Vibration in steering at certain speeds

On my 2000 OBW, I have recently started getting a slight vibration in the steering wheel when I'm travelling within a certain speed range, like between 90 kph (55mph) and 110 kph (70 mph). Above or below that, and the vibration disappears.

I checked the tire pressures, and found that there was a 5 psi difference between the two front tires, so I pumped them up as close as possible. That seems to have reduced the vibration even more, but it's still slightly there.

I had an old Volkswagen years ago, which exhibited these traits at one time, and I found out that it was steering joint that was deteriorating and certain speed caused a harmonic in that arm causing the vibration. I hope I'm not seeing the same thing here with the Outback.

Yousuf Khan

Reply to
Yousuf Khan
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**When was the last time you had the tires balanced?

kaboomie

Reply to
kaboom

Plus - how old/worn are they? It certainly couldn't hurt to have the steering/suspension inspected - but everytime I have had cars do what you describe - it was tread seperation or an unevenly worn tire(sometimes due to bad toe adjustment).

Carl

Reply to
Carl 1 Lucky Texan

Rotate your tires front to back. Does it change appreciably? That helps narrow down between a possible linkage loosness vs the probability you have one or more of the following:

o out of balance tires o tire with a broken belt o out of round tire

Best Regards,

-- Todd H.

2001 Legacy Outback Wagon, 2.5L H-4 Chicago, Illinois USA
Reply to
Todd H.

Actually pretty recently. I had one tire which had a slow leak, so I took it in and they told me that it was irreparable, so I bought a new one which, which they rebalanced. They then did a tire rotation, which brought the new tire into the front. The same vibration occurred before the rotation and even after the rotation.

Reply to
YKhan

Still lots of tread left on them.

Yousuf Khan

Reply to
YKhan

Yeah, the tires were rotated (and one tire was even replaced), but the vibration is still there.

Yousuf Khan

Reply to
YKhan

**What's the mileage on the old tires? If you are feeling the vibration in the steering wheel, I'd say it is a front-end problem. If you were feeling the vibration in your bee-hind :) I'd say it was a rear-end problem. Perhaps there's a bit of weirdism with the new tire mixed in with the old? I don't know, but I'd rather have it be a tire balancing problem (or maybe the new tire is funky!) than a developing suspension or drive-train problem, that's for sure :)

kaboomie

Reply to
kaboom

It's possible more than one tire is out of balance though.

Have they been balanced? That'd be the next thing to do before looking into suspension related issues.

FYI, How many miles on the tires? If you replaced only one tire without doing the others you did so against subaru's recommendations on keeping your AWD system happy.

-- Todd H.

2001 Legacy Outback Wagon, 2.5L H-4 Chicago, Illinois USA
Reply to
Todd H.

Also note, tires and wheels are balanced in part with a lead weight that is clipped to the rim.

In some circomstances, this weight can come off (unbalancing the wheel).

Check for marks between the tire and the rim (on the rim) where something might have been clipped. (Look on the inside and outside of the wheels, and look at other wheels to see what they look like.)

It could be a simple matter of just need>

Reply to
.._..

Other than the new one, the others have not been rebalanced. However, the problem still occurred before *and* after the tires were rotated, i.e. the rear tires were swapped with the front.

I don't know how many miles on the tire, maybe two years old. The tires still have a lot of tread left on them (all of the major blocks of grooves are still there, and just a few of the little sipes are worn out on the outside). And about six months ago, the suspension was readjusted for toe, camber, caster, etc. at the dealership. The dealer replaced a rear suspension arm at the time, but saw no problems at the front.

As far as keeping the AWD happy, mine is the manual transmission system rather than the automatic, which I think is a bit more flexible.

Yousuf Khan

Reply to
YKhan

Not sure about the mileage, but I think they are about 2 years old.

The vibration is only felt in the steering wheel.

Yousuf Khan

Reply to
YKhan

Re-balance all the tires. Alignment if that doesn't work.

Bet it's the tires.

Reply to
S.Lewis

Did someone 'tag' the curb without telling you? mayabe a rim is bent. Though you'd like to think the tire installer would notice, they may not have. Some of the machinery has a safety cover and the wheel is not completely visible.

I dunno

Carl

Reply to
Carl 1 Lucky Texan

what kind of rotation was done...only front to back is allowed , from what I am told...unidirectional tires ,4WD etc... that might be your problem? Rod

Reply to
fotoman

It turned out to be the wheel balance, after all.

Yousuf Khan

Reply to
Yousuf Khan

Yup, it was.

Yousuf Khan

Reply to
Yousuf Khan

Cool. Glad it was that simple.

-- Todd H.

2001 Legacy Outback Wagon, 2.5L H-4 Chicago, Illinois USA
Reply to
Todd H.

**Phew! Excellent :)

kaboomie

Reply to
kaboom

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