I just rotated my tires over the weekend. Ok, well I didnt actually do it. I had it done. But, my steering wheel is vibrating when I take my hands off of it while driving. I was going down the highway, a smooth one too, and had my cruise set. Well, I noticed that I could feel some vibrating in my hands so once I took them off my steering wheel and it was moving back and forth. Just a liitle bit though, yet enough for me to notice. It never did this until I had my tired rotated. What is going on?

 

Try getting your wheels balanced. Just rotating tires shouldn't mess up anything else.

Spin balancing is best, but costs a little more.

Also, if the tread wear patterns on the front tires are greatly different than those on the back, that can cause some shimmy as well.

 

Do you have steel rims? They don't take much abuse, I hit mine on a curb going maybe 5 MPH and had the same problem, I bent the rim. I got most of the shimmy balanced out, but its still there a little at high speeds.

 

i too was going to suggest balancing your tires as that would affect how the car handles if they are not balanced properly.

 

have them balcanced to the half or quarter ounce.

 

Boy, you guys are smart. Thanks alot. I will see what happens. I noticed a nice nick in my rim too. looks like a rock may have flung off of someone vehicle and hit my rim just right. Sucks though becuase it is about the size of a dime. The local dealer has some stuff to fill it in though, I just have to keep placing it on there until it fills it all the way in. I havent curbed my car or anything becusae my tires arent scratched. I am gonna wait a few hundred miles and see what happens then if not off to balancing I shall go. Thanks alot, its appreciated.

 

did they offer to balance them when you got them rotated??

 

dunno. I figured they did that sort of thing when they move my tires around. I didnt ask. I didnt wanna feel stupid you know. Maybe I will go back and ask.

 

usually they will insist to balane the tires, because its usually ALOT extra..

lets just say, when iw as a tech...people who got them rotated, and didnt get them balanced..often got them unbalanced..if you follow my drift..

 

They probally would have asked you, our should have, most shops do charge you extra for the rebalancing. Any persone who knows what they are doing balance all 4 tires and put the 2 worst tires on the back, that gives you less noise, vibration, and "better feel". But, when you have them just rotated, they don't care if the rim they just rotated should be on the front of the car or the back. The truely best way to have them rotated is to have 4 straight rims, but they should, to do it right, keep the 2 best rims in the back and just switch the tires.