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Originally posted by CaptainCrunch+Feb 4 2005, 08:22 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (CaptainCrunch @ Feb 4 2005, 08:22 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>
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Originally posted by Draug@Feb 4 2005, 08:11 AM
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@Feb 4 2005, 02:41 AM
95 grand am, for some reason its twisting the steering wheel left and right around 50km/h and shaking like crazy above 80 km/h. im thinkin something with the tires but since they are not that old i dont want to spend 4 or 5 hundred dollars to find out something else is wrong. alomst feels like the tire is not screwed on tightly,{it is} basically it feels like the steering wheel is about to fall of when i hit 80 km/h. maybe a wheel balance? but would it shake so hard all of a sudden?
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For a Grand Am, the best forum I have found is:
Grand Am GT
I just recently used that forum to gather enough information to replace my Lower Intake Manifold gasket myself. The info was good, and did not lead me astray.
As for your specific problem, I would suggest there is a good chance it is more than just an alignment / balance issue. Normally, that would not cause such a violent shaking, but usually a shorter and faster vibration type jiggle.
It could, as Captain pointed out, possibly be a wheel bearing gone really, really bad. You would have noticed it get worse and worse over time.
Another possibility, and the one I would put my money on, is that you have a bad Constant Velocity Joint (CV Joint). If this is the problem, you will hear a slow "clunk, clunk, clunk" as you turn a tight corner at slow speeds. It might only make this noise while turning one direction.
Best of luck.
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I forgot about a CV joint problem, but your right, he would notice it right away since it makes a horrible rythmic thumping noise.
I keep going back to a wheel bearing problem in my mind because he said its a the car is pulling in different directions which points to the bearings interfearing in the turn of the wheel.
At least bearing replacements aren't to bad as far as costs go.
I think its about 80 bucks a wheel the last time I did it. [/b][/quote]
Yeah, that is the type of cost I was expecting too. BUT...
I own a 99 Grand Am GT, and the front passenger wheel bearing went at about 160,000 Kms. It never should have went that soon, but it did. The cost was $480 for the part (from GM, since I didnt have the opportunity to look for aftermarket ones). The cost was so high because the whole hub comes as a preassablembled unit, with the bearings already inserted and permanently sealed. I was shocked.
I never noticed any vibration at all. I heard the tick, tick, tick of the bearing long before I could feel any vibration. Just as I took it into the shop (maybe 200 Kms after I heard the tick, tick), the bearing started to whine at high speeds, but there was still no shake or vibration.
Another possibility for his current problem is that the front wheels are not connected to each other. I think the part is called a Tie Rod, and it basically makes sure that each wheel points the exact same place as the other one. Perhaps, if it is worn (has enough slop to let the wheel meannder where it feels like) or is broken, it might take to 50 km/h until the wheel starts to oscilate back and forth, which would create the violent shaking he is describing.