Vibration in steering wheel...not a tire balance issue.

[Patrick C]

Hi all. I've been having this issue for a few years now, and it is annoying me more lately. When I drive 50mph+, I get a side to side vibration in my steering wheel. The car still tracks straight when I let go of the wheel, but the wheel is visibly shaking side-to-side. I just had new tires and wheels installed which neither helped nor hurt the problem, so that rules out tire balancing. I can take the car to 100mph and the shaking does not seem to be much worse (if any) than when I am driving 50mph.

It is also worth noting that the shocks are fairly new, all bushings except the LCA to the frame have been replaced with polyurethane, I have Toby P's polyurethane swaybar bushings, and I have Ed Uding's LCA brackets. And the car currently has 47,000 miles on it. So I doubt this is an issue of worn suspension components.

Any ideas? When I take this in to get looked at by a local mechanic, what things should I be suggesting he look at? Thanks in advance!

[DCUK Martin]

Is part number 15 installed (properly)? This prevents side-to-side movement of the rack assembly

http://store.delorean.com/c-352-5-2-...-assembly.aspx

Other than this, it must be something that's spinning and is out of alignment. Next stop for me would be brake discs, and I have heard of one time where someone discovered their hub (pn 100400) was not true.

[Ron]

+1

Have you tried watching all of the joints in the steering ink age while someone moves the steering wheel, left and right front wheels individually, while holding the others?

[David T]

Vibration is caused by either something not running "true" or something out-of-balance. Any good shop should be able to find it. You start with the biggest rotating parts, the tires, the rims, rotors, the hubs and bearings. Any loose parts will only allow the vibration to get worse, not cause it.
David Teitelbaum

[stevedmc]

Have you considered upgrading to Spec .02 steering?

[82DMC12]

Have you considered upgrading to Spec .02 steering?

You mean by numbing the steering so you can't feel what's broken?

[stevedmc]

You mean by numbing the steering so you can't feel what's broken?

I'm joking. It really sounds like he has a bad steering column bushing. He should start there first.


For what its worth, he can numb the steering all he wants but the steering column will still rattle against the firewall if there is no bushing.

[DMCMW Dave]

It have shown up with the tire work, but did anyone look for a bent rim? On the inside AND the outside?

[Patrick C]

Thanks for the tips guys. Keep 'em coming!

I'm joking. It really sounds like he has a bad steering column bushing. He should start there first.

Definitely not the steering column bushing, replaced that with the DMCH upgraded version.

It have shown up with the tire work, but did anyone look for a bent rim? On the inside AND the outside?

This happened with my old stock rims and tires, and it still happens with my brand new rims and tires.

[Ron]

It have shown up with the tire work, but did anyone look for a bent rim? On the inside AND the outside?

He has new rims with no a change in vibration...but you never know ;-)