Steering wheel still shaking after tire balance

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

Hi Everyone.



I have a 2005 Toyota Corolla with just 25k miles on it. I took it in recently to the dealership for a regular oilchange/checkup and immediately after that the steering wheel was annoyingly vibrating at hwy speeds (68-75). so i brought it back to them and they just say it needs an alignment and it was shaking bc they rotated the tires.



so i decide to try using a mechanic that i found on cartalk.com and they were very nice and they immediately tell me i need new tires which was very true- they were pretty bad. so i buy new tires and they balance them BUT the steering wheel is still shaking. it is a bit better but it is definitely still shaking.



i am bringing it back tomorrow for them to look at but i was hoping to get some ideas/feedback before that. any help would be appreciated.



(also to add - i had a slightly bent rim which they moved to the right rear wheel and i did get that alignment after i got the new tires)

2

Until you replace that bent rim all bets are off. Vibrations propogate (travel) through matter, and they can come out in unexpected spots.

There’s a second thought that comes to mind. Does it brake smoothly? You could have warped rotors.

If neither of these ideas pan out, ask the tire shop if they can spin the wheels on a “road force balancer”. That would pick up a tire imperfection that normal balancing machines would miss.

3

Maybe when the wheel got bent, something else got bent too. Have a Wheel, Frame & Axle shop go over the car after you replace the bent wheel and see how that works…

4

And an alignment may still be necessary, I routinely get an alignment any time I get new tires. (caddyman types faster than me!)

5

if you have 1 bent rim there is a chance you have 2 bent rims. If you hit a pothole hard enough to bend a rim assuming you did not swerve the rear rim might be damaged. Also check for warped rotors.

6

You can guess and speculate all day and spend as you like at mechanics but if that was my car, I would raise one wheel at a time, turn it and watch for a bent rim, a distorted or out of round tire or a lump in the tread.

Be sure to use enough wooden blocks or stacked boards under the car for if the jack fails while you are under the car.

7

also to add - i had a slightly bent rim

That should have been the first thing you told us. Start there. You know it needs replacement.