The most probable reason a car shakes when driving over 70 mph is the unbalanced wheels. When one section of the tire is heavier than the other, the wheels get out of balance, resulting in the car vibrating when the speed surpasses 70 mph.
The steering wheel is the point of origin for vibration that passes across the seats and through the car’s floor.
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Car shakes when driving over 70 mph: Reasons and Solutions
A shaky vehicle may be irritating to the driver. The symptoms many times are of low noise and cannot be detected at speed below 70 mph. Vibration problems are common in both new and old vehicles and are not always the result of overuse or neglect.
But in the case of a shaky car, it’s imperative to check for any wear-and-tear problems frequently before it escalates into a bigger problem. Vibrations top the moving car may occur from the brake pedal or steering wheel and worsen if not addressed promptly.
Common culprits for making the car shake at high speeds are tattered parts and inoperative air-fuel operations. Whatever the reason, it’s better to look into the issue as early as possible before a small problem converts into a bigger one.
Problem with Wheels and Tire
Let’s look at some problems with wheels and tires that cause the car to shake at high speeds.
Loose lug nuts
Loose lug nuts are a common and potentially disastrous issue. The wheel of your car can wobble, which leads your car to shake at high speeds if you incorrectly torque the lug nuts on the hub. The untightened lugs may eventually loosen, resulting in your wheel dropping off one day.
Solution: Tighten each lug nut following the factory specifications using a torque wrench or tire iron.
Misalignment of Wheel
Misaligned wheels are another common reason to shake a car when you hit a speedometer above 70mph. When you hit a pothole at high speed, it could result in the misalignment of wheels.
Solution: A general wheel alignment correction would resolve the issue. But, certain situations, such as those listed below, would require extra action with regular maintenance:
- Ununiform, extreme, or rapid tire wear.
- The steering wheel inclines to the left or right side, though you are driving straight.
- The steering wheel emanates noise.
- The tires screech.
- You replaced the tire recently.
- Post-accident or a long off-road trip.
You can reduce vibration by inspecting your car for alignment issues as soon as you notice one of the above situations. Depending on the make and model of your vehicle, alignment for the front-wheel or entire four wheels is recommended, which includes adjusting the camber, caster, and toe.
It’s advisable to get your wheels aligned with a machine meant for alignment of wheels by a professional mechanic.
Uneven and Imbalanced Tire
You may notice your car is shaking immediately after replacing your tires. In such a situation, the reason is imbalance tires. The slightest imbalance results in vibration as the tire rotates.
As the RPM increases at a higher speed, the shaking and vibration of the steering wheel also increase. If you notice vibrations in the steering wheel, check for an imbalance in the front tires. In the case of an imbalance in the rear tires, vibrations originate through the floor or seats.
Solution: To resolve this issue, get it rebalanced appropriately from your mechanic.
Bad Tire Pressure
Low tire pressure also causes a car to shake at high speeds.
Solution: Equip yourself with a tire pressure indicator and tire inflator whenever you travel. During cold weather, ensuring tire pressure is around 3 psi, more than manufacturer’s recommendation will help cover the risk of dropping the tire pressure and retain it within the standard psi.
Protip:
Many high-end new models have digital panels displaying the tire pressure, helping to restore it to the correct parameters immediately.
Faulty Tire Wheel Assembly
Frequent checking of your wheel hub assemblies is necessary. You might notice uneven or abnormal wear on your brake components (rotors, pads, and discs) or tires. It’s also important to check the bearing are good and in condition.
Solution: It’s advisable to leave the task of checking the hub assembly to the mechanic.
Engine Related Problem
Starved Engine
The primary requirement for a car engine to run steadily is fuel, oxygen, and spark. In case of not providing these in appropriate amounts, the jerks and shakes are bound to happen whenever you drive the car at a significant speed. Additionally, you may experience engine vibrations.
Solution: Inspecting the spark plugs and replacing them as needed will solve the problem. Refilling fuel and replacing dirty or clogged air filters will aid in getting the right amount of fuel or oxygen.
Engine Sludge
Oil deposits accumulate on the engine forming a thick sticky sludge leading to power loss, high-cost repairs, and shaking. Similarly, low oil levels result in improper lubrication of the engine, resulting in vibrating, losing power, overheating, and ultimately failure.
Solution: Changing oil as scheduled to your car’s make and model will keep the above problem in check.
Broken engine mount
Motor mounts help to secure an engine and lessen the vibration. The engine mounts are made up of robust rubber to absorb shocks. Broken engine mounts can lead other engine sections to misalign and break. You can detect a bad engine mount idling and witness more shaking while accelerating.
Solution: Complete replacement of the unit will end the vibration problem.
Car Parts Related Problem
Incorrect gasoline Octane
Though higher-octane fuel than the manufacturer’s recommendation contributes to better fuel efficiency and cleaner emissions, it may harm your vehicle.
High-octane gasoline takes a longer time to burn than low-octane fuel. The engine won’t burn the fuel correctly, resulting in reduced power, high fuel consumption, and engine shaking.
Solution: Always use the recommended fuel with an appropriate Octane rating.
Disconnected air or vacuum hose
A disproportionate supply of air, fuel, and spark happen when air or vacuum hose loosens, ruptures, or leaks. This situation results in a lack of air pressure confusing the sensors elevating the problem further by the engine losing its power to misfire, run randomly or vibrate.
Solution: Check and replace the air and fuel filter frequently, whenever required. However, for vehicles having fuel injection, it’s better to get the fuel filters serviced if vibration originates under the high-pressure line under the car and not beneath the hood.
Bad CV joints
In the case of a vehicle with rear wheels, it will be hard to diagnose the problems with CV joints. You can detect Issues with inner CV joints when you hard accelerate the vehicle or when it carries a heavy load. You may notice vibrations in small amounts or violent shakes depending on how bad the CV joints are.
When you detect your car shaking over 70 mph despite the tires being well, you can conclude bad CV joints or a powertrain problem. Check for front axles are shot if you detect the vehicle shaking at speeds from 40 to 55 mph.
Solution: CV joints can’t be repaired. They need to be replaced.
Shabby suspension components
Worn suspension mounts may lead the vehicle to vibrate at a speed of 50 to 75mph and go on incrementing continuously.
Solution: Entire suspension assembly may be costly, and if your vehicle is old, replacing it with a new one will be the appropriate solution.
Overworked powertrain
A clicking noise while turning the car may cause due to an overworked powertrain. When applying brakes, if your vehicle shakes is due to a bad CV axle.
Overusing and misuse of clutch, flywheel, gearbox, and steering rack components lead to car shaking. This problem can be fairly tricky, as you will notice the shaking of the steering wheel only after attaining a speed of 70 mph or more.
Solution: You can repair the powertrain from a mechanic. Before that, a regular service will help you to detect whether it needs to rebuild the complete transmission or replace it entirely.
Resonance in the exhaust
A bent or incorrectly fitted pipe in a vehicle’s exhaust system, such as changing the tailpipe with a different design or the stock muffler, maybe the reason for resonance. Many times it is considered with wheel vibration.
At specific speeds, the natural oscillations in the exhaust may pile up to create a resonance. In the same way, the removal of typically attached tuning weights for dampening chassis and drivetrain vibrations results in a car shake.
Solution: Check for the bent or incorrectly fitted pipe and get it repaired or replaced. Also, check and repair Exhaust Leaks, Car mufflers, and Exhaust Pipes, and install Resonated Exhaust Tips. In addition, you can wrap existing exhaust pipes in damper material, tighten loose clamps, and replace broken hangers.
Stuck brake caliper
A stuck brake caliper will not release the brakes when required. When you apply brakes, the brake rotors overheat and warp out. It may vibrate the car while moving. There are many reasons for a stuck brake caliper, such as debris accumulation, if a vehicle is left to stand for days or months, etc.
Solution: The park brake systems should be lubricated to overcome this problem. Remove the pads and apply a fair amount of grease to the edge will suffice to fix skewed pads. Once you remove the stuck brake pads, you can resurface the disk and replace the pads.
Bent Axle
Car vibrations may also occur due to uneven or bent axles. Though the axles are durable, they can be bent whenever the car collides when driving into a ditch, over a speed bump, or any unseen object on the road. These incidents may jostle your car, and the vibrations will increase as the vehicle speeds up.
Solution: Bent axles cannot be repaired, and you must replace them as early as possible.
Bent driveshaft
The driveshaft is a fast-spinning part that transfers engine power to the axles and wheels. If it is bent or damaged, the car may vibrate and shake.
Car Driving, Maintenance, and Structural Problem
Poor Driving
Rash driving may lead to running over something hard on the road, damaging some parts of the car mentioned above.
Carrying Too Much Weight
Even a half ounce of extra weight leads to car vibration when driving. It may also result in earlier tire wear, forcing you to replace the tires early than the schedule.
Problem with car structure
A vehicle that isn’t crafted for high speeds should be driven at moderate speeds. Moreover, accessories or body panels not fitted correctly may also cause vibrations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do you fix a shaking car at high speeds?
You should thoroughly check for imbalanced wheels, uneven tire pressure, spark plugs, wires, axles, shafts, exhaust pipes, etc. If you detect any problem in these parts, they must be immediately repaired or replaced.
Why does my steering wheel shake when I go over 70mph?
If the front tires are imbalanced, you will feel the steering wheel shaking at 70mph or over.
Will an alignment fix shaking?
If the problem is with wheel alignment, it will fix the problem. If the vibration problem persists, despite working on the wheel alignment, you need to check for other problems too.
What are 5 possible causes of a shaking vehicle?
1. Imbalance in wheels.
2. Uneven tire pressure.
3. Bent axles or shafts.
4. Bent exhaust pipe.
5. Bad CV joints.
Conclusion
Whenever you notice your car is shaking once you attain a speed of 70mph or more, you should immediately get alert and look for reasons.
There are many reasons for a car’s vibrations at high speeds, and they need to be addressed as early as possible to avert mishappenings. Any problem if detected early and resolved, is lighter on the wallet too.
A car may shake at high speeds due to an imbalance in tires, uneven tire pressure, a bad axle and shaft, a dirty spark plug, and many other reasons. It’s imperative to drive a car carefully and gently. Rash driving often results in damaging some parts, resulting in car vibrations at high speeds.
A car model may not be suitable to run at high speeds and should be driven with utmost patience. Treating the car as a family member will help you to love it and care for it, preventing most of the above-mentioned problems.
