rumble from steering wheel?

[Lee J]

Here's a new one for me, travelling down the road the other night and every now and again there is a rumble from the front end. I can feel it up the steering wheel. I have just had new front brakes fitted, I wonder if the wheels need balancing? Would this do this? Sometimes it's when I get up to 70mph it gets worse. It does feel like a balancing issue to me. Any other ideas?

[pictishpunkgirl]

You could check your wheel nuts have beeen put on tightly enough or that you don't have a defective tyre with a bulge in it. Are your steering components OK? I'm sure there will be other answers soon!

Morag

[rover]

You could check your wheel nuts have beeen put on tightly enough or that you don't have a defective tyre with a bulge in it. Are your steering components OK? I'm sure there will be other answers soon!

Morag

Sound like a good call to me, the tyre is the most likely, but there are always other options, have the brake callipers been tightened and the springs replaced correctly? is there plenty of fluid in the power steering resevoir?

What model is your van?

[phil g]

had same symptoms onc, all became clear when tyre exploded on motorway

[Gunslinger]

when you say brakes do you mean pads or pads and discs ??

yes first check wheel nuts then caliper bolts then hub nut,

i know its hard to describe a "rumble" but does it feel like something knocking against the steering column or what ?

[FredTransit]

Is there a whining noise accompanying it? I am thinking wheel bearing. Jack up the front axle and see if there is any play in the front wheels, shake them side to side and up and down. Also look out for a grinding noise on braking due to a shift in the brake parts caused by a bad bearing.

[jay]

if the disks have been done and the vibration wasnt there before....the bolts that hold the disks to the hubs may not be tightened properly!!!!!also could be the hub nut for the bearing may be over tightened ...take the van back to where you got the work done and tell them,they can check there own work and if its anything they done they will have to fix it FOC!if they wont trading standards come to mind!!

[Lee J]

OK fellas, thanks for the response. The front wheels where making a little squeak every now and then, I was told the brake pads we're down to the bone so I had them changed. This rumble does feel like something knocking on the steering column. It stops when I turn the steering wheel slightly one way or the other. It gets worse as I get faster.

[Gunslinger]

it could be that the pistons in the calipers dont like being pushed all the way back in to accept new pads and one or more is sticking causing the pad to hit the disc unevenly, disc outrun springs to mind, this can be caused by either the hub to disc bolts not being tight, or similar torque settings, hub nut being a little loose probably not torqued in the proper manner or the disc is slightkly warped, answer is to have them check the outrun with a dial gauge if it is that then they need to re mount the hub to disc in a different configuration (ie turned one set of bolt holes round) then reasembled and rechecked.

[Lee J]

ok people here's an update...

Took van back to garage to check bearings/balancing/brakes - all ok.

I have made a discovery though! When travelling at say 60mph and the rumble/knocking starts, if I put my foot against the steering bar, the bit that goes from the steering wheel through the floor - IT STOPS!

any clues?

[rover]

Could be as simple as the UJ on the steering column or even the bottom bushes on the column.


Rover.

[Gunslinger]

so what your saying is that the rumble is either coming from part of the steering linkage, or is some form of vibration further down the steering system that is actually causing something closer to the steering wheel to rumble ... interesting, i guess all you ca do is check all the joints then bearings and see what you find