If you are afraid that your car is shaking when driving over 70 mph due to a lot of vibration, don’t worry. It’s probably not the end of the world. There are several reasons why this could be happening and none of them mean it’s time to get out and buy another vehicle.
In fact, there is a really good chance that your car will last for hundreds of more miles before it needs any major repairs or maintenance!
A vehicle that shakes can be really unsettling for any driver. However, some symptoms are so subtle and may only become noticeable at speeds higher than 70 mph.
Unlike most wear-and-tear car problems, vibration issues can happen to both old or new vehicles without being caused by negligence or overuse of the car itself. It could just come from worn-out parts and dysfunctional air-fuel mechanisms which need fixing early on before they get worse!
In this article, you will find out many of the reasons for vibration in your car and its different components. You’ll also learn that some causes indicate a power loss or haphazard maintenance. This list should give you an understanding of what to look at when determining why your vehicle shakes on smooth roads over 70 mph.
Table of Contents
Out-Of-Balance Tires
If you want your ride to be smooth as can be, then it’s important for all four of the tires on any vehicle that has more than two wheels. One way imbalance is caused in a tire is when one section bulges out from being heavier or thicker and this causes vibration at higher speeds (within 50-70mph range).
If these types of vibrations are ignored they could knock off a wheel weight, cause sidewall bubble damage or even dent up rims! The other type of imbalance occurs with potholes which will either make flat spots on the outside edges if hit hard enough by an uneven surface like bridge expansion joints while driving over them too fast.
There are many symptoms that can indicate a tire problem. Vibration felt in the steering wheel would point to front tires, while vibration through the seat or floor could be pointing towards back tires. If you want to save some money and avoid balancing them at home.
It’s best if you take your car into an auto shop instead for this process since they will require using computerized wheel balancers on their equipment which is much more accurate than attempting it yourself with no measuring tools whatsoever!
Misaligned Wheels
You might think that the only indicator of a wheel alignment issue is when your car starts shaking. However, there are several other reasons for an improper angle between your tires and asphalt:
- A pothole could have sent you flying into another lane with misaligned wheels; what did it do to them? This can cause anything from light wear on their surface to major structural damage. The latter would be noticeable by severe vibrations or steering issues.
- Uneven, severe, or rapid tire wear can be caused by a number of issues. The steering wheel tilts to one side when driving straight because the tires are not gripping evenly and it is less stable in turns. It could also cause pulling while going straight but screeching during turning which means that you need new tires as soon as possible before any other mechanical damage happens!
Have your car undergo an alignment inspection immediately after any of the above conditions increases the non-occurrence of vibration issues. Depending on what type and make, it may require a four-wheel or front-wheel alignment (including setting camber, toe, caster). A professional mechanic will be able to align wheels by using one of their many different machines.
Uneven Tire Wear
A broken or slipped belt can cause your tires to vibrate and wear out, which means uneven tire wear. Having a new vehicle does not make you safe from this problem as poor-quality tires are likely to lose their grip sooner (even when brand-new).
To determine what needs replacement, drive at different speeds and feel for the vibration source. If more of the steering wheel shakes while driving on flat roads than it did before feeling vibrations. Then replace both front tires.
Similarly, if you started noticing that rattling is coming from the seat or floor rather than just being felt by hands – change all four because they’re worn down too much!
Wheel Runout
Wheel runout, which by definition is any component of a wheel or tire assembly that’s not perfectly round, can be thought of as the dynamic imbalance in this system. It causes wobbling at slow speeds and severe rattling at high speeds; obviously something we want to avoid.
There are three main spots on your vehicle where you should check for radial (tire tread) and lateral (sidewall) runouts: center-center & center-edge, edge-edge & outside corner – inside corner.
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Faulty Brake System
It’s more than just the tires – your brakes are a hugely important safety feature of any vehicle. When brake pads and calipers get too dry, they can’t grip to stop you as quickly or efficiently. This is when warped discs start happening- leading to wheel shaking so bad that it becomes noticeable at 45 mph!
The problem gets worse with high speeds: between 50 mph and 70 mph, there will be vibration in the steering wheel due to sticky rotors/calipers which emit an acrid smell upon braking if something goes wrong.
If front brakes seem like they’re not working properly, try using them while driving on a flat surface instead of coming up from behind someone else; this may help determine whether attention needs to be focused on those particular.
A common issue is a rotor that doesn’t line up with the new parts installed. To fix this, either re-position one or two lug positions on the hub, get brake parts machined to fit your needs, or replace them if severely worn down.
Worn Suspension Parts
Your car can be riddled with wear and tear from other parts that cause vibration. This includes shocks, upper strut bearings, ball joints, and tie rod ends. You’ll usually find these when you get your wheels aligned at the mechanic’s shop.
But if they’re worn out then it will need to be fixed! If there’s a problem with wheel bearings, for instance, this is easy to spot because you’ll often hear high-pitched whining or grinding noises coming from them: which means it’s time for an upgrade!
Similarly, problems in the tie rods are spotted by seeing how much oscillation happens between each side of ty its life then plan to replace your car.
Low Tire Pressure
Dropping tire pressure can cause a variety of problems, including car shake and abnormal wear. In order to stop the problem before it starts, make sure you always have your own gauge in case yours isn’t holding up as well as it should be or if there is no air station nearby.
When cold weather strikes, consider raising your tires by 3 psi over recommended levels to prevent excessive drop-off due to lower temperatures which will keep them within normal range without having any adverse effects on performance or ride quality.
Resonance In The Exhaust
Cars can produce vibration as the engine moves. Oftentimes, this is something that doesn’t cause any concern for drivers and passengers. It’s not too severe or constant.
However, in some cases when resonance occurs after tampering with your car’s exhaust system or chassis vibrations, get messed up by removing tuning weights from cars without dampeners on their tires (which are meant to absorb shocks), then its jarring effects may be more noticeable than if you had just left everything alone.
Fuel Rich Or Air Rich Engine
Throttle lag and engine vibrations aren’t your car’s only problems. If the air filter or fuel filters are clogged, it will slow down performance no matter how much you’ve spent on gas! Getting a hold of these issues is easy with an inspection from a trusted mechanic.
They’ll make sure that all parts have been properly maintained so that your vehicle can run as smoothly as possible for many miles to come.
For better driving around town this summer, we recommend getting scheduled maintenance such as spark plugs replaced by experts who know what they’re doing (like us!) No one knows every aspect of cars like ours do- whether you need routine tune-ups or major repairs are done fast before something goes wrong
Overworked Powertrain
Heaving a small, old-timey wagon over rutted and uneven ground is tough enough. Imagine the effort required to pull that same heavy load across an expanse of sand or gravel. Your best bet would be to hike it up on your shoulders like some kind of beastly porter!
You could also use ropes for additional assistance in this situation, but either way, you’re going to need plenty of time and patience if there’s any hope at all for success with these trails ahead (no pun intended).
An overworked powertrain usually causes a clicking noise while turning. A bad CV axle shaft may cause your car to shake while braking. Excessive wear and abuse can result in shaking as well–the latter being quite tricky
Worn Suspension Components
A car’s suspension system is responsible for keeping the wheels in contact with the road, preventing them from bouncing, and making your ride more comfortable. But if it has been neglected over time to a point where its mounts are worn out or broken.
Then you might notice an unpleasant shaking sensation under braking that worsens as speeds increase. If this sounds like something you’re experiencing on a regular basis let us know so we can help identify what repairs or replacements need to be done!
Bad CV joints
CV joints are difficult to diagnose because they manifest differently in different vehicles. In a rear-wheel-drive vehicle, problems with the inner CV joint will usually occur when accelerating and under heavy load. Depending on how bad it is, this could show up as either minor vibrations or violent shaking.
So if you’re driving over 70 mph but your tires check out just fine then maybe you should have them looked at! If shakiness starts happening earlier than 45 mph, however (for front axle issues) be sure to get that checked too immediately before anything worse happens!
4 Inch Or Higher Lift Kits
There is a correlation between the angle of your driveshaft and how much it will shake. The higher you raise your car, the more this vibration gets amplified.
For example, when driving on rough roads or over bumps that put stress on these joints and cause them to move out-of-normally in ways they were never meant for can intensify these vibrations significantly if there’s an excessive degree of U joint angles present.
Those found with their lifted trucks are too high from their stock height which causes cyclic oscillations at very low speeds because the geometry induced by such degrees are greatly exaggerated
Failed Spark Plugs Or Spark Plug Wires
Dirty or fouled-up spark plugs cause the engine’s internal pressure to drop, resulting in power loss and leftover cylinders to compensate. In turn, this will result in an RPM needle bounce when at a stop as well as car vibrations while driving after some time.
If you have a gauge on your dashboard with RPMs visible then there is no need for concern if one of them starts dipping back down from its usual position; however, it may be worth checking out what could possibly be wrong if two are showing signs of failure.
Disconnected Air Or Vacuum Hose
A car’s fuel tank may be located in a convenient spot under the hood, but it could still benefit from cleaning. Fuel filters are often placed just below the high-pressure line and not near your engine. These can get blocked or clogged with dirt that is sucked up by this hose when you refill your gas tank: they have to be cleaned out regularly for optimal performance!
Especially if there happens to also house any other components like fuel pumps which might require more frequent servicing than usual due to being close enough proximity to major lines carrying pressurized gasoline around the vehicle at all times (and having no external access).
Incorrect Gasoline Octane
Using higher-octane fuel than what the manufacturer recommends may contribute to better gas mileage and cleaner emissions. Higher octane gasoline burns slower, meaning your engine will be able to optimally burn it for more power with less shaking.
However, you should use a lower grade of octane if that is recommended on your vehicle’s spec sheet as anything else could make performance worse or even damage parts in certain situations such as an already high compression ratio (a.k.a high-octane fuel in a low compression engine).
Insufficient Oil Level
Car vibrations may be the result of your car not having enough lubrication, and it could only get worse from there if left unchecked! Low levels of fluid can cause friction – which then stretches out the metal parts that are supposed to glide smoothly against one another. This not only causes your car to shake, but it will also eventually burn out and break down the engine!
Engine Sludge
When the oil level gets too low, your engine will start to shake and fail. Similarly, when deposits accumulate in your engine’s system it is hard to remove them with conventional methods without damaging or breaking something important.
You don’t want a power loss at any cost; that’s why keeping an eye on what type of vehicle upkeep schedule best suits yours can help prevent problems related to lack of lubrication like shaking engines before losing power entirely.
Rough Driving
Driving aggressively, driving too fast for your skillset, and the condition of the roads are all things that can cause steering wheel vibrations. Driving over something hard on the road such as a curb or a brick is also another way to initiate these pesky shaking in an otherwise smooth ride.
Most people don’t like admitting they’ve had some hand at damaging their car through driving too fast, not being able to handle what has come before them when
Poor Workmanship
There are occasions when vehicle owners experience their car shake after getting it serviced – usually after a tire replacement, wheel alignment, or a throttle body sensor calibration. While blaming others should be last on anyone’s list, poor servicing is not an impossibility.
If the vibration does not cease after everything sorts out and you think that there might have been something they did to cause this problem in the first place like improper balancing of tires during installation.
For example then it may be high time to bring your car back into seeing them again with some further questions so everyone can rest assured knowing what caused such sensation was eventually resolved by someone who knows how!
Make Of The Vehicle
When you drive your car, it can sometimes shake and rattle which is really annoying. There are many reasons why this might happen: a missing piece of the steering wheel (or other body parts), how heavy or light your vehicle is, aerodynamics causing resonance, draft coming off surrounding vehicles on the road – to name just a few!
What’s more?
Some experts have also argued that poor fit accessories could be at fault for shaking while driving, but regardless of what causes rattling in cars there are some fixes out there so don’t worry about making any big changes until after we talk through them with our expert mechanic next week.
Best Practices When Your Car Shakes Over 70 MPH
Do you ever get so frustrated that your steering wheel is shaking while driving? Here are some easy and cheap ways to keep from fighting your steering wheel in the middle of a freeway. Get good tires, inspect them carefully when they go for regular maintenance, replace any that aren’t up to snuff with new ones after taking out an extra test drive just following their installation!
Habitual Tire Inspection
First, inspect tires for defects when they are replaced or checked up upon at preventive maintenance time. Next, make sure new tires have not gone out of round after taking them for a test drive. That’s one-way ride guide can help take care of any car problems as well!
Normal Brake Servicing & Inspection
Brakes are one of the most important components of a car that can make or break safety standards. Brake calipers need regular inspection and service, especially for vehicles with high mileage on them.
Cars with low miles may not require brake work until the 6th-month vehicle checkup (which is when you would also have your alignment checked). Do not mistake braking noise as coming from tires; it’s likely they’re simply warped slightly by age or over-usage because brakes do wear out eventually!
Essential Tools
It is easy to underestimate the need for a good diagnostic scanner. The following are some of the many reasons why you should get yourself an OBD/OBD II Diagnostic Scanner.
It will help diagnose issues before they become too costly, give peace of mind by knowing what conditions your vehicle is in and when maintenance is necessary, prevent damage from overuse or under-maintenance that would have been avoided if caught early on; all while saving money!
Thanks for reading and stay dirty
