. So, I got the part numbers off the lower control arms for reference, etc. I was even considering trading the car in. Now hold on to yuur hats guys and hot mustang chicks. Before bolting on my wheels I saw those lock washers on every rotor to hold it flush on the car during assembly and for caliper installation. I remembered back in my mind reading a post somewhere about removing those washers. I remember thinking these stupid washers could not have that kind of effect on my steering wheel. However, I was willing to try anything. It was free. So I removed all the washers on all 4 rotors. I cleaned with brake clean the inside of my wheeels and the rotor mating surface. I torqued the wheels to 105flbs. OMG! I could not believe it! It feels like a brand new car. I had the thing up to 80mph and not a bit of shake anywhere! The whole suspension feels better! That washer was not permitting the wheel to be bolted flush to the rotor! With Aluminum wheels that one lug on each wheel where the washer was on the stud would not torque correctly. Plus its made of different metal which would expand and contract from the heat and the cold. I wanted to post this. It's unbelievable but it's true. Good luck all.
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Let me ask u something.. Dis u have the stock wheels when this happened or was it after market custom wheels?
I have the same proble as we speak... Let me know.thanks.
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I have the same proble as we speak... Let me know.thanks.
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I'm glad I read this. I have the same problem and figured it was just worn rotors since mine are getting pretty old, they are getting replaced (hopefully as part of a big brake kit) when the current pads give out. 
It really shouldn't matter what rims but, several thing need to be check when these problems occur.Let me ask u something.. Did u have the stock wheels when this happened or was it aftermarket custom wheels?
I have the same problem as we speak... Let me know.thanks.
First is it only when you're braking that you feel the shaking? Then more than likely the brake rotors are warped and worn out.
Now if the shaking is occurring all the time then you can check the following.
Tires could be bad, look at them carefully for bulges gashes and stuff that might be wrong, if your unsure have a tire guy check them.
Tire mounting , like above , he didn't remove the washer holding the rotor which is unneeded. This messes up your mounting badly sometimes. Check it.
Tires could be balanced badly, Have them checked its cheap.
The wheels are sometimes overlooked also, some cheaper rims are not round or balanced well by themselves not every balancing place knows all the ways to check a wheel and tire for proper balance..
Alignment can cause problems like this but not very often. If the car is pulling one direction more than the other maybe its worth having check is very expensive. But not somthing I would check for this right away.
If the shaking is only occurring at a certain rpm or speed. The problems can start to be a little more complex. Rear end gears could have been improperly installed or the driveshaft could be damaged.
Some more Info on what exactly is happening could help point you in the right direction.
All of your points are excellent but the rims absolutely do matter. The factory ones have a notch cut in them around each hole for the lug to give the retaining ring clearance. I got burned by this exact same thing a few years back with some aftermarket rims I bought for my winter tires. The aftermarket ones wobbled like crazy and came down to them not having the notches, rings removed, problem gone.It really shouldn't matter what rims but, several thing need to be check when these problems occur.
Bingo, aftermarket rims do NOT have the notch for the washer. Another common problem with aftermarket rims is very few are hubcentric; in that case you need hubcentric rings or the wheel will not be centered.
I just got a set of after market wheels for 2005 GT. At about 70, the steering wheel started to shake quite a bit. Had the fronts balance checked. Shaking was lessened but still happening. Took the wheels off today and had 2 washers on the front two wheels. Removed them and the shaking is gone. Took one rear off and it didn't have any washers.
Anyone know the rears should have had washers?
Anyone know the rears should have had washers?
I was gonna say I have oem wheels and feel no vibration but it seems oem wheels compensate for the washers. This is definately a good thing to know. Great post :bigthumbsup
Usually this only happens with aftermarket wheels. The factory wheels have a recess on the back so the clips fit inside the recessed area and the wheel sits correctly on the hub. Aftermarket wheels do not have this recessed area ; or it is too small ; so the wheel sits on top of the clips and causes the steering wheel shake and/or front end vibration.Let me ask u something.. Dis u have the stock wheels when this happened or was it after market custom wheels?
I have the same proble as we speak... Let me know.thanks.
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I always respond to every thread I see with subject anything like "steering wheel shake" or "front end vibration" to tell about these clips, because I had the exact same problem and it drove me nuts for a long time, until someone else on here told me about the clips. I'm surprised nobody mentioned it on this one!
EDIT -- sorry above is a little redundant, I replied without reading all the other replies, but I guess it does not hurt to clarify the point.
I believe mine had them on all four corners, but it does not matter -- just get rid of them. They are only there to hold the hub on during manufacturing ; you don't need them.I just got a set of after market wheels for 2005 GT. At about 70, the steering wheel started to shake quite a bit. Had the fronts balance checked. Shaking was lessened but still happening. Took the wheels off today and had 2 washers on the front two wheels. Removed them and the shaking is gone. Took one rear off and it didn't have any washers.
Anyone know the rears should have had washers?
The old rotor washers...removed mine in 06 and I've been vibration free since (almost 7 years!). I went through two sets of aftermarket rims before reading about and pulling them - it works!
It seems like some of these companies would add that to the wheels to compensate like ford does. I guess it's not that big of a deal to just remove the washers though.
Another item to check is how much weight they used at each point to bring the wheel/tire into balance. For example, if it was bad enough that they had to put two weights side by side in one area to get the balance right, when installed on the car it might shake at certain speeds. Technically its in balance (according to the machine), but the excessive weight in focused areas causes problems.
I have seen good tire shops that had a criteria for the maximum amount of weight they wanted to use to balance a wheel. If they exceeded the weight criteria, the operator would pop the tire away from the rim, turn it 90 or 180 degrees, and reinflate to see if they could balance it using fewer weights.
Bruce
I have seen good tire shops that had a criteria for the maximum amount of weight they wanted to use to balance a wheel. If they exceeded the weight criteria, the operator would pop the tire away from the rim, turn it 90 or 180 degrees, and reinflate to see if they could balance it using fewer weights.
Bruce
2008 GT with Stock Rims
My car's steering wheel shakes only when the tires are cold. After driving my car about a mile down the road, the shaking stops. Could the be from them washers?
My car's steering wheel shakes only when the tires are cold. After driving my car about a mile down the road, the shaking stops. Could the be from them washers?
probably not, since you have the stock wheels, and it should not matter whether the tires are cold or warmMy car's steering wheel shakes only when the tires are cold. After driving my car about a mile down the road, the shaking stops. Could the be from them washers?
more likely it is a flat spot on a tire, from sitting overnight, that goes away once the tire is warmed up
I have the same problem on my 2010 GT convertible. It is driving me crazy! Had it balanced three times and realigned. I am unclear as to where these washers are on the front end. I have stock rims. Are you saying to pull off the rims and remove the washers from the outside of the hub?
If you have stock wheels, then the retaining clips aka washers are not the problem. They are only a problem on aftermarket wheels -- the factory wheels have a recess around the studs, so the wheel clears the washers and sits flat on the hub. Aftermarket wheels do not have this recess, or the recess is too small, so the wheel sits on top of the washers, not flat on the hub, and you get the wobble.. . . . I have stock rims. . . . .
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