Tie Rod Symptoms
by Andrea Griffith
The tie rod is one of the most important parts of the steering mechanism of your vehicle. After years of use, the tie rods may become damaged, which may potentially become a dangerous situation. When the tie rods break, you face a serious risk of losing control of your car and causing an accident. To prevent this from happening, you should be aware of tie rod symptoms. When you notice these symptoms, you should take your car to a mechanic to get fixed.
Vibrations
One of the first symptoms that your tie rods are damaged or breaking is that the steering wheel will vibrate slightly. This is especially prevalent when you are speeding up or turning. This happens because the steering wheel is losing its control over the tires, causing the steering wheel to shimmy as you drive.
Shaking
As the tie rods become further damaged, you will start to notice that the car itself will start to shake. This happens because the tires may start to wobble without you having full control over them. Although you should take your car into a mechanic at the first sign of tie rod problems, if you experience your car shaking you could be at risk for serious tie rod damage--which can cause accidents. Take your car into a mechanic if you experience this tie rod symptom.
Wandering
If your tie rods continue to go unchecked or unfixed, the rods can completely break. This can cause you to lose all control of your car, possibly resulting in an accident. When this occurs, the car will may "wander" as you drive. At this point, the steering wheel will have no control over the tires and the tires will start moving independently, causing the car to drift while you are driving. If this happens while you are on a freeway or busy road, you and others could be at serious risk of an accident. If you experience wandering, stop your car, call a two truck and take your car to the nearest mechanic.
References
Writer Bio
Andrea Griffith has been writing professionally since 2005. Her work has been published by the "Western Herald," Detroit WDIV, USAToday and other print, broadcast and online publications. Although she writes about a wide range of topics, her areas of expertise include fashion, beauty, technology and education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and English from Western Michigan University.
