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What Are Common Causes Of Steering Wheel Shaking? Braking, High Speeds, Low Speeds
If you happen to notice that your vehicle’s steering wheel is shaking or vibrating more than normal you may want to explore the causes of steering wheel vibration and how to fix the issue. This article is designed to explain the most common causes of steering wheel shaking and vibrations while braking and at low and high speeds to help you fix the issue if you encounter it on your vehicle.
Steering Wheel Shaking While Braking
1. Brake Rotors Need To Be Replaced
If you notice that your get steering wheel shaking while braking it’s likely that your brake rotors are warped or damaged and need to be replaced. Over time your brake rotors can become warped from being heated and then cooled repeatedly which can then cause the metal disc of your brake rotors to become warped.
Once your brake rotors become warped the brake pads will not be able to smoothly glide over the surface of the brake rotors which can cause vibrations and shaking to be transmitted to your steering wheel and into your vehicle.
If you replace your current brake rotors with new brake rotors then this should eliminate the shaking that you feel when braking. Some people would recommend having your brake rotors resurfaced but usually brake rotors are cheap enough that they should just be replaced altogether.
Resurfacing brake rotors also removes part of the rotor surface which can make them more prone to cracking over time. Replacing your brake rotors is not that hard to do on most vehicles so you should check out some youtube videos like the one below of people replacing brake rotors on your model and year of car to see if you would be up to the challenge of doing it yourself.
2. Your Brake Pads Or Calipers Need Replacing
The other part of the equation when it comes to bringing your car to a stop is your brake pads and brake calipers. Your brake pads are positioned on both sides of your brake rotors.
The job of your brake calipers are to clamp onto the back of the brake pads which then presses the brake pads into the rotors which then causes your car to slow down and come to a stop.
If your brake calipers are leaking or your brake caliper slide pin is stuck your brake calipers may not be working properly and can also cause your steering wheel to shake while braking.
Brake pads also need to eventually be replaced and if they are low or have been installed improperly this can also cause your steering wheel to shake. If the cause of your steering wheel shaking only occurs while braking there is likely something wrong with your brakes.
Steering Wheel Shaking At High Speeds
1. Tires Are Unbalanced
If your vehicle’s steering wheel is shaking at high speeds this can be an indication that your tires are not balanced properly. If your steering wheel is shaking or vibrating at high speeds but the vibration goes away at lower speeds you may want to get your tires rebalanced.
Over time your tires will wear down and become unbalanced. You can rebalance your own tires if you have the proper equipment in your garage but it’s often a lot easier to take your car to a tire shop to have them do it for you.
2. Wheels Are Damaged
If your wheels have been damaged by potholes or curbs then this can also throw off the balance of your wheels and tires and contribute to your car vibrating at high and low speeds. If you think that your wheel has been damaged by a pothole you can take your wheels to a wheel repair shop and see if they can repair your bent wheel by pulling it back into its original shape.
If a tire repair shop is not able to repair your wheel you may want to look at getting another used wheel for your vehicle on eBay or buying a new set altogether as this should alleviate this problem.
3. Your Car Needs An Alignment
Over time as you hit potholes and bumps in the road your car’s wheels can come out of alignment. When this happens you need to take your car into a shop so that they can adjust the alignment of your wheels to bring them back into spec with where they should be.
You can adjust the alignment of your car yourself but it’s a tedious process and you would not be able to get your alignment as precisely adjusted as a tire shop would be able to do. Modern Tire shops have an electronic lift that can detect each wheel and determine if it is in alignment or not with a machine.
4. Your Axle Is Damaged
Another reason for steering wheel shaking is a damaged axle. If you’ve done any offroading recently or hit something in the road you may have damaged the axle of your vehicle.
If your axle is damaged this can cause your car to shake which will be transmitted through to your steering wheel. If you’ve done any offroading recently or have accidentally run over something you should inspect the underside of your vehicle to make sure you haven’t damaged anything.
Steering Wheel Shaking At Low Speeds
1. Suspension Is Worn
If your suspension is worn out this can also contribute to your vehicle shaking or vibrating. If your tie rod ends or bushings get worn out this can cause your wheels to not travel as smoothly down the road which can lead to vibrations or a shaking steering wheel. Worn out wheel hubs can also cause these sorts of issues.
If you have already rebalanced your tires and don’t believe that your wheels are damaged you can put your car on a lift and try to see if you are able to move any components of your suspension by using a pry bar or a rubber mallet. Try to move your wheel pushing on one side and then the other to see if you get any movement out of it. If you are able to move your wheel when you do this your wheel bearing is likely worn out.
2. Your Engine Needs A Tuneup or Engine Mounts Need Replacing
If your engine is running rough or your car engine mounts are in need of replacing this can be the cause of your steering wheel shaking at low speeds. When your engine runs rough this can cause your engine to shake more than it would normally which can be transmitted through the body of your car and through your steering wheel.
If your car is not running as well as it used to or you notice your fuel mileage taking a turn for the worst you may want to perform a tuneup on your car.
Another common cause of steering wheel shaking at low speeds is worn out engine mounts. Your engine mounts can start to break down over time and may need to eventually be replaced.
If your engine mounts are wearing out then your engine is allowed to move more freely and jerk around. That jerking and shaking can also be transmitted to your steering wheel causing shaking and vibrations.
How To Prevent Steering Wheel Shaking and Vibration
I’ve outlined above what causes steering wheel shaking and vibrations at high and low speeds so now I will cover what you can do to try to prevent that from happening in the first place.
1. Get an Alignment
If you have not had an alignment done on your car in a while it’s a good idea to get one done. An alignment can help correct the alignment of your wheels on your car to help it drive straighter and prevent as much wear on your tires.
When you hit bumps and potholes on the road this will eventually change the toe and camber of your wheels. Over a period of time if your wheels are out of align this can cause excessive wear on your tires because they may be wearing on one side more than the other.
If your vehicle manufacturer does not include a maintenance program to keep your alignment in spec you should be able to tell if your vehicle is out of alignment by taking it on the highway. If your vehicle wants to drift in one direction or the other there is a good chance that your vehicle is out of alignment.
2. Keep Your Tires Properly Inflated
If your tires are not properly inflated this can also cause your tires to wear down quicker than if you keep them properly inflated. Tires are designed to be inflated to a certain PSI that will be listed on the sidewall of the tire but you do not want to put in the max amount of PSI listed on the sidewall.
A good idea is to check the door sill of your vehicle to see what your vehicle’s manufacturer recommends the tires to be inflated to. This will tell you exactly how much PSI you should put in the front tires as well as in the back tires. 
3. Balance Wheels and Tires
As I mentioned above having your wheels and tires out of balance can cause your steering wheel to shake and vibrate at high and low speeds. If you do not regularly balance your tires this can also cause your tires to wear excessively.
If your wheels and tires get out of balance this can also cause your tires to wear quicker as it can accelerate the speed at which your vehicle’s alignment will go out. It’s a good idea to have your tires rotated and balanced somewhat frequently to ensure that they stay properly balanced and maintained.
If your vehicle manufacturer does not have a maintenance program to rotate and balance your tires it would be a good idea to have this done every other oil change. If your tires are worn out and need to be replaced you may want to check out my other article on how much it costs to replace a tire.
4. Inspect Your Brakes
If your brake pads are worn down or if you have a sticking caliper this can cause excessive wear on your braking system. Your brake rotors are made of steel but will eventually wear down with use. Most brake rotors are going to get warped when they are heated up too much which allows the metal to warp from its original shape from the manufacturer.
If you have a sticking caliper slide pin or a sticking caliper this can cause the brake pads to stick to the rotor for longer than you press on the brake in your car which can cause the brake rotors to heat up to higher temps than they were designed to be.
This can cause the brake rotor to be warped because the rotor gets heated to a temperature that it can’t handle. If your brake pads are worn down this can also cause metal on metal contact from your brake rotors and calipers.
If you hear a screeching sound when you go to brake at a stoplight or stop sign it would be a good idea to inspect your brake pads to make sure that there is enough brake pad material remaining, if not you would want to replace them.
Causes Of Steering Wheel Shaking – In Conclusion
If your steering wheel is shaking or vibrating under braking or at high or low speeds hopefully this article gave you some ideas of what to check out to help correct the issue. I’ve had this happen on my car before and it’s not fun when you are driving down the road to have your whole car shaking.
If you follow the proper preventative measures and stay away from potholes you should be able to keep your steering wheel from shaking and vibrating at low and high speeds.