wobbly steering wheel

Alignment isn't the problem.

Tire has belt damage and is starting to fail. Bent rim. Bad wheel bearing that is allowing the hub to shift. Possibly a bad CV joint that is binding and causes the wobble.

"Chris" wrote in news:1171397191.298896.297580 @m58g2000cwm.googlegroups.com:

nodding in agreement with replies!.............to slow of speed for align or balance probs to be a concern, bent rim most likely, if no force damage found then back to slipped belt. put drive axle in air and start engine and put in drive. usually you can see the prob while watching tires rotate;.

Could be a slipped belt on one of your front tires. Usually an imbalance doesn't show up until a higher speed.

good luck

nate

particularly on wet ground (I think) when wheel turned counterclockwise (I think) and possibly more so when going in reverse (I think), the steering wheel will jerk a little. It happens so fast and relatively infrequently, I don't have time to study it.

If it's FWD, that could either be torque steer, or a failing CV joint. Does it just pull a little, or is it the same wobbly feeling you mentioned earlier?

nate

it's kind of like a jerk from what I could tell. Doesn't happen that often.

so if it's a cv joint, that entails replacing one of the half shafts, correct? The front end, mainly left side I think, also where I'm guessing the mentioned problem is coming from, rattles when going over small bumps, but that probably means the struts are in desperate need of replacement.

Check the ball joints, tie rod ends, and I have even heard of sterring racks becoming loose from the frame.