What Causes Steering Wheel Shaking When Braking and How to Fix It?
2 Answers
Here are the specific reasons and solutions for steering wheel shaking when braking: 1. Perform wheel balancing: A car wheel consists of a tire and a rim. When there is an issue with the wheel balancing, it means the wheel is not in a balanced state during high-speed driving. If the balancing data is incorrect, the wheel's rotational center will shift, causing the wheel to vibrate, which in turn affects the steering wheel. 2. Replace the rim: If the car's rim has been impacted during previous driving, causing it to deform. The deformation of the rim can also lead to wheel vibration during driving, resulting in steering wheel shaking. 3. Repair chassis components: This usually occurs in cars that have been poorly repaired after an accident. The impact from the accident affects the chassis components, which can also cause steering wheel shaking.
I've been repairing cars for twenty years and have seen too many cases of steering wheel vibration, especially when braking at high speeds—it shakes so much your hands go numb. Nine times out of ten, it's due to warped brake discs. Why do they warp? Either the brake discs were scorching hot after washing the car, and cold water was splashed on them, causing rapid thermal contraction, or it's from continuous braking on long downhill slopes, overheating the discs and creating waves. Get to a repair shop ASAP, have the tires removed, and use a dial indicator to check the disc runout. If it exceeds 0.05 mm, it needs attention. If the discs still have enough thickness, resurface them on a lathe; if they're too thin, replace them outright. Don't cheap out with aftermarket parts—the original factory-molded cooling grooves are crucial. Also, have the mechanic check the suspension arm bushings; if those are cracked, they can misalign the braking force.
