Car vibration at high speed often occurs due to poor wheel balancing, tire imperfection, or any issue related to your car’s suspension system. It should never be ignored and needs to be repaired immediately. For the temporary solution, you can drive your car at a slower applicable speed and reach out to your mechanic for investigation. The following could be the causes of car shake and their solutions.
Wheel balancing
Wheel imbalance could be one of the most common reasons for car shaking at high speeds. If one or more of the tires are not balanced then you can observe shaking at 50mph or above and no vibrations at lower speed. In case your rims are too much imbalance then you can even feel it at lower speed.
Depending on the condition of your car’s rim you may need to test the balance of all four tire rims. For this purpose, you need to visit your nearest wheel alignment and balancing center for wheel balancing. Typically they will test every wheel in a designated machine and will remove any imperfection by adding or removing some metal weights until the machine shows zero imperfection. The whole process takes less than 30 minutes for all four tires.
Wheel Allignment
Another reason for this could be the misalignment of the wheels. If your car steering is not stable and you notice that if you take your hands off the steering then it does not remain in the center and automatically turns slightly left or right then you must check your car for wheel allignment Both Balancing and allignment are done by the same service center.
They will check for camber, caster, toe, and other settings and adjust them accordingly. It is recommended to have a wheel balancing and allignment done together after every 15000 miles. It also depends on your driving style and road conditions. If you are an off-roader then these settings must be checked more often.
Tire imperfection
Any imperfection in one or more tires can also lead to unwanted car vibrations. It could be related to the tire’s uneven wear, size, grade, or tire air pressure issues. The air pressure of the tire must be maintained by every car user. If you have old tires that are above 20000 miles driven then you must take extra care of the tires. Never use more or less car pressure or different tire size as recommended by the manufacturer.
Some users prefer large-width tires for more road grip, but it can badly destroy your car’s suspension system and fuel economy. Also, if you are using larger tires than recommended then the speed of the car shown by the car meter will not remain accurate in most of the cases.
Break system fault
This fault is comparatively easy to detect. If you feel vibrations only when you apply breaks at a higher speed then most probably it could be related to your car’s brake system. If the brake disk is uneven or thinner than expected then you can have such an experience. An uneven brake disk can be repaired by a professional but if the disks are exhausted and the thickness does not remain at a safe level then you must need to replace the brake disk. It is recommended to have a brake disk and pads serviced with every engine oil change.
Suspension problem
Another cause for high-speed vibrations could be a suspension system fault. It includes axles, shocks, struts, and bushings that help absorb road impacts. If one or more suspension parts have worn or damaged then it could result in an unstable ride.
Some of the suspension parts like axles can be checked by yourself. Axels are the rods that connect the wheels with the steering having boots at the end. To visually inspect for any damage you can park your car on a safe surface rotate the the steering completely to the right or left and check for any grease leakage or worn boots. If found so then replace the axel boots and use good quality grease inside them.
loose nuts and bolts
Any loose bolt can also be the reason for a rough drive. It’s quite challenging for a new driver to detect the exact location. There could be several reasons for this. Your mechanic may have forgotten to fully tighten a few bolts on your last visit. Bolts can also get loose themselves with the passage of time, especially if you often do offroading then due to severe jerks it’s quite possible.
If you are unsure about the tightness of the nuts and bolts then you must visit an experienced and professional mechanic. Do not try to loosen or tighten any bolt if you are inexperienced.
Conclusion
If you are experiencing any instability at a faster speed do not ignore it. Commonly it can be related to any wheel or tire issue. If you have doubts then visit your nearest service center to diagnose and fix the issue.