it seems like when im driving straight, my steering wheel seems to be kinda shaky.....i was wondering if its because i need an alignment...how can u tell if u need to do one or not?

the sterring wheel seems to like move left and right while driving stright....(not horribly but enough to kno that the steering wheel is not stable

 

Are your wheels/tires balanced? Because if they are out of balance the steering wheel will be jerky.

 

okay well it seems your mixed up balacing is for virbations, and alligment is for driving staright. a good test to see if you need aligment is find a staright road that does not curve and let go of the steering and see if it will drive staright for a while. now for your second question alligment really depends on the roads if you live in new york i could see you doing alligment every 6 months.

 

While your alignment may be in spec, if the measurements for each side are very different from each other, it can lead to inconsistent handling.

Get the alignment checked and make sure the tech takes the time to get everything in spec and even from side-to-side.

 

how much does it cost?

 

i usually get one every 6 months o make sure tire wear is good.

 

I go once a year..

 

How much does it cost you to do it ?

 

get your wheels/tires balanced.. i had the same problem, got that done and the steering wheel doesnt shake anymore..

 

I have firestones lifetime alignment....I go about every 3 months or so.

 

Alignment averages $40 to $60, though it can be more. Depends on where you go, their ability, and so on. Ask for a 4 wheel alignment. The technician may need to install a camber kit to allow more adjustment than stock, compensate for things bent a bit more than usual, road hazards, this will add to your cost.

However...

As has been said previously, there are differences in the feel of a car with out of balance wheels vs. alignment problems, and finally, a dragging brake or a bent rim. If the wobble in the steering wheel is always there from a dead start up through cruise, and it just gets worse at higher speeds it could be a bent rim or a dragging brake, pads rubbing against a rotor that is out of tolerance for uniform thickness. My bet would be on a bent rim from hitting something.

If the wobble isn't there below about 35 mph but starts to show up at speeds above that and is worse at certain higher speeds you probably have a front wheel or two that is badly out of dynamic balance. Have your wheels spin balanced, not static balanced. The weight placement required to cure dynamic balance issues is critical. Don't let them put on more weight than is absolutely needed and don't let them just put the weights about where the machine says and then quit. Watch to see that they get all zeros on the confirmation spin. This process is one of the sloppiest I've ever seen. Many tire changers are really not trained technicians and they get it close, but often the job could be so much better and more effective if they just paid attention and used some common sense.

Dynamic balancing requires weights be placed not only precisely in the right position as far as a radial placement but may also need to be on the outside or inside of the rim. Width of rim and diameter are important to the balancing machine set-up. The technician should carefully measure the rim width so the machine will know just how much weight must be placed at what location on inner or outer rims. This is sometimes more difficult to do with alloys because of the rim design, and can be a bit unsightly, but if you want smooth running wheels it may be the only solution other than dismounting the tire and looking for a better position. Sometimes tires are bad or go bad too.

So, sequence your tests and save some money. Is this a high or low or all speed problem? Low or all = bent rim. Did you hit something? Is there measureable radial or axial runout on a rim? If more than a few hundredths, get a new rim. If you can't find any runout, check for wheel balance and suspension damage like loose tie rod ends. Did you throw a wheel weight? This will do bad things as far as shake in the steering wheel and vibration because the wheel is no longer balanced. A decent pro should be able to help narrow things down without charging an arm and a leg.

 

goto firestone, get a lifetime alignment 130-140? I forget. I just get my wheels aligned every month because I can, also because the roads in jersey are horrible. I would recommend the lifetime alignment.