Steering wheel vibration/grinding while in bumpy turns??

Hack12

Hack12

New member
This has only happened to me a few times in the last couple months, but I have noticed a vibration/grinding feeling in my steering wheel when I hit bumps while turning. It has only happened on highway on/off ramps that are bumpy. Once it happens, the steering wheel feeling doesn't end until I straighten the wheel out. My first guess was the CV or Ball Joints, but I just had them checked two days ago and the shop I brought it to told me they looked fine. However, I don't know how closely they inspected them. I don't get any kind of noise when turning normally and have no indication that any front end components are compromised.

Anybody have and ideas about what could be causing this?
 
wayoflife

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Have you checked to see if you have any shiney spots on your sway bar arms, frame rails, or even shocks? What you're describing could just be the shoulder lugs of your tires rubbing against one of those things under those conditions.
 
Hack12

Hack12

New member
I'll check that out first thing in the morning. What you're describing does makes sense since I don't remember having this happen while I had my Duratracs mounted. Though they are the same height, the Mud Grapplers are an inch and a half wider. Thanks for the response Eddie.

On a side note, I'm currently having some American Honey for the first time and think I'm in love. I've always been a whiskey fan but this stuff is on another level.

Thanks again for the info and I'll keep you posted as to the outcome.
ImageUploadedByWAYALIFE1362288378.049657.jpg
 
wayoflife

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Yeah, the tires you now have are wider and have much bigger shoulder lugs. If I could guess, that's where your sound/vibration is coming from and really, not that big of a deal.

Glad you like the honey :honey:
 
Hack12

Hack12

New member
Checked the spots you mentioned this morning and I can't see any shiny spots. I was wondering if it may have something to do with my traction control, since I seem to remember the light coming on briefly when it happens. If I can remember, I'm going to try turning it off when I hit the same on ramp tonight and see if I get a different result.
 
wayoflife

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Hack12 said:
Checked the spots you mentioned this morning and I can't see any shiny spots. I was wondering if it may have something to do with my traction control, since I seem to remember the light coming on briefly when it happens. If I can remember, I'm going to try turning it off when I hit the same on ramp tonight and see if I get a different result.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that very well could be the issue as well as you did say it was kind of a "grinding" noise as well. That is the kind of sound that your brakes will make while the ABS/ESP system kicks in. Have you made sure your steering wheel is centered?
 
Hack12

Hack12

New member
My last alignment was a little over a year ago. Maybe I should think about getting another since I changed tires.
 
Philip *AZ*

Philip *AZ*

Banned
As Eddie mentioned about the rubbing. I dont rub on normal driving, but say Im out wheelin or back out of my driveway, at full turn my tires rub the LCA's. its not bad bad, but its noticable. ImageUploadedByWAYALIFE1362320392.416678.jpg
ImageUploadedByWAYALIFE1362320422.622598.jpg
Im runnin 315/70R17 Treadwright Guard Dogs.


Paratroopers stay up longer!
 
Philip *AZ*

Philip *AZ*

Banned
^^This^^
Im going to try to move my front axle to the passanger side just a smidge to see if I can cure my rub. Ive talked to Eddie about this before, this is what he recommended.


Paratroopers stay up longer!
 
Hack12

Hack12

New member
Update: I recently removed my Teraflex Leveling Kit and installed a Rubicon Express 2.5" Coil Lift with Bilstein 5100 shocks. Much to my dismay, my original problem worsened. I was getting the grinding/braking feeling whenever I took any kind of a sweeping turn, left or right. After a bit (a lot) of reading, and noticing that the traction control idiot light came on every time it happened, I deduced that it had to have something to do with the ESP/traction control. I know, I sometimes even amaze myself. Since I had never properly tuned for my larger tires, the computer was obviously being thrown off. It seemed to constantly want to compensate for slippage that wasn't actually occurring.

Doing the steering wheel hokey pokey to completely shut off my ESP/traction control has completely alleviated the problem. I can take sweeping turns, even ones with bumps, without any kind of grinding/braking feeling. I have since ordered a procal tuner and will be attempting to turn back on my traction control once I have the computer properly calibrated for tire size. Though I must admit, I have been having a ball with the traction control off. I never realized how little freedom the partial off button on the lower dash panel actually gives you. Night and day.

Just one question. Would there be any problem continuing to run with my traction control turned off completely, even after I tune for my larger tires?
 
jeeeep

jeeeep

Hooked
Hack12 said:
Update: I recently removed my Teraflex Leveling Kit and installed a Rubicon Express 2.5" Coil Lift with Bilstein 5100 shocks. Much to my dismay, my original problem worsened. I was getting the grinding/braking feeling whenever I took any kind of a sweeping turn, left or right. After a bit (a lot) of reading, and noticing that the traction control idiot light came on every time it happened, I deduced that it had to have something to do with the ESP/traction control. I know, I sometimes even amaze myself. Since I had never properly tuned for my larger tires, the computer was obviously being thrown off. It seemed to constantly want to compensate for slippage that wasn't actually occurring.

Doing the steering wheel hokey pokey to completely shut off my ESP/traction control has completely alleviated the problem. I can take sweeping turns, even ones with bumps, without any kind of grinding/braking feeling. I have since ordered a procal tuner and will be attempting to turn back on my traction control once I have the computer properly calibrated for tire size. Though I must admit, I have been having a ball with the traction control off. I never realized how little freedom the partial off button on the lower dash panel actually gives you. Night and day.

Just one question. Would there be any problem continuing to run with my traction control turned off completely, even after I tune for my larger tires?
Click to expand...

I've been running with traction control off for that last 2.5 yrs no problems.. During a rain storm last summer the car next to me lost traction and spun directly in front of me, we were nose to nose and I had visions of running over the top of its sloped hood, I laid on the brakes and what was still active in the system kept me straight with no lock up and under control...I did hit them as they continued to spin out of control again but luckily for all, I hit the rear as they spun around and off the freeway. I was traveling 60mph
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom