whosniffedme

I've been having a problem where my steering wheel will shake. I can't find a pattern, it seems to be fine one day, then scare the **** out of me the next. It will obviously get worse at higher speeds. I recently replaced the strut mounts and tie rods, and just put on 4 new Forgestars and Nittos because I thought the problem were my ****ty wheels and tires.

I don't know what to do anymore people. I've spent over 2 grand on my car trying to eliminate this problem to no avail, actually broke my jack I've used it so many times trying to find the problem.

If anyone knows a top notch mechanic in Austin area, please let me know, or if you have any suggestions for things to check out. I just want to enjoy driving my car again instead of getting bent out of shape. Here's some photos I took at the Greenbelt after getting the new shoes.

jz78817

the one time this happened in my car (not a Mustang at the time) was due to a stuck front brake caliper. The rotor had a slight warp/thickness runout and the caliper wasn't releasing.

if you drive down the highway then come to a stop, is one of the front wheels hotter than the other (or are both sizzling hot?)

rls82959

I got new tires last year. Had a shimmy around 50-60 mph.
Tire shop swore up and down the tires were fine and the balance was fine.
Got a Roadforce Match/Mount balance done and the shake/shimmy was gone.
Even when the car was new i took it to dealer for steering wheel shake and it took them
a few balances to get it right.

whosniffedme

I am getting some brake noise on my rear driver (high pitched squeak in low RPMs) and my front passenger (creaks while braking). Both of those noises only happen on hot days, or if I do a lot of driving, but I've checked the calipers several times and they all seem fine. I'll double check after I head to work.

I tried getting this done, but the shop said my tires were too bad for them to be able to do it, so then I bought some new ones and just had a standard balance and mount done. I know they're probably going to charge around $150 bucks for all four wheels, and I would be very angry if it didn't make a difference but I do want to try that. I still don't see how just that could change from better to worse from a balancing issue though, maybe something is making my alignment constantly change?

xkape

Try using beads instead of weights. My tires come out of balance all the time. I spend $50/mo getting them balanced every month like it's a utility bill. The consensus is that when I take off hard, the tire actually slips a little on the rim before going in motion. Thus causing it to go out of balance.

When I save enough dough to replace these tires, I will be going the bead route. Basically, they put a boat load of plastic beads inside your tire. When sitting still, they all just hang out down at the bottom. When you take off though, the force pushes them into all the uneven spots and they stay there til you stop again.

xkape

Also, check your CV joints.

mustangspotential

+1 on caliper sticking/failing. Happened to me caused CRAZY wheel shake on my Camry. Needed a new caliper on passenger side.

waykooljr

From all the threads I read about balancing nightmares, I wonder if the people mounting tires take note of the red or yellow dots on tires when mounting tires. Those dots are to help get the tire somewhat balanced before balancing.

Some wheels have a dimple to show the low spot on a wheel, a red dot on the tire shows the high spot of the tire. The two should be lined up when mounting. If there isn't a dimple on the wheel, line up with the valve stem.

A yellow dot should be lined up with the valve stem for best initial balance.

If a tire has both, the red dot takes precedence.

See if yours has any dots and where they are located.

R1nStang

if your local shop is charging $150 for a balance of 4 tires then find a new shop. where did you buy the tires? same place that charges 150 for the balance?
not sure if you have one in your area but discount tire has always been my tire "go-to" place. a couple sets it took them a couple shots to get the balance right..but since i bought the tires from them they never charged for the balancing after i drive off the first time...and even then i think its only MAYBE 50 bucks tops for a balance and rotate

mustangspotential

$150 for balancing is insane. It's also asinine to expect that balancing doesn't get right the first time. If you even have to return that should be a red flag.

Also, anyone who brings their Mustang to chain-style mechanic shops like Jiffy Lube, Discount Tire, Mavis etc should be ashamed of themselves, IMO. All those places are trash. Find a good local mechanic or do the work yourself.