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My 2005 SE exhibits steering wheel wobble and general vibration but only between about 52 and 58 kmh; above and below that range it's fine. It's typical of unbalanced wheels but I've had balance and alignment checked twice, and surely unbalanced wheels would be evident at all speeds, nut just 52 to 58 kmh. Any thoughts?

A very typical mx5 vibration is exactly double that speed. How about yours?

An off balance wheel can show up at some speeds and not others. If you've had them balanced a few times already it's unlikely though.

I'd be borrowing a set of wheels to try, then you can narrow it down to the car itself if the shake continues (wheels might be in balance, but could be buckled)


90% of the time any vibration is from the wheels, but it's possible it could be something like warped brake rotors (you'd feel the brake pedal throb while braking though) or maybe even the tailshaft (uni joints can sieze up causing binding, not a common issue, but does happen occationaly)

Swapped F to R? Simpler to do than getting someone else's wheels, this should show up whether the problem moves with the pair of wheels.

I would suggest having the wheels/tyres checked for out of round too. If it is the tyres they can be skimmed to remove high spots.

There was a thread started by a bloke in WA some years ago, he had a problem with a vibration that took a lot of investigation but his was in the rear, might be worth checking it out though, especially if you manage to eliminate tyre/wheel/bearing related causes.

Good luck.

Tyre pressures? My SE gets a bad vibration around 58kph if the pressures don't match side to side. Make sure using a good gauge though. Makes a big difference.

greenMachine wrote:There was a thread started by a bloke in WA some years ago

Yeah, Wivvix - OP, see both threads all the way through as problem persisted after some initial resolution:
viewtopic.php?f=30&t=32265
viewtopic.php?f=30&t=34151

Standard SE rims or aftermarket?

Let it coast slowly on a smooth surface down a gentle slope. If it's tyre lumps or flatspots you'll feel every one of them.

John Perry wrote:My 2005 SE exhibits steering wheel wobble and general vibration but only between about 52 and 58 kmh; above and below that range it's fine. It's typical of unbalanced wheels but I've had balance and alignment checked twice, and surely unbalanced wheels would be evident at all speeds, nut just 52 to 58 kmh. Any thoughts?

Reading those old threads raised a question for me - is this a new-to-you car, or car that you have dríven for a while, and just started showing these symptoms? If the latter, did you/anyone do anything to the car - new wheels or tyres, wheel bearings, anything, anywhere on the car? If so, that would be my starting point for investigation. If not, is there any warranty you can fall back on?

First thing is swap the fronts for the rears. That'll tell you straight away if it's the rims/wheels.

I also know from personal experience that some tyre shops will balance your rims and take your money but neglect to inform you that the rims are buckled. Even after a second balance.

Do the rim swap around and then get a second opinion from a different shop on the balance if it is just the front ones causing the issue.

Thank you all for the very helpful replies, I'll start swapping wheels around (Green machine - I've had the car since new)