# Steering problems **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [June 16, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/steering-problems/31963 "2009-06-16T20:00:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![taurus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@taurus](https://community.cartalk.com/u/taurus)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/steering-problems/31963/1 "2009-06-16T20:00:30Z")
My car has recently begun to develope a front end shake or shimmy. It also makes a slight thumping noise, like a flat tire, but not nearly so loud. Any idea of the problem? ---
**Author:** ![edb1961](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/edb1961/32/122_2.png) [@edb1961](https://community.cartalk.com/u/edb1961)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/steering-problems/31963/2 "2009-06-16T20:14:45Z")
More info would be helpful. Make, model, year of car. Miles and age of the tires? Is the shimmy the same at all speeds or is does it occur in a certain range? A couple of examples from personal experience, a 98 Windstar that would shimmy at low speeds with the steering wheel moving from side to side. That turned out be a a slipped belt in a front tire which had to be replaced. The thumping noise suggests this also. An 86 Camaro that started to shake badly at 60 - 65 mph. The tires needed balancing. An 88 Chevy Beretta that developed a shimmy between 40 and 55 mph. The tire had sufficient tread but were a few years old, new tires fixed the problem. Finally, an 86 Colt with 2 new tires that shook violently over 40 mph. Although the new tires were the same size (155/80R13) as the originals. Upon visual inspection the new tires were obviously larger in diameter than the original. Four matching tires, later the car was fine. Since then I buy 4 tires at a time. Ed B. ---
**Author:** ![taurus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@taurus](https://community.cartalk.com/u/taurus)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 8:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/steering-problems/31963/3 "2009-06-16T20:19:38Z")
The car is a 95 ford with about 100k. The tires are probably 5 years old, but the car had light use, so the tread wear is good. Maybe 20k and they are 80 k tires. If I rotate the front tires to the back I should then be able to immediately tell if this is the problem, correct? ---
**Author:** ![taurus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@taurus](https://community.cartalk.com/u/taurus)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/steering-problems/31963/4 "2009-06-16T23:02:41Z")
You were right on the money. Thanks.