bad shaking

My car drives fine up till 60 mph or so. Then I get a pretty bad shake in the steering wheel and really the whole car, steering wheel is real bad though. Up till then it is a very nice ride. I have tried to get it up to about 70 and see if it stops but it doesn't and I don't want the car to fall apart. I'm sure it could be a balance issue but seems way to much shake for just a balance issue. Would be great if that is all it is. Any local guys know a good place to go in the Orlando area to balance and align the car?
I'm posting to get some other ideas of what it could be and so I can check them as well. Could a bad balance shake the car really badly? I thought it usually just gave the car a slight shimmy.
Thanks
B

Mine does that too. I'm beginning to suspect the brake rotors.

A bad balance can make the car shake quite badly.

Have the wheels been balanced before, if so have a look to see if one of the weights has dropped off.

Other things to check, that only take time.

Support the car with the wheels off the ground.
Get hold of the top and bottom of the wheel and rock it to feel for play. If there is play get a watcher to keep an eye behind the wheel to see where the play is.
Put a short lever between the chassis and the suspension arm and lever. Any more than minimal play indicates worn bushes or arms

That sort of vibration in the 65 mph area sounds like front wheel / front tire balance. If your shocks are worn then this will make it worse. Mine does it a bit, and this almost dissappears when I balance the front wheels.

Some times it seems worse than other times and I wonder if this might be because the out of balance effects in the two front wheels comes into and out of phase phase with each other.

Thanks, I'll check that stuff out. I'm thinking of swapping the front and rear tires since I don't feel the rear vibrating. I have never checked my shocks either, I need to do that and wiggle the tire. Hope I can solve this soon. It is getting close to summer time and car shows. :beer:

Check the wire wheels for trueness and the spokes for tightness by tapping on them with your fingernail.

I would suspect broken or loose spokes. As I had that problem a few years ago, and it was the spokes..

give your drive shaft a good shake at the universal joints and see if you have any play . A really bad universal will shake the whole car at the right speed.

I really hope it's not a bad wheel. I did take the spare and put it on. I am going to retube the flat one that I replaced and put it on there. Hoping that maybe that tire was bad and thats why it was in the trunk. Might get lucky with it. Have no idea where to get a tube though.

Depending on how old the tires are, it's worth having a really good look at them all in case one or more has carcase damage and is on the verge of failing. If they are old and of unknown history then I would plan to replace them - specially of you like running at 70 mph a lot!