The cause of knocks and vibrations on the steering wheel may be the condition of the ball joints of the steering rods and the steering mechanism, the condition of the wheels of the car. To test the steering put the car on a horizontal platform, open the hood and do the following operations.
1. Turn the wheels to the right until they stop. In this position, the left wheel tie rod ball joint becomes accessible, which can be seen from under the left fender of the vehicle.
2. Check the integrity of the rubber protective boot of the tie rod joint.
3. Have an assistant rock the steering wheel from side to side and observe the connection between the ball joint and the telescopic strut arm. There must be no visible play in the ball joint (backlash). Be sure to replace the tie rod end with a damaged hinge boot or increased clearance in the hinge with a new one.
Warning! When replacing the tie rod ends, the wheel alignment angles may be violated.
4. Similarly check up a condition of the hinge of the right wheel.
5. A rack and pinion steering mechanism is installed on the front panel separating the engine compartment from the passenger compartment.
Ask the assistant to sharply shake the steering wheel left and right and observe the steering mechanism. If the steering gear housing moves from side to side, it is necessary to tighten its fastening to the body.
Warning! Do not apply excessive force when tightening the steering gear housing mounting nuts - this can lead to breakage of the studs, which will be difficult to replace. The moment of an inhaling of nuts of fastening of a case of the steering mechanism 15–19 N/m.
6. Please note that there are no gaps at the junction of the steering rods with the steering rack. If the gaps cannot be eliminated by tightening the steering rod mounting bolts, then the rubber-metal hinges of the inner tips of the steering rods must be replaced.
7. Take a close look at the front tires. Strong impacts from the road surface, especially when hitting potholes, can cause delamination of the cords in the tire carcass and the appearance of a bulge ("hernia") or skewed tires.
Adviсe
A possible cause of vibration and impact on the steering wheel when driving at speeds above 70-80 km / h may be an imbalance in the front wheels. Contact a car service or tire shop to check the balance of the front wheels.
If shock and vibration on the steering wheel appear at the moment you press the brake pedal, contact a car service to replace the brake pads, repair or replace the front brake discs.