Shaky steering wheel when driving & braking

[aphex]

I noticed a few thousand miles ago that my wheel would shake and the car would vibrate/shutter a decent amount while slowing down on a highway offramp. Figured it was just the breaks wearing unevenly and would get them machined/replaced when I had time.

More recently i've noticed the wheel starts to shake while driving most anywhere (almost like a very quick rocking back and forth) as if my tires are uneven. I've got a good 60k miles or more on this pair, so i wouldn't be surprised if its time for a new set.

Am i correct in assuming its likely a two fold problem? Brakes need work and tires need replacing?

I have an appt for an oil change at my local tires plus this wednesday (i've been going there for years and I trust the guys there).

 

[MJinZ]

Worn rotors cause shaking only on braking - obviously. It has nothing to do with shaking on acceleration.

Acceleration shaking usually has to do wheel/tire balance. You should know when your tires are dead by looking at the treadwear indicators...

 

[Bignate603]

What kind of car do you have?

 

[aphex]

What kind of car do you have?

2005 Mazda3 w/ ~ 160k miles

 

[Bartman39]

Am i correct in assuming its likely a two fold problem? Brakes need work and tires need replacing?

No doubt...:thumbsup:

Also with that many miles the rotors are or should be worn out and may already be under spec to turn... Thin rotors or even brand new units can warp if they are hot and get a good shot of water on them which can cause the condition you describe... A constant wheel shake with the brakes not applied can mean a variety of issues like tire imbalance or even a belt slipped in a tire (bad tire) even bad CV joints can also cause this issue but most of the time can be heard at slow speeds in tight turns (click...click sound) One other possible cause is a bent rim normaly caused by the wife driving your car and not telling you about the curb she hit... 😉

 

[Pariah]

Make sure all your lugnuts are torqued properly and done so in a star pattern. Uneven/improper torquing can cause vibrations under all conditions.

 

[Malak]

Definitely the tires, no doubt about it. Time for some new ones.

 

[superccs]

The front alignment could be off as well. Check the wear pattern on the tires to see if the inside or outside of the tread is unevenly wearing.

 

[KIAman]

It could also be your front suspension components wearing out. Specifically, the steering knuckle bushings. Just a tiny bit of play equals wheel vibration.