Car sways at low speeds?

[Omerta]

Thought I'd ask on here just to see if anyone has had this issue. Taking the car to the shop on Monday anyways but never hurts to ask for opinions.

At low speeds like 10 to 20 the car sways (rocks) left and right. It goes away at higher speeds but the steering wheel does shake a bit. About 4 days ago my ABS light came on but I figure that's a coincidence. I'm at work now but I figured I'd jack the car up and check the wheels. Anything anyone can think of?

 

[xjsnake]

Sounds like a loose wheel hub to me. Mind would sway and almost feel like it was floating at low speeds when I needed to change my wheel hubs/bearings.

 

[Bondo 440]

You forget the 3 M's .. Make model and mileage
Special guest stars, By order of appearance:

Idler arm ( if your car has one.)Tie rod,center link. Worse case - PS rack
Hub ( Your ABS may be integrated into it ) The mad vibration could loosen debris and trip it, if the "other style )
Tire (bad wear would be obvious )
Strange but seen it once. - - - play in the power steering box

Grab the wheel at the 9 o'clock and 3 O;clock and work it back and forth. Look for play.

To test hubs usually get out in a parking lot and put a load n the bearings like so..
you swing hard left, if it makes noise it's the right.
You swing hard right, if it makes noise it's the left.

 

[Bondo 440]

Oh yeah and your lug nuts can simply be falling off

 

[Omerta]

You forget the 3 M's .. Make model and mileage

Chevy Malibu 2003
Thanks I'll try a couple of those.

 

[Bondo 440]

Some of the threads I checked say your car likes to eat hubs. But there seems to be a robust suspension market out there as well.
Upper and lower ball joints could do this too, but they would be periodically clunking. You'll just have to check it all out.
Should be obvious when you find it.

 

[Omerta]

Thanks glad there is a at least one car guy on here . I'm a senior mechanical engineering student and I couldn't tell you how a wheel is even attached to a car...ok that's an exaggeration but you get the idea lol

 

[Bondo 440]

I'm sure there's more than a couple of us here.

 

[Omerta]

So called my mechanic and he let me bring it up after hours to check it real quick. Both the front tires have a broken belt he thinks it's cause the struts are going bad.

 

[johnnyflake]

If you know the history of the car and the struts have never been changed, chances are you'll need struts, all four.

 

[danmdevries]

So many root causes, sounds like you found one.
Typically low speed things that clear up at higher speeds are caused by loose tolerance in rolling gear i.e. hub bearings, lug nuts loose, steering rack play etc. Once the wheels are spinning fast enough to maintain their own stability, it's not noticed much.

 

[99TRILLS]

How old are your tires? sounds possibly like your cords are separating and causing the low speed wobble. It could be something else but while I was an auto tech I saw this problem a few times, and it was tyres both times