Steering wheel vibrating while braking

Asked by Timothy Nov 04, 2018 at 04:34 PM about the 2013 Ford Explorer XLT

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Last strip to Vegas noticed a steering wheel
shimmy while at high speeds.  Returned,
purchased new rotors as Pep Boys
performed a poor service.  Also replaced the
front pads with dealer pads.  Sunny while
braking remains.   Removed once again
looking at brakes, rotors suspension u joints
and unable to identify an issue.  Re installed
and now the braking shimmy has increased
to low speeds.  Could it be a caliper issue?  I
work on all my vehicles and have done so
from purchase date. Never experienced this
issue before. Your input is very much
appreciated.   Tim Clark

1 Answer

42,940

Check wheel bearing for looseness. The only other thing that would cause shimmy "all the time" is a broken tire belt or tire out of balance. Braking may amplify the shimmy by shifting the weight forward. Rotate the tires front to back and see if anything changes. A broken belt does not always show while spun on the balance machine, but with the weight of the car, on smooth pavement, the car will wobble side to side going 1mph. Here in Penna the roads get so bad I walk around my car and count my tires to see if I still have four before I get in to drive.

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