2008 Kia Optima Steering wheel vibrates back & forth as speed increases.

wrote:
> N8N wrote: "8:29 AMN8N - show quoted text - You only had the tires
> *balanced.* That doesn't mean that they're true or that there's no
> belt damage. I can balance a damaged tire so it spins true on the
> balancer, but it'll never run right in real life. "
>
> In your prior thread, yes, the tire was replaced due to sidewall
> damage. I clipped a curb under 20mph three years ago. No visible
> damage to the "wobbly" rim.
>
> As far as "real life" goes, no on-car balancing is available at least
> here in southern CT.
>
> My whole point is, we've thrown everything at this otherwise terrific
> car, and the steering wheel still vibrates, as it has for nearly 3
> years now. I bought it used back in 2008, 14,000mi, no vibrations,
> no jiggly steering wheel.
>
> I am overdue for brakes, so I hope soon I'll find out if it's an
> uneven rotor or something.


That "I clipped a curb under 20mph three years ago." and "we've thrown
everything at this otherwise terrific car, and the steering wheel still
vibrates, as it has for nearly 3 years now. I bought it used back in
2008, 14,000mi, no vibrations, no jiggly steering wheel."

Are VERY important items you didn't mention in the earlier posts.

Curb hit that bent a rim and damaged the tire very likely bent other
parts as well. Especially on cars that are built very light to begin with.

A very simple test can show you if something is bent. Grab a cheap laser
pointer, smaller the better. Magnetic base would be nice but not really
needed. A chunk of flat cardboard/plywood painted white would be nice.
Some way to hold that vertical as well.

Jack up the front of the car. Place the board so it is parallel to the
tire in question (I use a chunk of string taped to the tire and then
just measure so you have something like 2 feet or so at 4 spots)

Now attach the pointer to the tire/rim so the beam hits the board at 90
degrees. Now rotate the tire and watch the pattern on the board. IF
nothing is bent you should see a nice even circle. If something is bent
you will see an ovoid pattern.

--
Steve W.

wrote:
> N8N wrote: "8:29 AMN8N - show quoted text - You only had the tires
> *balanced.* That doesn't mean that they're true or that there's no
> belt damage. I can balance a damaged tire so it spins true on the
> balancer, but it'll never run right in real life. "
>
> In your prior thread, yes, the tire was replaced due to sidewall
> damage. I clipped a curb under 20mph three years ago. No visible
> damage to the "wobbly" rim.
>
> As far as "real life" goes, no on-car balancing is available at least
> here in southern CT.
>
> My whole point is, we've thrown everything at this otherwise terrific
> car, and the steering wheel still vibrates, as it has for nearly 3
> years now. I bought it used back in 2008, 14,000mi, no vibrations,
> no jiggly steering wheel.
>
> I am overdue for brakes, so I hope soon I'll find out if it's an
> uneven rotor or something.

Seems to me it would be easy to find the problem.
Maybe not so easy to correct though.