Maintenance Update: Vibration on steering wheel - FIXED
Short story: One of front break's cylinder was jamming due to rust and worn out seal.
For last couple of months, I was having this unusual steering vibration, and I was not able to pinpoint it where it was coming from. It was also random, on and off as I drove it. Was it suspension, was it wheel bearings, was it cross bearing on drive shaft??? I searched online, and nothing helped much.
I got it to my regular mechanic, he drove it, it went away this time. But he recommended get it wheel balanced and aligned. I took it to suspension expert, RK autos, they found nothing but noise in wheel bearings and minor suspension work.
I went on a 200+KM trip with my 4x4 group to Kund Malir, and vibration was on & off during the trip. It was at 70+ speeds, so was pretty annoying as I couldn't get 80-90 speed to keep up with guys.
I was not sure what to do, and what was exact issue, so I kept driving until last week when I found the exact issue.
Somewhere in last week, I started to notice that my Pajero Mini would auto break, and it was really hard to move by pushing when it was idle gear. I got home from office, and as I got out of the vehicle, I touched all four rims, and guess what? Front passenger side rim was too hot to touch.
Now I've finally pinpointed the issue. It's cylinder was jamming up on and off because there was rust on its surface, and its seal was loose. At one break it would jam, at another it'd loosen up.
Another round to the workshop, this time I just told mechanic that break's cylinder is jammed, service it. Got it serviced, total cost was only 650 including new seal and it was just 30 minutes job.
Immediately noticed that engine is less stressed, car rolling on its own when on slight slop, and vibration totally gone at speed of 70+. However, break pads are 50% gone for this side, and I'll have to keep a backup pair, as I might need to replace then in couple of months.
If you ever get vibration on steering, or the whole car at high speeds, do not forget to check the breaks. The easiest check is, after driving the car, just touch the rims of your car. If one of the rim is hotter than rest, that one got the break jam problem. Get it fixed.