2008 Kia Optima LX Steering wheel shake

Steering wheel shimmys from side to side increasing violently at speeds over 60mph. 42,000 miles to date.

Steps already taken:

All Tires balanced - Steering wheel still vibrates.

Balance rechecked - still vibrates.

Found and replaced wobbly rim(whole rim sways), reinstall and balance tire - vibration in steering wheel is *reduced* but still occurs at over 60mph.


What are possible next steps?

Thanks!

wrote in
:

> Steering wheel shimmys from side to side increasing violently at
> speeds over 60mph. 42,000 miles to date.
>
> Steps already taken:
>
> All Tires balanced - Steering wheel still vibrates.
>
> Balance rechecked - still vibrates.
>
> Found and replaced wobbly rim(whole rim sways), reinstall and balance
> tire - vibration in steering wheel is *reduced* but still occurs at
> over 60mph.
>
>
> What are possible next steps?
>
> Thanks!
>

I would find the tire that has a slipped belt and replace it or them. KB

Kevin: How does one diagnose a slipped belt in a tire?

wrote in
:

> Steering wheel shimmys from side to side increasing violently at
> speeds over 60mph. 42,000 miles to date.
>
> Steps already taken:
>
> All Tires balanced - Steering wheel still vibrates.
>
> Balance rechecked - still vibrates.
>
> Found and replaced wobbly rim(whole rim sways), reinstall and balance
> tire - vibration in steering wheel is *reduced* but still occurs at
> over 60mph.
>
>
> What are possible next steps?
>



Find a better tire shop.

If the "whole rim" wobbles, then the wheel may not have been true on the
hub of the balancer machine. Did they turn the wheel 180 degrees to see if
the wobble changed?

Did anybody make sure the tire was true on the rim before balancing?
There's a way of checking that yourself with the wheel/tire still on the
car.


--
Tegger

On Wed, 26 Mar 2014 20:06:44 +0000 (UTC), Kevin Bottorff
> wrote:

wrote in
:
>
>> Steering wheel shimmys from side to side increasing violently at
>> speeds over 60mph. 42,000 miles to date.
>>
>> Steps already taken:
>>
>> All Tires balanced - Steering wheel still vibrates.
>>
>> Balance rechecked - still vibrates.
>>
>> Found and replaced wobbly rim(whole rim sways), reinstall and balance
>> tire - vibration in steering wheel is *reduced* but still occurs at
>> over 60mph.
>>
>>
>> What are possible next steps?
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>
>I would find the tire that has a slipped belt and replace it or them. KB

That should be noticeable at very low speeds.

Tegger:

They ran all 4 rims. Only one wobbled. The rim was replaced. Steering wheel jiggle is reduced but still present at higher speeds.

wrote in
:

> Tegger:
>
> They ran all 4 rims. Only one wobbled. The rim was replaced.
> Steering wheel jiggle is reduced but still present at higher speeds.
>


Rims do not need to be perfect; some runout is acceptable. Automakers often
allow about 1/32" runout, more for steel wheels. If your rim wobbled more
than the allowable limit, then it needed to be replaced.

Still, proper tire mounting is CRITICAL. If the tire is not true on the
rim, then it will never balance properly even if the machine says it's
balanced. I suspect this is your problem.
There is a way of checking this with the wheel still on the car.


--
Tegger

Bill Vanek > wrote in
:

> On Wed, 26 Mar 2014 20:06:44 +0000 (UTC), Kevin Bottorff
> > wrote:

>>
>>I would find the tire that has a slipped belt and replace it or them. KB
>
> That should be noticeable at very low speeds.
>


Bad mounting will mimic a slipped belt. I think the OP is the victim of
inept mounting.

--
Tegger

wrote in news:81379168-237f-41a8-8e98-863815936b76
@googlegroups.com:

> Kevin: How does one diagnose a slipped belt in a tire?

the easiest is to jack the wheel off the ground and put your hand on the
tread and then spin it with your other hand. you should feel any out of
round or a dibit in the tire if its slipped. usually on one side of the
tread not necessaryly all the way accross. KB

Kevin Bottorff > wrote in news:lh4ojd$tle$2
@news.albasani.net:

> wrote in news:81379168-237f-41a8-8e98-863815936b76
> @googlegroups.com:
>
>> Kevin: How does one diagnose a slipped belt in a tire?
>
> the easiest is to jack the wheel off the ground and put your hand on the
> tread and then spin it with your other hand. you should feel any out of
> round or a dibit in the tire if its slipped. usually on one side of the
> tread not necessaryly all the way accross. KB
>


Don't use your hand, but your eyes.

If a non-driven wheel, spin it up as fast as you can by hand and observe.
Any wobble or bounce will be very obvious. It's a bit trickier if it's a
driven wheel, but can still be done.

--
Tegger