STEERING WHEEL SHAKES @40mph +

[digimurda]

Hi all,

I have a 03' Infiniti M45
My steering gotta lil shake/vibration while driving at speeds of 40mph and over, also does it at lil harder when braking down from those speeds.
I got the tires rotated and balanced, and still had the same problem,
Just got the brakes & rotors replaced, that did lessen the shaked when braking down from 40+mph, but it's still doing it, also like to add that now while driving on the highway and placing the steering wheel to he exact center, I feel that lil shake and notice coming from the wheels/front end.
SomeOne please Help!

[The Bodyguard]

How many miles does your M have? Have you had your struts changed or even checked? Uneven contact of the tires on the ground are created by worn out struts or shocks thus at higher speeds feels like shaking!! Its probably more like bouncing from the struts loosing their firmness! Start there as that should be less expensive than other front end components
Good Luck!

[Double E]

I'm interested in this also Digi... I don't have your symptoms yet, but want to be ready.

[bbs350z]

id check for bulges in tires, bends in wheels, small imperfections can translate to what feels like big vibrations.

[merlinq2]

Front suspension for sure, bent wheels will hop and you will feel it through the entire car, under your but - if a wheel has a hop in due to bent rim the car will hop- the steering will not shake.

Road force balancing will fix almost any tire balance issue. If the road force balance doesn't work, it is suspension. Might be time for a replacement - all the way around.

Any signs of tire wear, cupping or feathering? - these are indications of worn and tired suspension

[digimurda]

No, tires look good, no signs of wear, I thought it might have been the tires and got them rotated and still have the ssme issues, the part that confuses me is the fact that when I hit the brakes coming from high speeds like 50mph plus the steering shakes,

[digimurda]

Also noticed on some days I will hear a kinda loud noise coming from the front end, sounds like old mattress springs, I get out the car and push down on front of the car and hear it, sounds like a whine, I don't know if this has to do with the shaking,

[digimurda]

could be in need of a wheel alignment?

[merlinq2]

Suspension or cooked rotors.

[digimurda]

Suspension or cooked rotors.

just changed the rotors saturday, took it for a test drive and it was still there, rotors were bad though.

[antzrus]

Tramlining?

[digimurda]

Tramlining?

whats that?

[digimurda]

can a need of a wheel alignment cause this?

[merlinq2]

Wheel alignment= wandering from side to side and drifting, under braking you will get a pull to one side or the other. Tell tale sign of a bad alignment is tire wear.
If you have changed the brakes and bedded them in properly then it is not braking.
Is there any noises coming from the front end while driving, knocking when you turn?
Have you had new tires installed on the car, they could not be seated properly (road force balancing fixes this - in most cases anyway)?
Process of elimination, would guide me to think you have some bad suspension parts.
Put the car up on stands or a solid jack, while the wheels are up in the air grab the wheel and try to move it side to side and up and down - do this gently to make sure you don't knock the car off the stand/jack. If you get movement then your ball joints and or your entire suspension assembly is shot.
Google "how to tell is your ball joints or wheel hubs are worn out” there are lots of videos that might help you do a further investigation.
The last option is look at each wheel and make sure that all the wheel weights are still on the wheels, if the weights have been pulled off the wheels will give you a vibration in the wheel and throughout the entire car - feel it in your seat when you drive.

Other than that, it is time to see a pro.

[antzrus]

Tramlining?

whats that?

Use "search" on this site to find out. It is a big issue w/the M and many different tires-especially the old OEM Goodyear RSA's.

[digimurda]

i looked it up, does not sound like my issue,
i took the m45 for a long ride last night to get some more symptoms of the issue,
i've noticed that when i center the car and steering wheel and just move it a tab like just touchin it right to left as im driving i get that vibration/shake on the steering wheel, also here like a wabbling noise coming from the tires/front end.

[TDot]

That sounds like a control arm or rotor issue to me. The rotor would have mainly been for braking shaking on the steering wheel. But while driving would be the control arm. Especially since you already stated it is translating directly into the steering wheel...not that you wouldn't feel it in the whole car, but def. in the steering wheel. I remember with my lex it was a pretty penny...then again I had three of them going bad. Unless you have a warrenty, I believe Sears will check it for free, or next to nothing. That to me is your best bet from what you described. A bad control arm will also cause your wheel to wobble, so be careful.

[digimurda]

That sounds like a control arm or rotor issue to me. The rotor would have mainly been for braking shaking on the steering wheel. But while driving would be the control arm. Especially since you already stated it is translating directly into the steering wheel...not that you wouldn't feel it in the whole car, but def. in the steering wheel. I remember with my lex it was a pretty penny...then again I had three of them going bad. Unless you have a warrenty, I believe Sears will check it for free, or next to nothing. That to me is your best bet from what you described. A bad control arm will also cause your wheel to wobble, so be careful.

so this must be the creeking sound the car does on certain days when turning or going over a small bump. (kinda like a old bed boxspring)

[TDot]

Exactly.

[ngtr800]

Check your outer tie rods. I had exactly the same symptoms as you described. I could feel the car vibrate around 40mph. I thought it was a bad tire or a bent rim. I replaced my outer tie rods and had a wheel alignment and problem was solved. i have about 90k. The sound you are describing when you push down on the car could be the front stabilizer link bars or the rack and pinion bushing. I replaced those as well because of a squeaky sound i was hearing. Go to advance auto parts use this code big30 save 30 on 70 purchase. Easy DIY Project.

[digimurda]

Check your outer tie rods. I had exactly the same symptoms as you described. I could feel the car vibrate around 40mph. I thought it was a bad tire or a bent rim. I replaced my outer tie rods and had a wheel alignment and problem was solved. i have about 90k. The sound you are describing when you push down on the car could be the front stabilizer link bars or the rack and pinion bushing. I replaced those as well because of a squeaky sound i was hearing. Go to advance auto parts use this code big30 save 30 on 70 purchase. Easy DIY Project.

Which one is a easy DIY? The tie rods, or the stabalizer link?

[jonlex99]

The links are a easy diy. The tie rods are easy but you will need an alignment right after....

[digimurda]

Thank you all for your help and advice,
The issue has been resolved, the shaky steering and vibration ended up being the "inner" tie rod, and the creaking noisee was the sway bar link.

[merlinq2]

Great to hear, how much did it end up setting you back. How many miles on the car?

Thanks

[digimurda]

Inner tie rod was $107 at the dealer and the sway bar link was $55
My car has 106k miles.
Only thing is the steering wheel shaking/vibration while driving went away, but the shaking/vibration when braking hard from high speed is still there, wtf
I changed the pads and rotors, can it be I now nead an alignment or can it be the rotors were defected?

[merlinq2]

That is hard to say, did you check to see that all the wheel weights are stil on the rims? And thanks for the information on the costs- did you need and alignment too

[digimurda]

That is hard to say, did you check to see that all the wheel weights are stil on the rims? And thanks for the information on the costs- did you need and alignment too

No, I didn't need an alignment, but it depends The mechanic doing it.

[filet]

New fix:

Was having very similar problem w my 2006 M35 after new wheels and tires installed. Here is what I found out after going to dealer, and having them diagnose a bad tire w a flat spot, getting a new tire and it not being much better:

If you've balanced your tires, and your suspension is in good shape, and your rack isn't bad and tramlining, and you still have a vibrational issue, after much screwing around, me and my extraordinarily patient mechanic have solved the issue:

On the steering rack itself, underneath the skid protector, on the driver's side, you will see a bolt about the size of your thumb.

Tighten that bolt all the way, and your car will ride like the steering is WAY too tight. Seriously, go into turns, and the wheel won't return to center. It'd be a great setup for a circus.

If that bolt is TOO LOOSE, you will have too much play in your steering wheel, and when you're driving around it will a) pull you all over the road, and/or b) give you vibration from the wobbly play in the rack.

The right torque for that bolt, after looking it up, is 48 inch pounds of pressure, and then 20-40 degree turn back toward the loose end.

Good luck getting a torque wrench in that tight spot.

My recommendation if u don't have a microscopic tool, is to figure out where you're at if you need it a little tighter, and just tighten it a smidge, and repeat by trial and error until you've gotten rid of the wobble. We did mine today and it rides absolutely perfectly. Finally got the wobble out of the steering.

My problem originally surfaced when I changed out the wheels and tires to a lighter setup. I think the heavier stock wheels jibed well with the loose amount of play, but when I went to the lighter stuff, I needed to tighten it up a little bit.

Best to all.

-Filet

[cji4130]

New fix:

Was having very similar problem w my 2006 M35 after new wheels and tires installed. Here is what I found out after going to dealer, and having them diagnose a bad tire w a flat spot, getting a new tire and it not being much better:

If you've balanced your tires, and your suspension is in good shape, and your rack isn't bad and tramlining, and you still have a vibrational issue, after much screwing around, me and my extraordinarily patient mechanic have solved the issue:

On the steering rack itself, underneath the skid protector, on the driver's side, you will see a bolt about the size of your thumb.

Tighten that bolt all the way, and your car will ride like the steering is WAY too tight. Seriously, go into turns, and the wheel won't return to center. It'd be a great setup for a circus.

If that bolt is TOO LOOSE, you will have too much play in your steering wheel, and when you're driving around it will a) pull you all over the road, and/or b) give you vibration from the wobbly play in the rack.

The right torque for that bolt, after looking it up, is 48 inch pounds of pressure, and then 20-40 degree turn back toward the loose end.

Good luck getting a torque wrench in that tight spot.

My recommendation if u don't have a microscopic tool, is to figure out where you're at if you need it a little tighter, and just tighten it a smidge, and repeat by trial and error until you've gotten rid of the wobble. We did mine today and it rides absolutely perfectly. Finally got the wobble out of the steering.

My problem originally surfaced when I changed out the wheels and tires to a lighter setup. I think the heavier stock wheels jibed well with the loose amount of play, but when I went to the lighter stuff, I needed to tighten it up a little bit.

Best to all.

-Filet

could you possibly take a picture of this bolt? id LOVEEEEEE to fix this issue on my 06 m35 but am not completely sure where this is.

[filet]

sorry - off the lift and home now - hopefully I'll never have to open it up again

good description: put the car on a lift, and unscrew the hard plastic cover that protects the steering rack. it will be on the same plane as the wheels / brakes, that is to say I am not indicating the skid protector in the very front of the car, instead the panel just rear of it.

the steering rack looks like the housing of a shotgun, for lack of a better description. on the driver's side, the rack will have a bolt that attaches to the steering gear. such a bolt will be absent from the passenger side.

grab your wheel, rock it back and forth like you're turning the car. if you were inside the cockpit, you'd see the steering wheel turn. if it's too loose you'll be able to turn it very easily. if it's too tight it won't budge. tighten that bolt to the desired amount of play, the correct torque of which I referenced earlier. If you don't have the instrument, go with trial and error.

again, best description of where to find the bolt: driver's side, attached to steering gear, which is attached to the rack, which is hidden by a panel that is parallel to the driver's side front wheel. best of luck.