I think my car had a slight balance and alignment issue, becuase it pulled a little to the right, and at highway speeds I could tell the passenger front didn't feel balanced. However, since yesterday the car rattles really badly as I drive. The steering wheel virates, and there is s thumbing sound. The thubing speeds up as the car speeds up. The thump coordinates with the virbating of the steering wheel. Last night I was sliding around in an icy parking lot. I see a relationship between that and the new situation with my car. I never hit a dry patch while sliding though. So, any thoughts?

Thanks

 

Check your tires for week spots in them, i've had the tires actually have a bubble/balloon in them causing vibration and thumping. Also check your cv axles. Good luck.

 

Check your tires for week spots in them, i've had the tires actually have a bubble/balloon in them causing vibration and thumping. Also check your cv axles. Good luck.

 

You may have some snow/ice frozen in your rim. That causes them to thump/shake at speed. I've had the same problem several times being in a snowy climate as well. After an hour or two of driving, or kicking it quite hard it'll break out. Or spray it down with a hose when it is warmer. I'd say that is your problem since you were drifting in snow and ice.

 

If you drove around in the snow last night you probably built up snow in your wheels. I would check that or you lost some wheel weights.

 

Is it a problem if a wheel falls off?

I drove it home saturday night with that problem. Drove it to work on sunday morning. I called my dad and asked him to pick me up from work since i didnt think it was safe to drive my car. He told to drive home infront of him. I drove about ten feet and he starts vigorously honking. So I pulled over and got out of the car. He says to me, "Alan, your wheel is about to fall off!" It turned out 2 of the lug nuts on my front right wheel had fallen off, and the other two were loose enough I could spin them by hand, both about halfway off.

I jacked up the car and tighted the 2 remaining nuts, and took one from a rear wheel, so 2 wheels have 3 lugnuts. I'll get to a dealership today to get 2 more. Im just not sure how all 4 lug nuts became that loose on one wheel. All the other wheels were fine. As I said in my first post, that wheel isn't balanced, so that could have caused them to become loose. Either that or someone whats me dead.

Thanks for your replies.

 

Ouch... glad nothing major became of that problem.