Q: The steering wheel vibrates at 50 mph

asked by on September 20, 2016

I have 22-inch aftermarket wheels on my car. While I'm driving at the speed around 50 mph, the steering wheel starts vibrating. The front wheels have spacers on them. What is causing this issue?

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Hello. Any time you feel vibration in your steering wheel at a certain speed, but not at other speeds, it is caused from something being "out of round", which means something is out-of-balance. One thing many people do not consider is heat transfer. Those spacers are butted up against the rotor, which heats up during braking. This heat is transferred to the spacer. If the spacer is made of aluminum, I’ve seen them crack, which would create a noticeable vibration. Check the spacers and make sure they are not cracked. Make sure they are installed correctly and if the problem continues, you likely need to have the tires rebalanced. A certified technician from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to inspect the steering in order to have this corrected.

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