strattao

My steering wheel shakes from about 65-80 MPH. I thought that it was my alignment, so I bought new tires and rims, and had them aligned, but still it shakes. I wonder if it is my drive shaft? I am not sure. I bought my 96 Max almost a year ago, and it is driveable especially over 80 MPH which I don't mind. Any suggestions?

Daniel B. Martin

Your Maxima is a Front Wheel Drive car and does not have a driveshaft. It does have two driveaxles. These are not likely to be the cause of your problem.

You did the right thing by looking at your wheels and tires first. Unfortunately the new parts did not solve the problem. Your car may have worn tie rod ends, worn ball joints, or a bent hub.

Other, but less likely, possibilities include worn struts or out-of-round tires. An out-of-round tire may be perfectly balanced but cause shaking at highway speeds.

You may evaluate your struts by performing the Bumper Jounce test. Park the car on a level surface. Walk to any corner and use your weight to press down on the bumper. As soon as it sinks, release it and let it come up. As soon as it comes up, press down again. Do this three or four times. When you have a good up-and-down rhythm going, press down one last time, step back, and observe. If the body comes up just once and stops, the strut at that corner is good. If the body continues to oscillate, the strut at that corner is bad. Repeat this Bumper Jounce test at the other three corners.

strattao

I'll give this a shot as soon as possible!