# Steering wheel shake **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** legacy, subaru\ **Created:** [June 9, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/steering-wheel-shake/50067 "2010-06-09T00:54:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Larhaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Larhaz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Larhaz)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/steering-wheel-shake/50067/1 "2010-06-09T00:54:02Z")
What is making my steering wheel shake when I brake. I’ve recently had the wheels aligned, rotated, balanced. Gotten new brake pads and rotors and the wheel still shakes when I brake. What could be the problem? It’s a 2001 Subaru Legacy with 130,000 miles on it. It’s well maintained. ---
**Author:** ![Goldwing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@Goldwing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Goldwing)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 1:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/steering-wheel-shake/50067/2 "2010-06-09T01:06:25Z")
Usually warped brake rotors. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/steering-wheel-shake/50067/3 "2010-06-09T02:00:36Z")
Even though you got new rotors, if the shop that replaced the rotors (or any subsequent shop that might have removed/repaired/rotated your tires) used an impact wrench rather than a torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts, that likely warped your brand-new rotors. ---
**Author:** ![Goldwing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@Goldwing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Goldwing)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 2:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/steering-wheel-shake/50067/4 "2010-06-09T02:49:34Z")
Just to clarify, the shop may have way over-tightened the lug nuts because of the impact wrench that VDC mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Larhaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Larhaz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Larhaz)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 7:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/steering-wheel-shake/50067/5 "2010-06-10T19:22:07Z")
I went to this shop for the shaking wheel. First they changed the back rotors and pads. It still shaked. Then they replaced the front rotors and pads. It still shaked. A week later I went back and they smoothed out the front rotors and it braked smoothing for a short while, then went back to shaking. I guess I should take it back one more time and see if the rotors are covered by any warranty and try to get a replacement. What do you think?