Steering Wheel Shimmy

Although I wish I could shimmy like my sister, Kate, I don't like it when my steering wheel shakes.

Subject: 2001 Golf GLS, 71,000 miles, completely stock except for replacement rotors and pads about a year ago.

It's not at all dramatic in terms of amount of movement, but when driving speeds under 50, especially, my steering wheel rotates about one-sixteenth of an inch both clockwise and counterclockwise (from side to side). The car still drives perfectly straight without veering at all. I'm about to install new tires, as my OEM Continentals are near the end of their safe tread life.

Could the tires be causing this shimmy? Is alignment out of whack? Should I buy Microsoft stock?

Thanks.

Wheel shake is most likely caused by a change in tire balance caused by the wear, or a thrown off wheel weight .

Might as well just put on the new tires rather than fooling around with these ones.

Yes, tires can cause this, and so can aged components in the suspension...

Since you're getting new tires (make sure they balance them WELL...), if it's been a while since you had an alignment, why don't you have it done at a good shop at the same time? We went through h3ll when our car was new and we were still relying on the dealer to take care of the vehicle... finally we went to an independent tire dealer who found both the balancing and alignement out of whack... no problem ever since... (we gave up on dealers about that time...)

Yuri.

As I am not a tire person, how do I know if they've balanced them well? I was thinking of ignoring my feelings against such places and getting the tires mounted/balanced at BJ's wholesale club, or whatever it is.

Since you're getting new tires (make sure they balance them WELL...)

Click to expand...

I have no idea what "BJ's wholesale club" is...

In the past, I've found that better tire shops (meaning, more expensive tire shops) do a better job of balancing than your local Sears or whatever... YMMV

Yuri.

PS: well balanced means that you don't feel ANY shaking whatsoever... there are a couple of threads around here detailing what are the better makes of dynamic balancing machines...