Notices
993 Forum 1995-1998
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Steering wheel shaking at exactly 60 mph

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 06-01-2010, 07:14 PM
  #1  
fixedgame
Instructor
Thread Starter
 
fixedgame's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: CA
Posts: 223
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default Steering wheel shaking at exactly 60 mph

what are the possible causes?
Out of balance front wheel(s)?

TIA for all inputs.
Old 06-01-2010, 07:17 PM
  #2  
timothymoffat
Rennlist Member
 
timothymoffat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Rainforest (Vancouver, BC)
Posts: 7,583
Received 1,043 Likes on 470 Posts
Default

Wheels/tires out of balance? Tie rods? Control arm bushings?
Old 06-01-2010, 07:20 PM
  #3  
CalvinC4S
Drifting
 
CalvinC4S's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: USA
Posts: 2,085
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Default

Balance shimmys hit right at 60mph 90% of the time.

Steering wheel = front wheels
Seat = rear wheels

Test it when the tires are warm.
Old 06-01-2010, 07:28 PM
  #4  
AOW162435
Seared
Rennlist Member
 
AOW162435's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Ellicott City, MD
Posts: 16,776
Received 418 Likes on 233 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by CalvinC4S
Balance shimmys hit right at 60mph 90% of the time.
Is that because most spin balance machines rarely exceed 60 mph (or the rotational equivalent thereof)?


Andreas
Old 06-01-2010, 08:02 PM
  #5  
epj993
Rennlist Member
 
epj993's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Posts: 1,353
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Default

If not very severe, it could be the rotor vents and/or holes are clogged with dust.
Old 06-01-2010, 08:17 PM
  #6  
RDS928S
Banned
 
RDS928S's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: NJ but from Boston
Posts: 4,024
Received 709 Likes on 316 Posts
Default

Mine does too. Everything has been checked already.
Old 06-01-2010, 08:28 PM
  #7  
Edward
Addicted Specialist
Rennlist Member
 
Edward's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: So.CA
Posts: 6,122
Received 354 Likes on 198 Posts
Default

Me between exactly 55-60, but smooth as silk everywhere else ...ah hem, even markedly north of 60mph. Everything checks out, and it has been like this for some time without any change or degredation whatsoever. I choose to live with it until I feel something merits attention, personally.

Edward
Old 06-01-2010, 08:37 PM
  #8  
AOW162435
Seared
Rennlist Member
 
AOW162435's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Ellicott City, MD
Posts: 16,776
Received 418 Likes on 233 Posts
Default

Control arm bushings?


Andreas
Old 06-01-2010, 08:50 PM
  #9  
NC TRACKRAT
Rennlist Member
 
NC TRACKRAT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Winston-Salem, NC
Posts: 3,971
Received 460 Likes on 287 Posts
Default

Wheel bearing/s? Internal fault/s in tire/s? To check for internal faults, raise tire pressure to 50 psi in all four tires. If that eliminates the shimmy, drop tire pressure in one tire at a time until shimmy comes back. That will indentify the bad tire.
Old 06-01-2010, 09:24 PM
  #10  
Bradford
Rennlist Member
 
Bradford's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Westlake Village, Ca. Lake Tahoe, Ca.
Posts: 1,605
Received 28 Likes on 18 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by AOW162435
Control arm bushings?


Andreas
Bingo!

Had the same problem. Wheels were balances but still had the vibration. Changed the control arm bushings and no more vibration.
Old 06-01-2010, 09:34 PM
  #11  
bluejam
Rennlist Member
 
bluejam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 494
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Now I don't feel so bad since there are a few others with this issue.
I have had a slight shimmy right at 52mph since I got her 3 yrs ago. And like Edward, smooth as silk everywhere else (especially over 100). I've gone through three different tires, been balanced twice. It does seem a little more pronounced when SLOWING to 50-55 (not braking) than speeding up past 50-55.
I've just chosen to live with it but I sure would like it to go away.
Guess I'll check the control arm bushings next.
Old 06-01-2010, 09:47 PM
  #12  
jhummel68
Racer
 
jhummel68's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Posts: 464
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 1 Post
Default

Originally Posted by AOW162435
Control arm bushings?


Andreas
Yessir!

Originally Posted by Bradford
Bingo!

Had the same problem. Wheels were balances but still had the vibration. Changed the control arm bushings and no more vibration.
My money is on the bushings. I changed them and it is smooth as silk.
Old 06-01-2010, 11:04 PM
  #13  
1pcarnut
Drifting
 
1pcarnut's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Sandy Eggo, Ca
Posts: 2,218
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Default

As noted above, if smooth just below that speed very unlikely to be wheel imbalance, would bet dimes to donuts it's the control arm bushings. My current 993 and the last one both had the symptoms you describe. Installed Chris' bushings and bingo, all is right with the world.

Last edited by 1pcarnut; 06-02-2010 at 08:55 PM.
Old 06-01-2010, 11:24 PM
  #14  
MarkD
Rennlist Member
 
MarkD's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Still here...
Posts: 6,962
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
Default

Agreed! The most common cause at 50-55mph is the control arm bushings.

Heavier wheels or poorly worn tires can mask it a bit so if you change wheels/tires and it appears, you can be tricked into thinking it is tire balance.

My $$ is on control arm bushings.
Old 06-02-2010, 12:15 AM
  #15  
Stealth 993
Nordschleife Master
 
Stealth 993's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Tacoma, WA
Posts: 5,477
Received 208 Likes on 126 Posts
Default

Before you do anything, & all the advice is good, but CHECK YOUR TIRE PRESSURE! Mine started to shimmy, & one tire was down a few PSI.


Quick Reply: Steering wheel shaking at exactly 60 mph



All times are GMT -3. The time now is 09:31 AM.