another automotive ignoramus (me)

[leftofthedial]

My car's front end vibrates badly (drivable, but unpleasant) at highway speed. About 55 it starts shaking, about 65 it lessens, about 70 it vibrates, about 85 it stops.

WTF is wrong with my car?

[skylarmae]

1. one ignoramus to another - think tires - balance and/or align

no offense intended.

[leftofthedial]

3. no offense taken.

Thanks.

Cars are a necessary evil at best.

[Wilber_Stool]

2. The front end needs alignment

and the tires need to be balanced. Doesn't even cost much.

[Rjnerd]

4. If this has been going on for any significant time

The tires may be worn in scallops. While getting it aligned, and balanced, have them rotate them front to rear.

[leftofthedial]

5. thanks!

man~ana

while I vote.

[punpirate]

6. More information, please...

... make, model, year and mileage.

This might be tire balance, but perhaps something else. Tires aren't the only rotating components that can cause vibration.

Do you feel the vibration in the steering wheel or the brake pedal?

Can you feel the vibration in floorboards?

[leftofthedial]

8. 2001 Saturn L-200

mainly the floorboards, but also a bit in the steering wheel.

[punpirate]

12. The cheapest start is the tires...

... but you should not simply let the shop balance and rotate the tires and send you on your way. The tires should be checked for out-of-round and for signs of tread separation.

You should also have the front strut mounts and lower ball joints checked, the front bearings checked for excess play, but if it's not tires or front suspension, I'd be willing to bet this is due to worn tie-rod ends.

At any rate, this sort of vibration is a sign that something's definitely wrong, so I strongly advise not driving this car at high speed and to get it into the shop quickly. If, for example, it's a tire with the beginning of a tread separation, that tire can fail suddenly, and at high speed, you're toast.

Get it looked at promptly. Since this is a 2001, it may also be something covered under warranty.

Cheers.

[leftofthedial]

13. Thanks!

first thing in the morning. The tire joint is a couple of blocks away.

[A HERETIC I AM]

7. Take a careful look at the treads of the tires.....

are they scalloped or worn on the inside or outside excessivly? if so, you have an alignment issue that is causing the wear and that could be causing the tires to be out of balance. You have described a typical harmonic imbalance (Appears at certain speeds, disappears at others) and it will get worse causing other parts to wear faster (Tie-rods, etc.) If you see unusual wear that is excessive, the first part of the fix is, unfortunately, new tires. Take it to a major tire retailer and have them check it for you if you arent satisfied with the advice you get here.

[leftofthedial]

9. so far, no scalloping

I first noticed it about a month ago, but I was out of town (without the car) for a couple weeks of that time. Once home, I've been minimizing my driving.

I'll get this fixed tomorrow.

You DUers rock. Thanks for all the input!

[A HERETIC I AM]

10. If no weird wear patterns then the fix may be a simple re-balancing......

pretty cheap, $5- $10 per tire........but these problems rarely manifest themselves out of the blue. Again, take it to a major retailer like a Goodyear or Firestone store, tell the service writer your problem and see what they say.

Obviously, it is best to take it to the retailer of the tires on your vehicle, unless they are an off brand, then any one will do.

[wilcome]

11. "another automotive ignoramus"

Everything before is correct, but check for a bent rim, or cap seperation.

[demosincebirth]

14. Front tires need balancing.