When you drive your car, you want to make sure that it’s driving as smoothly as possible and that it doesn’t have any weird behaviors that could cause you to worry about potential car crashes. One of the very common situations that you might encounter and be very scared is when your steering wheel starts shaking, especially at low speeds. There are some potential reasons for this happening, and understanding these reasons is extremely important to prevent the problem from getting more complicated. However, in this article, I want to briefly discuss the reasons why your steering wheel shakes while driving at low speed.
1. Axle issues.
According to Mechanicbase.com, if your car has been involved in an accident recently and you just started noticing vibrations, start looking at axle issues as it’s very likely that one got bent or damaged. The shakes will increase as the speed rises, but they will be present even at lower speeds.
2. Tires out of Balance.
This is the most obvious and most common reason that you might experience a shaking steering wheel. If your tires are out of alignment or out of balance, they may send shivers through your vehicle and to the steering wheel.
3. Brake Issues.
If you have bad brakes that result in aggressive steering wheel shaking when you step on the brake pedal, this means you likely have warped or worn out rotors. You should also check the brake caliper because that can cause steering wheel shakiness, especially in older models.
4. Tire Alignment troubles.
Your vehicle’s suspension system is designed to align your tires, helping them evenly meet the road’s pavement. Over time, road turbulence, rough driving, and other hazards can throw off this alignment—causing one or more of your wheels to rest at a skewed angle. Even slight alignment issues can cause steering wheel shaking or vibrations.
5. “Bad Bearings.”
A shaky steering wheel can be caused by friction from bad bearings or inadequate lubrication. If bearings are the cause, you’ll notice that the shaking only occurs as you turn the wheel. You can oil the bearings or schedule a service appointment to replace them if there’s damage.
6. Damaged Brake Rotors.
If your brake rotors got rusty and worn out, there is a big chance that the brake rotors are the cause of your shaking steering wheel, especially if you overheated the brake rotors at any time.
7. Worn Suspension.
Suspension parts are designed to keep you connected to the road yet isolated from bumps and cracks in the pavement. As these parts wear out, they’ll add some additional bouncing and shaking to your driving experience. If your vehicle’s shocks, struts, or other suspension components are worn out, your car may shake or bounce excessively going down the road.
8. Stuck brake caliper.
Another probable cause of the shaking steering wheel is stuck brake callipers. For those who don’t know, brake callipers hold your brake pads and lower them each time you decelerate or stop your vehicle.
