Front Wheel Wobbles Side to Side: Locating and Fixing the Problem

Experiencing your car shake while driving on the road can be quite frightening. However, keep calm and pull up on the side of the road to check what's wrong.

Front suspension problems highlights

• Level of importance:high
• Common reasons:road potholes, speed bumps, age, mileage
• DIY inspection:possible but complicated
• DIY repair:usually,impossible
• Average price in shops:$250 - $800
• Average time:2 - 8 hours
• If ignored:fatal failure, no drive, expensive repairs

What Causes Wheels to Wobble?

There are plenty of reasons why your car shakes while driving. However, the most common reasons why all include the car wheels, and among the wheels of your car, the front wheels suffer the most. This section will explain all that you will need to know when it comes to identifying what kind of problem you're facing.

1) Faulty Suspension

The suspension is one of the first things you need to check after experiencing shakiness while driving on the road. The two things you need to check for are damage to the suspension and misalignment.

If your car starts veering off to the left or right despite your best efforts to drive in a straight line, then you're most likely dealing with a misaligned suspension. Luckily, this is quite easy to fix, as all you need to do is bring your car to an auto shop that has all the proper equipment to straighten out your car's wheels' alignment.

The bigger issue is if you spot any damage to your car's suspension. Driving through rough roads with plenty of debris can cause the suspension to incur damage. As a result, you end up with a bent suspension arm or damage in various places on the suspension mount.

Fixing this will require more effort and money, as your car will have to undergo a thorough inspection to further identify the affected areas. From there, parts of the suspension or the whole system will need replacing.

2) Damaged Wheels

Next, you will need to check the tires and rims for any damages. Old age and minor accidents on the road are the two reasons why your car's wheels are suffering from damage.

Tires can usually last anywhere between three and six years under normal driving conditions. After that, they will show signs of wear and tear as the rubber will start cracking and bubbling on the surface. These will then cause your car to start shaking while driving on the road.

3) Unbalanced Wheels

Another common reason why your car's front wheels are wobbly is due to an imbalance. This usually involves the balance weights that come with the wheels and is quite common with aluminum tires.

To fix this, you will need to bring your car to an auto shop that owns a tire-balancing machine. From there, it's just a matter of adding weights to your car's wheels to help balance everything out.

4) Separated Tires

If you're driving at a low speed, around 40 kilometers per hour, and you feel your car's wheels wobbling, immediately pull your car up to the side of the road and inspect the wheels. What you're experiencing is your tires separating.

To check if this is the case, run your hand through each of the car's tires. If you can feel an obvious bump or lump on the surface of one of the tires, then you're facing this issue.

All you have to do is replace the affected tire with a brand-new one. If you ignore this issue and continue driving, your tire can blow up, which could lead to an accident.

5) Bent Wheel

If your car starts wobbling or shaking while driving at a higher speed, a minimum of 70 kilometers per hour, then it's highly likely that your car is suffering from a bent wheel. There are plenty of reasons why this happens.

Wheels that are in poor shape, to begin with, or driving through a curb or a rough road at high speed is what's causing your car's tires to bend ever so slightly. Other scenarios include minor accidents like driving through potholes, one of your car wheels falling into a shallow hole or a canal, and other similar issues.

In most cases, you can resolve this issue by replacing one of the tires or wheels to match the other. But if the issue continues to persist, bring your car to a professional.

How To Test for Wobbly Wheels?

As mentioned earlier, the one way to test if there's something wrong with your car wheels is by running your hand on the surface. However, there are usually two things that you need to look out for. And in this section, you will learn what those two are.

• Test For Cupping

First, you need to test for cupping. To do this, you will need to run your hand on the surface of every wheel. But make sure that your wheels don't have any steel cords on the surface to avoid injuring your hands.

Then, check if you can feel a flowing sensation when running your hand over the wheels, just like a wave. Afterward, check the edges of the tires and look for the same sensation.

If your car shows signs of cupping, then you're most likely facing a misalignment issue. To fix this, you will need your car to undergo a four-wheel realignment, or else the problem will persist.

• Test For Flat Spots

Next, you will need to check for any flat spots on your car's wheels. Braking hard, causing your car's brakes to lock in most situations, can shave off a part of the car's tires.

If you run your hand over the wheels, you can usually feel an immediate dip followed by a flat surface. To fix this, you will need to replace the tires. Also, you need to check the wheels for any damages, like bents and dents.

How To Fix Wobbling Wheels?

When it comes to fixing the wobbling wheels, there are a few things that you just need to remember. Don't worry, though, as these are all things that anyone can do.

1) Check And Balance the Wheels

First, you need to check the wheels to see if they're all in sync. If even one of the wheels shows any signs of damage or imbalance, you will need to bring your car to an auto shop and use an auto balancer to fix the issue.

The good news, though, is that this will not cost you a whole lot of money. It varies depending on where you live, but it usually costs between $15 and $50 for each tire.

2) Inspect the Suspension

Next, you need to check the car's suspension. What you want to be on the lookout for are damages to the various parts of the suspension system and leaks.

Another way to tell if your car is suffering from faulty suspension is by pulling on the wheels. Using a car jack, make sure to pull each wheel in all directions to identify if there are any loose parts in the suspension system.

Afterward, it's just a matter of replacing the power steering fluid if there's a leak or replacing the damaged parts. In some cases, you will need to replace the entire suspension system.

3) Bring The Car to a Professional

Despite your best efforts at identifying and fixing the problem, the shakiness can persist. If that's the case, then there may be something else wrong with your car.

Usually, this means that something other than your car's wheels is causing the shaking sensation you feel when driving, or that it's a problem that's unique to the car model that you own. If so, bringing your car to a professional is the correct decision.

Conclusion

When it comes to finding out what's causing your front wheels to wobble, all you need to do is inspect the tires and run your hand over the surfaces of each wheel. Those two alone are enough of a test to tell you what you need to do.

Additionally, you will also have to check the car's suspension for any damages or misalignment issues. Failure to address the problems immediately can lead to further problems down the line, which can lead to an accident in the worst-case scenario.