Car shakes above 75-80 MPH

[RockyinNJ]

My 99 C280 car vibrates (shake) when I go over 75 to 80 miles an hour. Any one experince this problem or is it normal? I can feel it on the steering wheel when I drive that fast.

[98c43amg]

Could be you lost wheel weights for your balancing. Did you go through a carwash where a high pressure washer was used on the rims? ...happened to me.

Do you remember hitting a big pothole or other problem in the road like change of grade of a few inches from the old surface to a newly paved surface? You could have a bent rim(s) ; could be a flatspot on the inside drum of the rim if you don't see a bend/flatsop on the outside lip ... this happened to me too ... I think 7 or 8 times! :eek: (man am I tired of spending thousands of $$$ on rims!)

[RockyinNJ]

Yeah ... I did go through a car wash and probably hit a curb coming out of my parking lot. However, I don't experince the vibarting problem at city driving 35-45 miles an hour or even at 60 miles an hour. My car drives straigh , I don't feel any pulling except for when the wheels and steering is vibrating at over 60 miles per hour.

[fastmayte]

starting to get an uneven or bad tire. try rotating the tires.

[davis449]

Could be a number of things including all of the above mentioned items as well as alignment and worn/shot control arm bushings.

[alboogiee]

Originally posted by RockyinNJ
Yeah ... I did go through a car wash and probably hit a curb coming out of my parking lot. However, I don't experince the vibarting problem at city driving 35-45 miles an hour or even at 60 miles an hour. My car drives straigh , I don't feel any pulling except for when the wheels and steering is vibrating at over 60 miles per hour.

my experiance with tire weights is that the car seems normal under city driving, but once you hit the highway the steering wheel shakes and is hard to control, i would check tires, rims and i got my money on the weights....

[SLAMMED_C]

My bet is wheel balance is off.. or could possibly be a bad tire, shifted belt or broken cord..
but most likely its just wheel balance off.
that will happen.. you will usually only feel it at higher speeds.. due to these 2 priciples:

STATIC BALANCE - (kinetic) - A tire that has a heavy spot at any point around its circumference. The heaviest point will come to rest at the bottom when the tire is rotated on a free bearing. On a vehicle, the tire will tramp or bounce.
DYNAMIC UNBALANCE - Exists only when the wheel is rotating and is caused when a heavy spot in the tire is not in the center plane of the wheel, or when a heavy spot is not in the same plane as the static counter-balance weight. On a vehicle the tire would wobble from side to side.

your problem sounds like a dynamic unbalance.

[RockyinNJ]

I check the wheels and no dent or damage. Tire look good. Have plenty of tread left. You guys are probably right about the balance. How do I check this or have it fixed. Do I take the car to get a wheel aligment?? What should I ask for If I take it to a shop.


Thanks
Rocky

[alboogiee]

Originally posted by RockyinNJ
I check the wheels and no dent or damage. Tire look good. Have plenty of tread left. You guys are probably right about the balance. How do I check this or have it fixed. Do I take the car to get a wheel aligment?? What should I ask for If I take it to a shop.


Thanks
Rocky

no you shouldnt need an alightnment that is when wheels are facing differecnt directions, you needs to have your tires balanced, they need to take them off put them on the spinning machine and change the weights on them, usualy less then $50, go to like america's tire or big O...

[RockyinNJ]

Thanks for all the help guys. I will get my tire rebalanced.