Slight steering wheel wobble

[TruLiberty]

At like 35+ mph. Took it on the beach this week and got stuck, but got pulled out properly. Also pulled out a Titan there too with about 12 snap pulls. Think it might just need a slight alignment or has gunk in a wheel (driving to VA now otherwise id check.) what do u think? Doing the suspension in 2 months, can it wait till i get it aligned then??

 

[Jo6pak]

It's possible that you lost a wheel weight. I had the same thing happen to my old XJ, and it would only wobble at certain speeds.
I took it in to check the alignment only to find out I had a front wheel out of balance.

 

[TruLiberty]

It's possible that you lost a wheel weight. I had the same thing happen to my old XJ, and it would only wobble at certain speeds.
I took it in to check the alignment only to find out I had a front wheel out of balance.

Now that u say that i noticed one was missing and didnt think anything of it! Awesome.

 

[Jo6pak]

Now that u say that i noticed one was missing and didnt think anything of it! Awesome.

Holy crap, I think that's the first time I actually had an answer on this forum, instead of all my dumb questions:smokin:

 

[boebr1]

Holy crap, I think that's the first time I actually had an answer on this forum, instead of all my dumb questions:smokin:

:happy175: feels good huh!

 

[TruLiberty]

had it balanced and the tires rotated, but the guy said my wheel bearings are going...i think he was trying to make money off me...my best friend who's a mechanic says they only need to be changed if you can HEAR the vibrations, and the steering wheel vibrates at most speeds, not just a certain range.

 

[JeepINgeek]

the paduon learns!

 

[hyde]

I have the same problem after a tire fix & rotation.
I think my rear had the problem and when it was moved to front it became apparent. Mine only wobbles the moment I hit 55mph, below that you can barely tell. Above 70mph you can't really tell, so between 55 and 70 it is most apparent. Generally alignment won't cause wobble but out of balance will.

 

[tjkj2002]

had it balanced and the tires rotated, but the guy said my wheel bearings are going...i think he was trying to make money off me...my best friend who's a mechanic says they only need to be changed if you can HEAR the vibrations, and the steering wheel vibrates at most speeds, not just a certain range.

Time for a new mechanic.You change the hub bearings at the 1st sign of noise or play.

 

[hyde]

How much does a job like that cost anyway?

 

[ptsb5a]

How much does a job like that cost anyway?

About an hour per side and the cost of the hub unit. Do it yourself, it's not hard at all. Check a how-to I posted about it. Only special tool you need is the e-Torx socket.

 

[speedracerbubba]

How much does a job like that cost anyway?

When I had my hub replaced I bought it off amazon (same price as rock auto but quicker and cheaper shipping) and had it installed for right around $100.
I would have done it myself but I kind of cut my thumb on a slicer so I wasn't able to do much at all.

 

[TruLiberty]

Time for a new mechanic.You change the hub bearings at the 1st sign of noise or play.

Well now, in that case, I'll change it when I do my suspension, seeing as I'll have everything off. That's going to be a busy weekend.

Hub Bearings
OME/Bilstein Suspension with A-Arms
Water bottle relocation
Bumper Chops
Hitch Install
Possibly EVIC install
Possibly interior accents install.

 

[jnaut]

It's possible that you lost a wheel weight. I had the same thing happen to my old XJ, and it would only wobble at certain speeds.
I took it in to check the alignment only to find out I had a front wheel out of balance.

I disagree slightly with this. Losing a wheel weight should cause it to wobble worse the faster you go. Once a tire's out of balance, the faster you spin it, the more pronounced the effect.

 

[TruLiberty]

I disagree slightly with this. Losing a wheel weight should cause it to wobble worse the faster you go. Once a tire's out of balance, the faster you spin it, the more pronounced the effect.

Thats what the main problem was, I knew that I lost it to because i was on the beach in NY and got stuck, and as i was getting unstuck i watched it fly off lol.

 

[Jo6pak]

I disagree slightly with this. Losing a wheel weight should cause it to wobble worse the faster you go. Once a tire's out of balance, the faster you spin it, the more pronounced the effect.

That would be the conventional train of thought. But, my experience was that it only happened at certain speeds, like between 35-40 mph. Didn't make any sense to me either, but once the wheel weight was replaced, the problem was cured. Go Figure:shrug:

 

[hyde]

Maybe something was stuck in the tire. I just discovered that I had a screw on my front passenger side, and I don't know if it is mental or not, I don't feel the wobble as much as I did before after getting it removed/patched.

 

[Scottm2010]

Where is the "wheel weight"?

 

[LibertyFever]

How much does a job like that cost anyway?

The bearing unit alone could cost you between $200 to $300 depending on where you shop and if you need one with an ABS sensor. It is possible to do in your driveway with the right tools.
http://www.jeepkj.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46865

When I have a wheel bearing fail I notice a loud whine when I steer left or right. For example if I turn right & I hear a whine it's the LH bearing that's failing. Also if you lift the front of your Libby and grab each tire you'll notice "play" in the bearing.

I too have had a mechanic claim that I had a bad bearing only to have a dealership mechanic disagree.