Advice on steering wheel shudder

[obie]

Hi,
I'm hoping some one can give some advice or there experience with any problems they may have had or know about in relation to a severe steering wheel shudder I'm getting at speeds over 170Kmh when braking in my FG Gt s/c . Ive had it to a dealer today and he tells me the wheels are buckled and its therefore not a warranty issue . I then spoke to a wheel repairer who tells me that if it only happens under brakes its not the wheels .I'm getting second opinion from another Ford dealer next week . But the dealership I purchased it from in another state said it may be the lower control arm bushes any helpful advice appreciated.

regards
Tony

[zilo]

does it do it at 200 as well?

[Mont5.0]

this should be good. Let the flaming begin!

[Fiesta_Man69]

If it's ONLY under braking then it's warped discs.

[eyes87]

My tip would be control arm bushes as well. Ford don't like it when you tell them about high speed problems.
My old man took his BA xr8 into them a few months after purchasing it complaining of a high pitched whistle at speeds of over 200. Ford didn't want to know about it. Said that the car isn't meant to go that quick so it wasn't a warranty issue.
Turned out it was only a crack in the fog light and the air moving over it at those speeds caused the whistle.
Sorry to go so far off topic.

[JimStone]

I'ld agree it will be either warped discs or front control arm bushes deforming under load - of course that is assuming you are experiencing these issues at track days under heavy braking at the end of the straight.....

[2002au]

How is the dealership supposed to check the problem out if it does it at 170kms+....

[mik]

the dealer could check the run out of the rim and rotor with a dial gauge, should also check the tyre for out of round too.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by mik

the dealer could check the run out of the rim and rotor with a dial gauge, should also check the tyre for out of round too.

You can also balance it up on the wheel balancing machine to check if the wheel is buckled, it will show a large amount of weight needed to be added to one side, or on both sides.

I had an Alfa Romeo with buckled wheels wanting 300+ grams worth of wheel weights on it.

A lot of us with South African Focus had the issue of out of round tyres from the factory, those piece of crap Goodyear NCTs coming from the factory had issues with being out of round, shaking the crap out of my steering wheel at 100km/h.

[ebxr8240]

Can be resin build up on rotors from brake pads ??
From not being bedded in..

[dave351cid]

my $$ will be on the front brake rotors starting to go off. cheap and easy to replace or just get them machined . they are proberly not out by much if the shudder is only showing up at high speeds.

depending on the kind of driving your doing they can wear out pretty quick.

[kempy311]

Rotors and pads or if not the control arm bushes.

[xtremerus]

Check the post count

[Mickxr8]

+ 1 for warped front discs, "spirited" driving then stopping keeping foot on brake ( heatsoak) will do it , posting on a public forum where your insurers can see ( 170kph) might bite ya if you need to claim

[AWD Chaser]

I had the same issue with my HSV...
I had replaced discs and pads, checked suspension, replaced some suspension bits, but it was still there... usually only at over 80kph and only under braking.

It turns out my front left wheel was a tiny bit buckled from a pothole I hit... I moved the front wheel to the rear and the shudder went away. I recently got new tyres, and they moved it back to the front and the shudder was back again... CONFIRMED...

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by Mickxr8

posting on a public forum where your insurers can see ( 170kph) might bite ya if you need to claim

He really should of stated he was at a track day.

[graham7773]

Agree with above posts and add Wheel bearing showing early signs of wear? And just an afterthought, ABS?

[obie]

Thanks to all who offered suggestions. I tookthe car to a bridgestone tyre centre and had all 5 wheels rebalanced and there is a slight buckle in a front one so it is now the spare . Problem 99% cured , it was probably naive of me to not do this in the first place but I thought an almost brand new car it would be too obvious . Plus I would have thought the dealer I took it to would have tried this when the brakes checked out OK . Also it is not a track related query as its quite easy to get up to these speeds when overtaking a couple of trucks or a line of cars.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by obie

Thanks to all who offered suggestions. I tookthe car to a bridgestone tyre centre and had all 5 wheels rebalanced and there is a slight buckle in a front one so it is now the spare . Problem 99% cured , it was probably naive of me to not do this in the first place but I thought an almost brand new car it would be too obvious . Plus I would have thought the dealer I took it to would have tried this when the brakes checked out OK . Also it is not a track related query as its quite easy to get up to these speeds when overtaking a couple of trucks or a line of cars.

Mate what do you think they were laughing about at lunch, when a guy rocks up saying hes got steering wobble at 170kph.. Im afraid your not going to get any support from a dealer
Check what speed the tyres are rated for
and do a defensive driving course

[The Snout]

Originally Posted by obie

Hi,
I'm hoping some one can give some advice or there experience with any problems they may have had or know about in relation to a severe steering wheel shudder I'm getting at speeds over 170Kmh when braking in my FG Gt s/c . Ive had it to a dealer today and he tells me the wheels are buckled and its therefore not a warranty issue . I then spoke to a wheel repairer who tells me that if it only happens under brakes its not the wheels .I'm getting second opinion from another Ford dealer next week . But the dealership I purchased it from in another state said it may be the lower control arm bushes any helpful advice appreciated.

regards
Tony

Shudders at over 170kmh ?

Either warped discs or you're running out of talent. Could be either.

[Terror_Tree]

Originally Posted by obie

Hi,
I'm hoping some one can give some advice or there experience with any problems they may have had or know about in relation to a severe steering wheel shudder I'm getting at speeds over 170Kmh when braking in my FG Gt s/c . Ive had it to a dealer today and he tells me the wheels are buckled and its therefore not a warranty issue . I then spoke to a wheel repairer who tells me that if it only happens under brakes its not the wheels .I'm getting second opinion from another Ford dealer next week . But the dealership I purchased it from in another state said it may be the lower control arm bushes any helpful advice appreciated.

regards
Tony

Unless less you're on a race track, don't drive so fast and it won't happen

[Jim Goose]

hey look at it this way... the shudder is the least of your worries..

When you plaster yourself somewhere because your braking heavy after your over taking you may wake up to yourself... if your lucky