2008 Kia Optima LX Steering wheel shake

On Sunday, April 6, 2014 4:57:28 PM UTC-4, Bill Vanek wrote:
> On Sun, 6 Apr 2014 12:43:54 -0700 (PDT), il.com wrote:
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> >Bill Vanek - and an UPDATE to all:
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> >Bill, steering wheel jiggle is most pronounced on a smooth, level stretch of highway, at speeds over 60mph. IOW: Going 60 - or 80 - on a pockmarked dog's breakfast results in zero steering wheel jiggle. Jiggle does not change with throttle position.
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> >TO ALL:
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> >Did side-by-side with my wife at 70-80mph this morning on a smooth, flat section of straightaway. Steering wheel was a frickin Tourette case!
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> >Wife said none of my four tires were hopping or wobbly, she has razor sharp sight at any distance up to the moon.
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> >Correct rim was balanced and installed last week by Kia dealer after two attempts by Town Fair installed the wrong rim.
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> If you put it in neutral while it's happening, does it change? If not,
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> it's balance or something bent, probably the hub.
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> I mentioned this before, but you can jack up one front wheel (with a
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> floor jack), and run the speedo up to about 35 mph - don't go higher
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> because the wheel speed will be double the speedo reading. Do both
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> sides. One of them should shake the car pretty badly. Also while each
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> side is off the ground, just put it in drive, and let the wheel spin
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> very slowly. If a tire is bad, or the hub is bent, it should be very
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> obvious. And remember, jacks slip, so make sure there is nothing in
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> front of the car, including you, when you're doing this.
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> If you don't find something bent, or out of round, you have an unusual
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> problem, and your entire suspension system needs to be carefully
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> checked. A balance or bent part problem will have a very regular
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> vibration, and the frequency should increase with speed. If the shake
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> seems more random than regular, it sounds more like loose parts.
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> BTW, is the only symptom a steering wheel shake, or does the whole car
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> shake? And does the steering wheel move side to side at all at very
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> low speeds?

______

To answer your last question, I feel it only in the steering wheel.

Last year, when the bent rim was still on the car, after a routine rotation that rim was moved forward, and yes, the whole car shook like off Chile last week!

When the rim was moved back to the right-rear, the shaking subsided to sane levels.

Now, with the replaced rim, only the steering shakes, and only progressively at speeds starting at 60mph.

As for neutral test, steering wheel still jiggles over 60mph.

So, I've done every test except mounting the front end up on a jack and spinning the wheels.

Also, noticed when coasting at slow speeds(30 & under), I feel like I'm rocking back & forward in my seat - just slightly - 1/4sec back & forth.

On Wed, 9 Apr 2014 03:52:22 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

>As for neutral test, steering wheel still jiggles over 60mph.
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>So, I've done every test except mounting the front end up on a jack and spinning the wheels.
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>Also, noticed when coasting at slow speeds(30 & under), I feel like I'm rocking back & forward in my seat - just slightly - 1/4sec back & forth.

That sounds like a shifted belt in one of the rear tires. Jack the
back up, and spin the tires by hand while you watch the top surface.
You'll see the tire dip or rise as you do that. watch it from the
back, too, for side-to-side motion. Fix the obvious stuff first. And
make sure none of the hub bearings are loose.

So having the wheel/tire balanced 100 times won't catch or cure a shifted belt?


And BTW the rear tires were replaced less than a month ago.

wrote:
> So having the wheel/tire balanced 100 times won't catch or cure a shifted belt?
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>
> And BTW the rear tires were replaced less than a month ago.

No balancing will not fix a broken or shifted belt in a tire. The tire
is junk if it has broken belts.

Could be a defective tire, pothole or sharp edge damage.

Have someone drive down the road in a straight line and watch the
tires/rims. Could be another bent rim or bent hub.

--
Steve W.

Steve W. wrote: "Have someone drive down the road in a straight line and watch the "


Read back several posts. Wife and I already done that. She saw no wheel hop or side to side.

On Wed, 9 Apr 2014 14:15:21 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

>Steve W. wrote: "Have someone drive down the road in a straight line and watch the "
>
>
>Read back several posts. Wife and I already done that. She saw no wheel hop or side to side.

That is not a useful way to check the tires, except for something very
obviously bent. If you feel a shimmy in the seat at low speeds, and
the steering wheel is not moving, there is almost certainly something
wrong with a rear tire and/or rim. Do you even own a floor jack? I'm
thinking you don't, and that's why you keep finding wrong ways to
check these things. $50 will get you a passable jack for home use.

Bill Vanek:

Yes, the one that came with the car, and a spare in the garage.

The reason I haven't done it is I've been sick lately, and also, I'v got it in my head: How could a brand new tire have a belt issue?

On Thu, 10 Apr 2014 05:51:39 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

>Bill Vanek:
>
>Yes, the one that came with the car, and a spare in the garage.

I don't think we're talking about the same thing. By "floor jack", I
mean something that rolls under the car, and can by used under the
control arm or rear axle, not the car body. You don't want to do what
I suggested for the front by raising the body of the car. I doesn't
matter in back.

>
>The reason I haven't done it is I've been sick lately, and also, I'v got it in my head: How could a brand new tire have a belt issue?

No, I don't have one of those.