front end shudder

[steveo314]

hello all,

I have a '10 Cobalt LT. I have had the front end shuddering on it. This happens when going 55+ mph or when braking. The steering wheel shakes during braking also. Is this the bushings in the control arms or something else?

 

[Brimstone]

There's a couple things to check. Rotate and balance with an alignment and see if that makes any difference. If the shake gets worse when braking at speed, you could have a warped rotor or a stuck caliper. Jack the car up and check the control arms, ball joints, and tie rod ends for any excessive play. Also take the wheels off and check out your brakes. My '07 has had a shake before, the rotate helped quite a bit but its still there. I think in my car it's going to come down to a tie rod end.

 

[Lewis Van Tassel]

I've had this very same issue on my 05 cobalt for a few years now. The shudder starts around 55mph and smooths out again once I pass 60-65mph. It also happens when applying the breaks. I have done the following in my attempt to get rid of the shudder (all to no success).

Replaced:

• Hub bearings
• Front/Rear rotors/drums
• break pads
• tires
• inner/outer tie-rod ends
• sway bar links

I've also balanced the wheels and done regular rotations. Every time I try something it always seems to work, I'm really happy that I "FInally figured it out" and then about two days into my commuted the shudder is back again. I have come to believe that this is just the way this car is meant to roll and I've stopped stressing about it. Plus, the money I'm spending on car parts is cutting into my beer fund, which is stressing me out even more. Good luck my friend, and if you figure it out, send me a note.

 

[Brimstone]

I hear ya, so far I've done all that as well (plus replacing the control arms and calipers, but minus the tie rod ends) and I still have a little shimmy around 55 mph when the steering wheel is in center-neutral. Once I get above 60 or 65 (I usually cruise at 75) it smoothes out. Also of interest, if I adjust the steering wheel position to the top, it seems to reduce it compared to having the wheel in a lower position. Not sure if I will ever track it all the way down, I've read about a guy who basically replaced every single moving part in the front end of his Cobalt and it still shutters. Next on my list is the tie rod ends, if it still shakes after that I'm not sure what my next move will be.

 

[1/4 million]

I have the shutter when I brake kinda hard. not locking them up but harder than a normal stop. I looked for a while to find the culprit sounds like it is coming from under the dash. but I have just decided to live with it. it has only been doing it since 125k miles so for the past 200,000 miles or so. if it happened all the time I would worry more. but I can go weeks-months with out it happening.

 

[mjb]

Maybe it's a 2010 thing? Mine is a 2008 and I've never had anything like that. Right after I got it I had a "thumping" that just ended up being bad tires, but you have replaced that and more. Of course, "I can't drive 55" as Sammy says, so maybe mine does do it at that speed? But I never notice it in acceleration or braking. Make sure you torque your front lugs evenly to keep the rotor from warping.

 

[munron]

Another problem the earlier Cobalts, maybe all of them, had was a plastic gear in the base of the steering column that wears and allows some play which shows up as a vibration or shudder. Unfortunately the only fix is to replace the steering column. The good news is that other than being annoying it poses no safety hazard. Just a thought.