gorillajin

Car (steering wheel) vibrates pretty bad on a freeway after reach a certain speed.
I checked the wheel bearing. There is very minimum play, but I can hear knocking noise.
Do I need a new bearing?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvStGDMwi_M

Saijin_Naib

Dad says maybe bad lower ball joint.

If it were a bad wheel bearing or loose bearing adjustment it would happen top to bottom and left to right.

gorillajin

Thanks, I will check the ball joint...gush I hate replacing them...it's PIA...well I don't know about MB, but other cars that I owned before....it was...

Oh, I also can hear metal rubbing noise front of the car when car is in motion...which means bad bearing correct?

epowers777

If your steering wheel vibrates first replace your steering damper. Take ur wheel off and put a pry bar between ur suspension and ur ball joint. and pry if it clicks its bad. Look on psycho link he explains it good

Saijin_Naib

Check the dust shields on the brakes and the backing plate. Make sure it isn't rubbing on the wheel rim or disc. Also, a stone could be stuck in the brake.

bsmuwk

Before doing anything, are your tires properly balanced? Lugs all seated securely and torqued to 80ft lbs?

Then proceed with what others have mentioned. 2 prime suspects are wheel bearing and ball joint.

gorillajin

I don't know whether tires are properly balanced or not.
Yeah, easy thing first, I will take my car to a shop and ask for balancing them. Lugs are tight, but I will use a torque wrench to tighten them.
If above those methods don't work, then I will go for sterring damper. Psycho link? Are you talking about a member?

appatula

+1 I was scrolling down hoping that someone would state the obvious! Get all four corners balanced then proceed troubleshooting if the wobble persists.

ssduane

check the wheel to see if it had a weight that has fallin off, there usually will be some remnants of one being there if it has came fallen off, check the inside area of the wheel too.

the clunking sounds pretty normal, somewhat usaully you will hear more top to bottom then side to side because the top to bottom is forced by the springs and side to side relaxes with the steering.

Bad earings will usually provide a nice noticable howling noise if they are failing.

Also, take the wheel off and try that movement on the rotor, that will point to where the noise is coming from.

gorillajin

Thank you for the advice.
I will take off the wheel and try to pin point what cause the noise and vibration. I haven't had time to check it. Maybe tomorrow.

ps2cho

Does it happen all the time, or just when you are on the gas on the freeway?

gorillajin

Only when the car is in motion. I feel it above 60mph.

danholm

Could be a number of things. Those mentioned, as well as tie rod ends, and any of the many components that make up these complicated front suspensions. Get under it and look and feel every piece for free play. A fresh steering dampener would calm down any play in the system, but not really correct another potential problem. Bad wheel bearing would be noticed with the front jacked up and slowly turn each wheel while carefully listening for any grinding noise. It might be easier to discover with the wheel off.

d

appatula

Another thing that crossed my mind...if the wobble increases when you stomp on the brakes it could be a warped rotor.

kodoq39

im having the same problem, my steering wheel vibrate when im going 55+ mph (freeway) it start happening since i changed my front suspension, is this because i did something wrong when i change the struts or something else? no sounds just vibrate.

geosss

you are right , this is the most common problem , with unproper balance of the wheels,or maybe you have a bent rim, try driving the car 10,15 miles over the speed it starts vibrating, if it is one of those usually goes away