What causes severe shaking when the car reaches 100 to 120 mph?
2 Answers
Severe shaking of the steering wheel when the car reaches 100 to 120 mph may be due to resonance. Below are the related explanations for the shaking: 1. If the shaking is not severe, it is a normal phenomenon. All cars will experience shaking at high speeds, but the timing of the shaking varies depending on the car. For example, a Santana may shake at 100 km/h, while a Mercedes-Benz might only shake at 200 km/h. This phenomenon is known as car resonance. 2. Car resonance refers to the phenomenon where, when driving at a certain speed (usually between 100 to 120 km/h), the vibration frequency of the car reaches the resonance frequency, causing the car body to shake violently. Every car will experience resonance, and when it reaches a certain speed (usually between 100 to 120 km/h), you can feel significant noise and vibration. 3. If the shaking is very severe, the most likely cause is tire-related issues. For example, tire camber or toe, foreign objects on the tire surface, wheel rim deformation, poor tire balance, loss of wheel balance weights, excessive steering linkage play, insufficient tire pressure, etc., can all cause the car to shake, leading to steering wheel vibration.
My car used to have this problem too. When driving at speeds between 100 to 120 km/h, both the steering wheel and seats vibrated violently, as if the entire car body was shaking. The most common cause is unbalanced tires, such as improper wheel installation or uneven rubber wear, which can generate vibrations at high speeds. Additionally, if the wheel hub is deformed or damaged, or if the screws are loose, it can also cause shaking. An aging suspension system, such as loose ball joints or shock absorbers, can lead to similar issues. I recommend first going to a professional shop for a tire dynamic balance test—it usually costs just a few dozen yuan to fix. If that doesn’t solve it, then check the wheel hubs and suspension. High-speed vibrations are quite dangerous; if you lose control, the consequences could be severe. Don’t skimp on that small expense—fix it early for peace of mind. Regularly inspecting tire conditions during maintenance can prevent such troubles.
