Crown Auto Service 417 Call 417-771-5435
Why Does My Car Shake at 60–70 mph?
If your steering wheel or seat vibrates on the highway, start with the basics below. Fixing the root cause early saves tires, bushings, and fuel.
Quick checklist (most common first)
- Wheel/tire balance — lost weights or cupped tires.
- Tire condition — bubbles, flat spots, uneven wear, out-of-round.
- Wheel runout/bend — pothole damage; needs straightening or replacement.
- Alignment — toe/camber off → feathering + shimmy.
- Suspension wear — tie rods, ball joints, control arm bushings, struts.
- Brake rotors — if vibration only during braking (see rotor article).
- Driveline — u-joints, center support bearing, axle CVs (more on 4×4 page).
How we diagnose it
- Road test to reproduce speed range & braking effect.
- Spin/measure road force and balance each wheel.
- Check runout (wheel & hub) and tire roundness.
- Inspect tie rods, ball joints, bushings, bearings.
- Evaluate alignment and tire wear pattern.
FAQs
Steering wheel vs. seat vibration — what’s the clue?
Steering wheel shake usually points to the front axle; seat/floorboard shake often points to the rear or driveline.
New tires but still shakes?
Ask for a road-force balance; some tires need force-matching to the wheel to eliminate high-speed shimmy.
