Wobbling in Frontend

Tiny
XDEVAUX
  • MEMBER
  • 2005 ACURA TL
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 106,245 MILES
Why does my front end make like a wobbling sound? I just got the tires balanced and they said they were way off. But the wobbling sounds is still there. They said the tie robs are ok as well. The alignment is off by a hair but I wouldn't imagine it was that. Can someone please shed some light?
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Monday, March 14th, 2011 AT 3:25 PM

4 Replies

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,699 POSTS
Not sure what a wobbling sound is but a wobbling feel is usually caused by a broken belt in a tire. Wear in an inner cv joint can cause a shimmy in the steering wheel but that will be worse under acceleration and typically goes away over about 35 mph. If you can hear the sound better with the windows open and driving next to a building, suspect a tire wear problem. A good alignment mechanic will "read" the tire wear by feeling the tread wear and looking at the wear patterns.
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Monday, March 14th, 2011 AT 3:56 PM
Tiny
XDEVAUX
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Thank you for you respond. Like when I am going slow the wobbling feel you dont really feel it you just hear it. Its more like you can hear it like the steering wheel doesn't shake or anything like that but as you accelerate its becomes like a raddling sound and you feel it more.
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Monday, March 14th, 2011 AT 4:14 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,699 POSTS
What you might try is to find a deserted stretch of highway, carefully shift to neutral below around 35 mph, turn the engine off, then listen for the sound. If it sounds exactly the same, you can rule out engine-related stuff. Look for tire wear or a broken belt. Normally a broken belt will be felt as one corner of the car hopping up and down a little and there will be a shimmy in the steering wheel. However, ... There is a way for a broken belt to only be heard and not felt. If the break is small and occurred over a long period of time, as one spot in the tread grows a hump it will wear off from driving. That makes the tread appear perfectly true as you watch the tire rotate. What you have to look for is a hump in the grooves between the tread. A lot of mechanics forget to look for that because it isn't so common. Many people aren't even aware of that. What you would be hearing is the tread squirming sideways each time that weak spot in the carcass contacts the road. If you do not hear it while coasting with the engine off, you will probably still hear it while the car is standing still with the engine running. If so, suspect a worn serpentine belt. A quick way to identify that is to see if the sound changes when you dribble a little water on it.
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Monday, March 14th, 2011 AT 6:28 PM
Tiny
TOMRYBAK
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  • 1 POST
Had the same issue.
Get your tires checked for cupping.

I had some cheaper tires and after rotating tires from back to front the noise was more prevalent.

I get better quality tires now and the issue is gone.
Cheaper tires need to be rotated much more often.

-Tom
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Sunday, March 3rd, 2013 AT 12:28 AM

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