Do you experience an annoying vibration in the steering wheel or seat as soon as you drive on the motorway? Imbalance and vibrations are one of the most frustrating problems for any car owner. Nothing ruins the driving pleasure of a nice set of wheels as quickly as a vibrating car at 100 to 130 km/h. In this comprehensive troubleshooting guide from Wheels 'N Customs we explain exactly how to locate the cause and fix it permanently.
Quick Diagnosis Rule:
\r\n* Is the steering wheel vibrating in your hands? The cause is almost always on the **FRONT AXLE** (imbalance, missing centre bore ring or runout).
\r\n* Is the seat, floorpan or dashboard vibrating? The cause is in 95% of cases on the **REAR AXLE** (rear rims bent, incorrect hub ring or 'cupping' rear tyres).
1. The 5 Most Common Causes of Vibrations
1. Missing or Incorrect Centre Bore Rings (Hub Diameter)
If the hub bore of the rim (e.g. 73.1 mm) is larger than your car's wheel hub (e.g. 66.6 mm on Audi/Mercedes or 72.6 mm on BMW), the rim floats on the wheel bolts instead of on the hub. This causes the wheel to be mounted eccentrically by definition, resulting in a severe vibration at 100 km/h.
2. Dynamic Imbalance in the Wheel (Adhesive weight fallen off)
From an impact with a kerb or speed bump, or from losing a weight in the car wash, a weight difference of just a few grams can occur. At 120 km/h a wheel spins about 1,000 times per minute; a deviation of 10 grams then feels like a hammer blow of several kilos on the suspension.
3. Runout in the Tyre or Rim (Ovality)
A wheel can be perfectly balanced on a standard balancer and still vibrate. If the rim has a dent on the inside, or if the tyre has a manufacturing defect (thickness difference in the rubber layers), the wheel is not circular but oval. This is called runout.
4. 'Cupping' of the Tyres (Sawtooth Wear)
On cars with a toe or lightly loaded rear axle the tread blocks of the rear tyres can wear at an angle (sawtooth wear). This not only causes a vibration in the seat, but also an annoying 'drone' sound that resembles a failing wheel bearing.
5. Dirt or Rust on the Brake Disc/Hub
If the rust or corrosion on the car's steel wheel hub is not thoroughly cleaned with a wire brush before the new wheel is mounted, the wheel will not sit 100% flat against the brake disc.
2. Diagnosis Chart: Find Your Problem
| Symptom |
Speed Range |
Probable Cause |
Wheels 'N Customs Solution |
| Steering wheel vibrates violently |
90 - 130 km/h |
Imbalance or incorrect front hub centering ring |
Check centering rings & dynamic rebalancing |
| Seat / floor vibrates |
110 - 140 km/h |
Imbalance, cupped tyre or bent rear wheel |
Road Force® rear-axle analysis & wheel repair |
| Vibration when BRAKING |
All speeds |
Warped brake discs or dirty wheel hub |
Clean mating surface & check brake disc tolerance |
| Vibration when ACCELERATING |
80 - 120 km/h |
Worn driveshaft / CV joint |
Mechanical inspection of the driveline |
3. How We Fix Vibrations in Our Workshop in Nijkerk
Step 1 Visual Inspection & Hub Cleaning
We remove the wheels, wire-brush the wheel hubs rust-free and check that the centering rings have the exact correct inner diameter (car) and outer diameter (wheel).
Step 2 Hunter Road Force® Diagnostic Balancing
We place your wheel on our advanced Hunter Road Force® machine. A pressure roller loads the tyre with 600 kg. The machine measures the exact lateral runout of the wheel and the stiffness of the tyre. This allows us to rotate the tyre on the wheel (Force Matching) to cancel out the wheel and tyre runout against each other!
Step 3 Test Drive & Handover
After mounting and correction we road-test the car on the highway to ensure the car is 100% vibration-free.
4. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Vibrations
Can I keep driving with a vibrating steering wheel?
No, it is strongly advised not to continue driving. The continuous vibration causes extreme additional wear to your shock absorbers, tie rod ends, control arm bushes and wheel bearings. A small problem can thus lead to costly follow-up damage.
Do you also sell individual centering rings if my wheel vibrates?
Yes! We have thousands of plastic and aluminium centering rings in stock for all brands (such as 73.1 to 57.1, 72.6 to 66.6, etc.).
What payment options can I use for workshop appointments or parts?
At Wheels 'N Customs you can pay via iDEAL, Bancontact (Belgium), Credit Card, PayPal, SEPA Bank Transfer, Belfius, KBC/CBC, SOFORT Banking, EPS and options for paying in instalments (such as In3 or SprayPay / Klarna where available on our payment page).
