Beats the wheel at low speed: possible causes and solutions to the problem

Every motorist at least once faced the problem of beating or vibration in the steering wheel. Sometimes they are felt when driving at fairly high speeds, and this problem is most common. Also, there is a lot of information about the beats that occur during the braking process. Another problem of this kind is driving the rudder at low speed. The owners of both foreign cars and domestic cars face this. But do not worry about this. This especially applies to beginners. It is the newcomers, for the first time faced with a similar problem, begin to count money and are waiting for a diagnosis from a professional auto mechanic. But you can do without SRT. There are several reasons that cause these very beats. But also you should not turn a blind eye to these vibrations - often, if you drive at low speed, the steering wheel, this indicates a breakdown in the steering mechanism. Further exploitation of such a car can be dangerous.

How does this happen?

Similar phenomena can occur in a variety of cars - and no matter what brand of car and in which country it was produced. External vibrations in the steering system are felt when driving at speeds up to 70 km / h. But this happens in different ways - on some, at a speed of up to 10 km / h vibrations are not felt, and from 20 km / h the beats are already quite palpable. If you accelerate the car to 100 km / h, then they completely disappear. If you hit the steering wheel at a low speed, and even the quality of the roads is frankly low, driving on such a car will greatly irritate the driver. All those who have encountered such vibrations claim that even at small speeds to keep the steering wheel becomes very difficult.

How can I solve the problem?

Some will drive their favorite car to the service station. However, this should be done only when there is a reliable specialist who knows his work well. Otherwise, there is simply no guarantee that the source of vibrations will be detected and the problem will be solved. Even in the case of such troubles (and they are very common), repair specialists can expose a high cost for the work. Also, the driver can pay for unnecessary operations. For example, the service stations offer to replace the entire steering mechanism completely. It is much easier to do this than to find out why the rudder hits at low speed. The owner should know the reasons for this behavior well - then he will not need the help of the service. Almost always the malfunction can be corrected by hand.

Disturbed wheel balancing due to dirt or snow

This is one of the most popular reasons for beating the steering wheel and vibrating the entire car. The root of the problem is as follows. The wheel disc may be clogged with dirt or snow - in this case, vibrations may occur temporarily. If there are problems with the balancing due to dirt, the beat will start when driving at low speeds, and during acceleration it may disappear. Diagnose this problem is very simple in the case of cast discs - dirt will be visible. If steel wheels are installed, then there may be difficulties. The design of the disc is such that the ventilation holes are small in size and can significantly interfere with the survey. Dirt is often stuffed on the inside of the wheel.

Balancing Violations

Tires and rims are not ideal either for geometric characteristics or for their composition. And since the weight of these elements in some parts is different, then at the moment of wheel rotation, the point where the weight is greater will pull the center of the wheel onto itself. This is the effect of centrifugal force. Even at low speeds (and already at 40 km / h the wheels rotate fast enough), through the traction on the steering wheel will come vibrations. Wheels must be balanced. This is done after replacing rubber or disks. The essence of the process is that the mass of the wheel is the same at each point. For this, special weights are fixed on the disc.

If you drive with unbalanced wheels for a long time, this causes a strong tire wear in certain places. These worn out areas will further cause even greater vibrations. But that is not all. Significant deterioration undergoes a hub bearing and all suspension elements.

Symptoms of impaired balancing

The main symptoms - hit the steering wheel at low speed. But also the vibrations can be felt at higher speed ranges - from 60 km / h and above. Tires and wheels must be inspected carefully. Disks must be flat and free of deformations. If the driving style is calm and tidy, and the rubber is not too worn out, then the reason is unbalance. What to do in this case? Perform balancing only the front wheels, if there is vibration only on the steering wheel - this is the wrong approach. It is necessary to align all four wheels. Only in this way can you get the desired effect.

Deformation of disks

As already noted, they are far from ideal in their geometric characteristics. And the fact, how much the wheels are twisted, strongly influences the behavior of the car. Wheel disks can be deformed due to the car getting into the pit. You can visually identify the curvature. It is necessary to carefully inspect the rim for dents. But most often the inner part of the wheel is bent. Strainings are the most exposed to deformations. Casts are destroyed to a lesser extent. The wheel can change its geometry during operation, or be uneven initially. It is determined on a special stand. But here there is a problem - often on such equipment the wheel behaves correctly, and when driving a car it rotates unevenly. If the disc behaves this way, then it is clearly defective.

Tires

Beats the steering wheel when driving at low speed due to tires, or rather their quality and condition. Often damaged cord - metal braid, which is inside the tire. As a result, a part of the tire becomes convex, which causes beats. Another equally popular problem of tires is cones. They are on the side walls of rubber because of inaccurate driving, driving on pits or rails. Well, you can not cancel the factory marriage. He can manifest himself in a variety of ways. If you hit the steering wheel at low speed, then the problem can be solved by replacing damaged discs and tires.

Tire pressure

This reason is quite rare, because of it vibrates the entire car. With insufficient pressure, the vibrations are quite noticeable. Diagnosis and elimination are very simple and every car owner will cope with it. You just need to pump up the tires.

Weak wheel fastening

This reason is very dangerous. If the wheel mount is loosened, and the owner did not notice it in time, the wheel can fall off the hub right in the process of moving. The safety of the driver and passengers will be in jeopardy. When the rudder hits at low speed, the reasons are not sought here. But in vain. If this trouble is not found on time, then after a while the motorist will come to replace the disks, hubs, brake discs and much more. In this case, the vibrations are noticeable even at very low speeds. Beats will be cyclic or acyclic. They can appear and disappear at the same speeds.

Steering system and suspension

Strongly worn suspension elements affect the contact of the car with the road. This is due to the fact that the ball bearings, tie rods and hub bearings have backlashes. They lead to imbalance in the process of wheel rotation. Sometimes the suspension elements are deformed, as in the photo below. If you hit the rudder at a low speed "VAZ-2110", then this is due, first of all, to the tires, and then with the ball bearings and the tips of the steering rods.

About the rail

Also the reason lies in the steering rack. It must be remembered that the gaps of suspension elements in themselves vibrations and beats on the steering wheel do not cause. Unfixed parts become a catalyst. But the main problem is the wheels, and it's necessary to push off from this. Also drives the rudder at low speed "VAZ-2110" due to a malfunction of the steering booster. The rake in this case directly connects to the rods - hence the vibration. Experienced car owners in this case, advise to insert the rubber element into the shaft of the steering shaft. A 22 mm diameter ball of synthetic rubber is suitable. But the material eventually wears out and cracks. As a more durable solution, you can use a cube with a side of 20 mm from the bumper of the classic VAZ models.

Vibrations in turns at low speeds

Sometimes the steering wheel beats when entering the turn. This indicates the wear of the CV joints or silentblocks. To diagnose the failure of the CV joint is simple - when the steering wheel is turned, a characteristic crunch from the wheel is heard. The first call that reports a similar problem is a crack. It occurs due to a breach of the airtightness of the anthers. They need to be replaced.

Steering Rack

There are also vibrations on the steering wheel. Especially often they arise when driving on bad roads. First, in the design of the steering rack , the bushing breaks down. It must be changed first. If the shock absorbers and racks are in an unsatisfactory condition, this can also be the cause of the beats in the steering wheel.

Summary

If you study malfunctions, you can deduce a small rating of the prevalence of causes. So, if you hit the rudder at a low speed "VAZ-2114", then in the first place problems with the integrity of tires and wheel disks. Many of the vibrations were caused by a hernia or a curved wheel. Then there are breakages in the suspension and the steering mechanism. But often the problem is solved by simply visiting the tire fitting shop. And in order to exclude this situation, it is necessary to brake well before each large pit and to be neat when passing the railway tracks. The cone on the sidewall of the rubber can not be restored.