Steering wheel wobbles

[Magny]

Ok guys, I've looked and looked at my car over and over again to find the source of this thing. Everytime I brake at high speds (about 40mph or more) my steering wheel wobbles like crazy if I don't have it in gear (I have a manual trans). When my car is in gear it slightly wobbles, not all crazy when its not. I checked my rotors, jacked the front of my car up and put it in gear to check the axles for straightness while its rotating, checked the bearings since I had he car in the air, and yet not found the problem. What could it be??? Help me out please, it's getting very annoying.

[Bloodlust]

Ok guys, I've looked and looked at my car over and over again to find the source of this thing. Everytime I brake at high speds (about 40mph or more) my steering wheel wobbles like crazy if I don't have it in gear (I have a manual trans). When my car is in gear it slightly wobbles, not all crazy when its not. I checked my rotors, jacked the front of my car up and put it in gear to check the axles for straightness while its rotating, checked the bearings since I had he car in the air, and yet not found the problem. What could it be??? Help me out please, it's getting very annoying.

Maybe a slightly bent rim? Since you already checked the bearings and everything else, im not quite sure what else it could be. Tires off balance?

[Magny]

nah checked them, they are straight as if they were new. Original owner never hit curbs hard or damaged the frame. I have all the guys records. Sorry, forgot to add checked rim straightness to the list lol. I'm still tryng to figure it out. Lookin through the "CRAPPY!!!!" Haynes book.

[Bloodlust]

All I can say is read into this thread here: https://www.3geez.com/showthread.php?t=30191 and keep an eye on it because you will most likely find your answer there. Hope that is of some help.

[Magny]

LOL I just got through looking at that thread earlier, but I didn't see the headder saying high speed steering wobble LOL, thanks I will watch it out.

[hkplayer]

Actually, the thread I started is similar to yours Magny. However, with my tires balanced in the front, I wobble still at higher speeds. Although I already know my rotors are sligly warped and thin in the front, I have a feeling to doubt that its my rotors. A bent rim, possibly, but I have no way of checking for that unless i buy new ones...lol. When I brake, my steering slightly wobbles too sometimes but that should be because of the rotors although I was told by a mechanic that those rotors are still good for a year (I wonder). And since my wheel wobbles more at higher speeds even more so after the balancing or the fronts, it gets even more interesting. Darn old cars...

[Magny]

I had a hella warped rotor before and that one would slow me down like a jerking motion, also you can hear it rub on the rotor shield. I finnaly gotten in high speeds with that majorly warped rotor and tried stopping, it didnt wobble with it. My wobble started 2 months after getting a straight rotor. Still lookin it over.

[ICEMAN707]

this happens when you lower the 3gee more than 2 inches at the front....(at least from my experience with new wheels, rotors, hub assembly, but with 2.25" lowering). not only the camber gets way off (can be fixed with camber kit), but the caster also. if the control arm is not perfectly vertical and is leaning forward, it causes that wobble at high speeds. also, the sway bar underneath at the front gets stretched to its limit...being that it's already weak as it is. an aftermarket thicker sway bar with urethane bushings helps. but, the wobbling is primarily because of the lowering. your best bet is to tighten up the weak suspension with new bushings and joints and strut and sway bars. or the cheap way....go back to stock height. who ever said lowering a car was as easy as putting in springs and shocks? lol.

[Magny]

Hmm haven't lowered my car yet, planning on it, but haven't done it yet. Might be the bushings like your saying. I lookd through the guys stack of records that he has done to the car and there isn't a thing about new bushings in this stack of papers.

[ICEMAN707]

yeah if it was your rotors, it only happens when braking. if it was your bearings or wheels, your wheels would wobble, not just the steering. if it's just the steering and the wheel is fine and straight when running, then it's the suspension bushings. get new ones. try manchester honda.com or something like that. they carry brand new old parts for these cars.

[Magny]

I knew I would pinpoint it with a little help LOL thanks lots ICEMAN

[ICEMAN707]

no prob. also check your steering rack and your tie rod ends for wear. with the car lifted, grab the tire/wheel with both hands and turn the steering left to right and check for play. if there is some play, check the tie rod end bushings and power steering leak on your steering rack.

[Magny]

well I actually do have PS, but the belt isn't connected. Funny thing is when I am at about 80 braking in neutral, it wobbles like crazy. But when I put it in a gear where the RPM's come a little high like around 4-5k it doesn't wobble as mutch, just a slight amount. So if anything, it may be the bushings. I'll check the tie rod ends for play and see if thats the cause too.

[hkplayer]

magny, you mean the suspension bushings or the tie rod end bushings...or are they the same?

[Magny]

May be both, but I won't know until I take to to my High school auto shop (grad in 98) and put it in the air (i dont like jack stands).