Camper G Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Hello... I'm hoping someone will be able to shed light on my situation. I bought my first ever Subaru on 4/24/07, an 2001 Outback Limited wagon with about 75,000 miles. Since then I've been back and forth to the dealer many many times with shaking in the steering wheel and my car also drifts to the right. The wheels have been balanced 3 times, the whole car aligned, 2 brand new tires on the front (2 old tires in rear), the steering rods are okay they said, and some other things that deal with the steering that I can't remember what they are checked out okay. (can you tell I'm a chick? ha) The amount of constant shaking varies from the amount of load in the rear, and always starts shaking around 50mph and up. One camping trip it shook going around bends, then a different cargo load on another trip and it shook going straight but stopped shaking in the turns. I was told by the service manager my car drifts to the right due to the crown in the road to drain the surface water... um... right. Funny how my old Saturn didn't drift. I did see the thread about possible reasons for the drifting but the dealer doesn't seem to care. He also got a bit snippy when I suggested possible reasons for the shaking and drifting but if my car buddies aren't certified mechanics he doesn't care. I love the Subaru. It's great for camping, I've slept in it, finally a functional vehicle. If only the shaking and drifting would cease. ~~ Camper G ~~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcspeer Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Have you tried putting the two old tires on the rear back to the front to see if that would change the shaking? I think I would replace the old ones also if you can afford too. Also check your steering shaft U- Joint it is the joint that is on the end of the steering wheel shaft where it connects to the steering gear box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Hello and welcome! It's not good to have different tires on the front and rear. Subaru wants them all within 1/4" circumference of each other or it can cause issues/damage to the AWD. Not sure about the shaking, have they shaken down the entire suspension to look for loose/worn components? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Shaking: Bent Rims Broken Tire belts Warped Rotors Improperly torqued wheels seized CV joint bad tie rod ends bad bushings stop going to the dealer and take the car to a front end shop. Take the mechanic for a drive and show him the shaking. Does braking the car have any effect on the shaking. Does acceleration/deceleration? nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
langosta39 Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 I had a similar problem, but it wasn't terrible, just always there and slightly annoying. My rotors weren't warped (no extra shaking during braking) but after I replaced them the wiggle went away...I guess the years of rusting unbalanced them or something. Andy Shaking: Bent Rims Broken Tire belts Warped Rotors Improperly torqued wheels seized CV joint bad tie rod ends bad bushings stop going to the dealer and take the car to a front end shop. Take the mechanic for a drive and show him the shaking. Does braking the car have any effect on the shaking. Does acceleration/deceleration? nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 I had a similar problem, but it wasn't terrible, just always there and slightly annoying. My rotors weren't warped (no extra shaking during braking) but after I replaced them the wiggle went away...I guess the years of rusting unbalanced them or something. Andy They can get hard spots which are hard to find but will cause the same thing. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjo Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 I'd check your tire circumferences asap, because a new set of tires is alot cheaper than a new transmission.. or... hours of agony, and having nipster say 'told you so' in smily face form :cool: something else that might cause it.. highly unlikely... how about an unbalanced drive shaft? The steering yoke is also another wierd thing alot of people would overlook, my OBS had one sieze, and it would shake all over the place, i soaked it in PB blaster a few times.. helped a little, but replacing the part was much more effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnuman Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 I was told by the service manager my car drifts to the right due to the crown in the road to drain the surface water... um... right. Funny how my old Saturn didn't drift. I did see the thread about possible reasons for the drifting but the dealer doesn't seem to care. He also got a bit snippy when I suggested possible reasons for the shaking and drifting but if my car buddies aren't certified mechanics he doesn't care. ~~ Camper G ~~ OK, the first thing you need to replace is that "Service Manager". You (or anyone else for that matter) should never have to put up with that kind of treatment. Ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelbteam Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 Does the car have any accident history? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOOBOUTLAW Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 I'm betting bent rim.... Hit a curb? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montana105 Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 I'd also suggest a dedicated alignment shop.I would think a bent rim would show up in 3 balancing attempts,but then again.I'm surprised the dealer hasn't attempted to sell you a whole new front end.There was a good suggestion earlier about switching the rear tires to the front and see if you get any changes,this could allevaite any fears of suspension problems.I'd check to see if you have any worn bearings as this wouldn't show up in wheel balancing or alignment set ups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virrdog Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Another possiblility is to check out the steering rack bushings. Replace them with polyurethane pieces if possible, like the Whiteline version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.