Intermittent Steering Wheel Vibration
 

I have searched the forum thoroughly and couldn't find exactly what I'm looking for to help resolve an imtermittent steering wheel vibration that occurs primarily at highway speeds. As indicated, the problem is intermittent but seems to be getting worse. I am betting on lower control arm bushings but wanted to get some input before tackling this project.

What I have done so far:

Replaced inner and outer front bearings
Replaced both upper control arms
Replaced both lower ball joints
Replaced both outer tie rod ends
Replaced wheels
Replaced tires

Am I missing anything here? Thanks in advance for any and all help!

Usually tire balance. Does your car have a steering dampener?

Do you have factory or aftermarket rims? I'll post more if you answer with "aftermarket".

The tires and wheels are brand new...the previous tires were shot so in order to eliminate those as a potential problem I replaced them. I can tell no difference from that change. Thank you for your input though!

The wheels are AMG's and tires are Continentals and both are brand new (only 300 miles). My decision to change the wheels were two-fold...1) to give my Benz a cleaner look and 2) to eliminate the factory wheels/tires as suspect in this problem. Since I replaced wheels and tires I can tell no improvement or worsening of the problem. Please let me know if I am missing anything here.

Thanks!

What chassis? Tire & wheel sizes?

what your missing here is that you have a resonant vibration in the car. Drive the car slowly accelerating, and note where you feel the vibration, at what speed. I still think you have a tire out of balance. I have seen many shops do a quick balance on them and they are STILL out. I've gotten tires back that are less then an ounce out but still cause problems. Also, can you physically see the wheel shake when you feel it? Could you have a bad center bearing on the drive shaft? If the vibration is more under load ie accelerating I'd also check the flex disks on the trans and rear differential.

I mentioned aftermarket rims as a culprit but if you have AMGs which are hubcentric, you should be fine in that area.

Typically, wheels that are not "hubcentric" are difficult to mount perfectly against the hub. The result is that the wheel is ultimately fitted in an eccentric position...it's a small amount, but at speed, it manifests itself as a vibration, starting at around 45 mph, and then horribly after 60-65 mph.

I had hubcentric rings fitted with my aftermarket wheels after enduring the problem for many years, and the vibration immediately disappeared.

I would also look at the idler arm. Cheap part, and excessive wear will produce the vibration you are experiencing.

The vibration occurs between 45-65 mph and goes away past that. The vibration is constant in that speed range regardless of whether I am accelerating or not. Thanks for your help!

w202 17x8's with 235 45 17 tires...Continentals.

I agree, since the wheels are AMG's I don't think that is the issue either. I went driving last night to evaluate the symptom further and it appears to be only vibrating between 45-65 mph...past that it goes away completely. I plan on doing some serious undercar examining this weekend and hopefully that will reveal the culprit. I also checked the LCA bushings and they appear to be snug and in good shape. Again, thanks for your input and advice.

Lower control arm bushings?? The on the w210s there is a TSB for front end vibrations from 45-55 caused by worn lower control arm bushings

Lower control arms is a good place to look.

Also, make sure that you don't have a caliper that is intermittently sticking. I've had this issue before. A caliper that starts to 'grab' as the car heats up and the hydraulic fluid expands. It then starts dragging on the rotor, which quickly gets warped, and then you have a nasty steering wheel shake.

Mine was so bad I thought more than once that I was about to die. That was on a '78 Plymouth, though.


:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

Thank you all for your responses and I apologize for taking so long to update everyone. I have now replaced the lca bushings and still have this intermittent shimmy in my steering wheel. I am on the cusp of taking the car to the dealer but wanted to check for any other possibilities I may be missing.

I just got off the phone with a local mechanic who suspects I may have a bad power steering pump but I'm not so sure about that.

After I replaced the lca bushings I went and had the car aligned. It drove true but still had the the shimmy and when I hit overpasses it feels like there is something vibrating directly under my feet. I put the car up on stands and inspected the underside again and couldn't find any loose connections. When I but the car back down and took it for a drive the shimmy was still there but it was pulling to the right. So, I've noticed that when I raise and lower the car it appears to be altering the driveability or alignment. Can this be possible or am I going crazy?

Thanks in advance for any input!

It occurs to me this is my first post. Been lurking too long I guess.

When you jack the car up to inspect, what car part are you resting on the jack stands? Maybe you're pushing things around by putting the weight of the car onto a component that is not supposed to support that kind of weight.

Also, if a local mechanic who has nothing in the game suggests something, pay attention. These guys can be soft spoken but have good hunches.

You feel it in your feet? Steering rack is there. Drive shaft is nearby.. I'm wondering if this is suspension, or something else?

Just a thought: For the price of web cams these days, how hard would it be to hook up a camera under the hood down low in the suspension pointed at different parts and take several test runs, recording the video to your laptop... to help look for the origin of the shake?

Cheers
Scott