So, your car is in the process of reversing and you subconsciously feel its shaking. You wonder what’s wrong with it? Don’t worry, because this is a normal thing for cars to do when they’re reversing.
Reason why does car shake in reverse
When a car accelerates or brakes, forces are sent through the drivetrain and can be felt by the driver in their steering wheel or seat. However, when a vehicle changes from forward motion to reverse motion, there isn’t any downward force being thrown upon the wheels… so why does my car shake in reverse then?
Tires rotating Quickly
Well, one reason could be that your tires just haven’t been rotating fast enough within that gear. In order to create resistance against these forces acting on your vehicle’s chassis, tires have to rotate fast enough.
When you accelerate or brake, your vehicle’s tires can take these forces and spin by rotating quickly. However, when you put the car in reverse, one side of tire is spinning forwards while another part spins backward… so it doesn’t — and never will — reach a sufficient speed where the outer rim is rotating as fast as it would be during forward motion. This causes an imbalance between your car’s wheels that makes it shake back and forth … this movement is referred to as torque steer because those forces acting upon the chassis aren’t just felt through your seat now; they’re also affecting where the chassis itself wants to go: now you’re experiencing a tugging sensation within your steering wheel.
Now obviously, this isn’t just limited to the tires themselves. A number of other under-the-hood components also have to compensate for these forces acting on your vehicle’s chassis.
How to avoid Car Shake
There are a few things you can do in order to reduce torque steer :
- Make sure that both inner wheels are balanced with each other by checking if there’s an equal amount of weight on both sides. This means having the car jacked up on its side and moving it back and forth until it feels balanced so that all parts of your wheel are rotating at the same speed when put into reverse … but make sure not to attempt doing this alone because you could fall under your car! Call a tow truck company instead!
- Your drive axles need to have an equal amount of torque being put through each wheel. This does not mean that each axle needs to have the same size or type of tire, just that both wheels are handling the same amount of power so they can rotate at a similar speed. If you find one wheel on your car is spinning faster than the other when in reverse, consult with an expert mechanic so they can balance your drive axles for you.
- Look into getting new tires altogether if this issue continues to exist within your vehicle because it could be as simple as having a good set of tires installed on your ride. Your current ones might just be worn out from use!
If those 3 things don’t work, then there’s another issue that needs to be taken care of.
With today’s technology, there’s no reason as to why you should continue dealing with this rattling issue… so get it fixed as soon as possible!