Wander
Wander is the tendency of the vehicle to require frequent, random left and right steering wheel (3600) corrections to maintain a straight path down a level road.
Shimmy
Shimmy, as observed by the driver, is large, consistent, rotational oscillations of the steering wheel resulting from large, side-to-side (lateral) tire/wheel movements.
Shimmy is usually experienced near 64 km/h (40 mph), and can begin or be amplified when the tire contacts pot holes or irregularities in the road surface.
Nibble
Sometimes confused with shimmy, nibble is a condition resulting from tire and wheel imbalance. It is observed by the driver as small rotational oscillations of the steering wheel.
Poor Returnability/Sticky Steering
Poor returnability and sticky steering is used to described the poor return of the steering wheel to center after a turn or the steering correction is completed.
Drift/Pull
Pull is a tugging sensation, felt by the hands on the steering wheel, that must be overcome to keep the vehicle going straight.
Drift describes what a vehicle with this condition does with hands off the steering wheel.
- A vehicle-related drift/pull, on a flat road, will cause a consistent deviation from the straight-ahead path and require constant steering input in the opposite direction to counteract the effect.
- Drift/pull may be induced by conditions external to the vehicle (i.e., wind, road camber).
Poor Groove Feel
Poor groove feel is characterized by little or no buildup of turning effort felt in the steering wheel as the wheel is rocked slowly left and right within very small turns around center or straight-ahead (under 20 degrees of steering wheel turn). Efforts may be said to be "light or low on center."
- In the diagnosis of a readability problem, it is important to understand the difference between wander and poor groove feel.