Shaking steering wheel help..

[Carrerax]

Ok, so my wife calls me at work today saying that the X5 (2001 4.4L 80k miles) started shaking really bad (in the steering wheel) and feels like the wheel is going to come off (RF). After she stops and parks it in the garage is is making clicking noises (car off, parked) and she can smell something like a plastic or something hot. She said that it only does this when the car has been driven maybe 10 miles or so. I got home from work and it sounds and drives perfectly. I did a search and didnt find anything. Any ideas? I don think it is an axle since it isnt consistant. PS pump maybe or steering rack? Help!!! Thanks in advance! Mark

[motordavid]

Shaking wheel on braking, or shaking driving down the road with
normal throttle and speed? Clicking noises? Most cars "click" on
cool down...the plastic/hot smell may or may not be related.
Need a better description for my Magic 8 Ball.
GL,mD

[Carrerax]

It isnt during braking. It is doing it under normal driving. The clicking is more than the normal clicking that hot car have. She just said it also has a slight thumping like a tire is going down.

[klnteg]

Did you have a look around that tire and see anything hanging? If the inner wheel well plastic has lost its retaining clips then it may rub against the tire when driving and create the burning you talk about. It would thump aswell because of the wind pushing it back and forth. Just a thought. Did she drive through a pile of snow? some might have built up in the tire?

[jayjay_dee]

could also be frozen caliper... happened to me when i first got my X, took it to the dealer and they confirmed it, replaced front brakes and rotors free since its under new car warranty...

you dont get the vibration when you first drive ur car but after 10 to 15 minutes and the rotors gets really hot because of friction (with the brake pads), then the X will really vibrate like crazy.... and yeah, smells like something is burning...

[jayjay_dee]

easy way to check it, if you have a lift, put ur x on a lift, try rotating each tires, and youll find out which one is stucked...

[Carrerax]

It isnt an inner wheelwell, those are fine. I cant imaging that it would be a caliper sticking. It wouldnt do it when you were just going down the road without hitting the brakes even if they were really hot. Right? Jayjay, did yours do it even when you werent hitting the brakes?

[Carrerax]

The more that I thnk about this, maybe it can be a caliper. Has anyone else had this shake from a caliper even when not on the brakes?

[gwinder]

Just had the same proble. My brake warning light came on a few weeks ago and I haven't put them on yet. Then Saturday I'm driving along and all of a sudden the steering wheel starts vibrating. At first I thought wheel balnce so I had all four wheels done...worked OK for a day or so then cam back so I did the brakes only to find the drivers side caliper was frozen all the way out and the oiston was all rusted so I had to get a new caliper. Just finished the job tonight...did the test drive and seems to run fine although there is a noise as from the wheel as I drive as if a I have something stuck in the tire. The dealer told me a few months ago the control arm was loose too so I'm going to change that out as it seems a common thing. But to answer your problem, take the wheel off and check out the caliper. The piston is on the back side...

Gary

[klnteg]

Another indication of the caliper seizing, is when you brake or let go of the steering wheel the vehicle will veer the right or left.