Why Is My Car Shaking?
If you drive a car long enough, there’s a good chance that at some point you will experience a shaking or vibrating feeling while you’re behind the wheel. It might show up suddenly, but more likely it will develop gradually to the point where you are no longer able to tolerate it.
In fact, one of the questions we most frequently get asked at our suspension service in Riverside, CA is what is causing the vibrations in a vehicle. It takes some analysis of your vehicle to be able to answer with a great degree of certainty, but if we hear there are some vibrations occurring while you’re driving, here are just a few of the problems we’ll look at:
- Motor mount: The motor mount (or engine mount) is a part in your vehicle that holds the engine in place. While it might look at first glance that the engine is being held in place simply because it’s wedged in so tightly, there is actually a mounting system that secures the engine to the chassis. The mount will vary in appearance based on the strength, shape or size needed for a vehicle. Most of the time, though, it’s made with metal and rubber. If you have some sort of issue with your motor mount, it could result in the engine shaking a bit during operation, which could cause the vibrations you’re feeling.
- Brakes: If the vibrations show up or get worse when you push down on the brake pedal, there’s a good chance you have some sort of issue with your braking system—likely a damaged or warped rotor. The rotor is the disc-shaped piece on any vehicle with a disc brake system. The more usage and wear and tear you accumulate on the vehicle, the more of a possibility there is that the rotor will get bent.
- Axles: Vibrations could also be a sign of a bent axle. If you’ve recently been involved in a collision or drove over some kind of large, heavy bump and damaged the undercarriage of your vehicle, there’s a chance you could have a bent axle, which could be the root of your vibration problem.
- Wheels: You might have some issues with your wheels that are causing vibrations to occur. It could be something as simple as having too much debris built up on your wheels, but the wheels might be unbalanced, bent or otherwise damaged. This is an issue a service technician should be able to notice while in the shop.
- Bad tires: If you’re driving on tires that are old, worn out or bald, this could very well be the source of your vibrations. Because the tires are the only part of your vehicle that actually makes direct contact with the road, it would make sense that bad tires would lead to a bad driving experience. Your tires should be the first thing you check if you notice persistent vibrations while driving.
For more information about what could be causing vibrations in your vehicle, contact Reliable Tire Center to schedule a visit for suspension service in Riverside, CA.
Categorised in: Tire Replacement