Shaking steering wheel!

[jongrindstaff]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to the forum and I'm not much of a car person. My 2007 aveo recently suffered a blowout on the passenger side right tire. the rim was dented slightly but was able to be hammered back out. Even previous to this event the car was pulling to the right and the steering wheel shakes terribly. I've tried having it aligned, but nothing seems to stop the shaking. please let me know something!

[Shakatu]

More likely tire balance than alignment if it's shaking. The weight might be off on the tire, places like tire barn could fix that.

[2010AveoLT]

I bet that blowout bent your rim just enough to where its causing the steering wheel shake.

[Shakatu]

Actually if it was shaky before the blowout, then the tire could a been so out of balance it caused the blowout from driving on it too long.
Or maybe check the front struts.

[cnelon85]

You need to provide more information, such as any specific conditions, or speeds, that make the wheel shake/not shake. Have your front end inspected by a qualified professional.

[gothstone]

Possibilities include rim out of balance, thrown belt in the tire, bad tie rods, bad ball joint, bad struts, or a bad steering rack. Any tire and alignment shop should be able to identify which. Most don't charge for a check and estimate. Jack it up and grab the sides of the tire. Can you wiggle it back an forth? Grab the top and bottom, can you shift it a bit? Side to side tends to be tie rod, bottom shift tends to be ball joint.

[Thymeclock]

Possibilities include rim out of balance, thrown belt in the tire, bad tie rods, bad ball joint, bad struts, or a bad steering rack. Any tire and alignment shop should be able to identify which. Most don't charge for a check and estimate. Jack it up and grab the sides of the tire. Can you wiggle it back an forth? Grab the top and bottom, can you shift it a bit? Side to side tends to be tie rod, bottom shift tends to be ball joint.

If you have the car on a lift the vertical test won't work. The Aveo has a "floating" suspension. It's probably not struts or the steering rack, but all the other things mentioned are possible causes.

It's probably wheel and tire related, and since that is easiest to check, do that first. Switch the wheels from the front onto the rear. If the condition improves or goes away you will know it is wheel and/or tire related.

I'd get rid of that bent rim if I were you. Spare wheels should be easily found in junkyards for cheap.