4 Wheel Drive/SUVs: Steering wheel shakes, jeep grand cherokee laredo, jeep grand cherokee

Question
I have a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo (6 cyl) with close to 60,000 miles.  Every now and then the steering wheel will shake so violently my teeth chatter. After slowing down a bit it will stop.  This has just recently started happening.  I need to replace all 4 tires (wear) but is there anything else I should be aware of?  Also is it safe to drive until I can get it in? (I know for liability reasons you can't guarantee safety on a vehicle you haven't looked at but can you give me a guess based on past experience with this problem).  Thanks

Answer
Nadine,

I've had the same problem, more than once.  The normal cause of this problem, is: 1)  Out of round, or unbalanced tires;  2)  Bad or worn shocks;  3)  Bad or no steering stabilizer;  and 4)  Worn steering components.  I would guess that the problem should go away, after you replace the tires, and have them balanced.  You should consider replacing the shocks, and steering stabilizer at the same time.  As far as driving it with the problem, this can cause other problems after time, such as ruining the front bearings, and the CV joints on the front axles.  Make sure that you go to a reputable shop, and it wouldn't hurt to get more than one estimate.  There are shops around that will want you to replace every part in the front end at a very high price.

  Carl