Tire Balancing and my vibrating steering wheel (Comments are welcome, thx)
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From: LA
Thank for all the great comments and sorry for late reply:
I have driven my car again, bringing up to over 80mph. I do feel some vibration, but the vibration feels like what my steering wheel vibrates when I start my car at idle state, only stronger.
Firestone probably didn't do a good job on balancing, so I will redo it at my 30k maintenance. However, the second tire balancing is already much better than the first one. I might also over react. I will see when the 3rd balancing is done at my 30k maintenance (currenty at 29000+). I will keep you updated!
Also, how does one determine whether the tires are defects or not?
Thanks! Good Day =)
I have driven my car again, bringing up to over 80mph. I do feel some vibration, but the vibration feels like what my steering wheel vibrates when I start my car at idle state, only stronger.
Firestone probably didn't do a good job on balancing, so I will redo it at my 30k maintenance. However, the second tire balancing is already much better than the first one. I might also over react. I will see when the 3rd balancing is done at my 30k maintenance (currenty at 29000+). I will keep you updated!
Also, how does one determine whether the tires are defects or not?
Thanks! Good Day =)
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,090
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Originally Posted by antdiesel3
Alignment does NOT cause vibration. Warped rotors would most likely cause a vibration during braking.
Vibration at a certain speed usually is a tire being out of balance or out of round. Even new tires can have defects causing an out of round condition. Vibration can also be caused by a bent or out or round wheel.
It seems like he started experiencing the virbration after he had new tires installed. I would have to point to a defective tire as the culprit.
Vibration at a certain speed usually is a tire being out of balance or out of round. Even new tires can have defects causing an out of round condition. Vibration can also be caused by a bent or out or round wheel.
It seems like he started experiencing the virbration after he had new tires installed. I would have to point to a defective tire as the culprit.
In 99% of the cases steering wheel vibration is caused by improperly balanced wheels, bent wheel(s), improperly inflated tires or defective tire(s). The only other thing that can cause a vibration is a flat spot on the tires. Sometimes when a car has been in the same spot for a really long time, like some used cars on Dealers lots, a flat spot will develop which temporaily causes a vibration. After the tires are driven for a while, the flat spot will disappear.
Maybe you are lucky and it's simply a matter of improperly inflated tires. Carefully check the air pressure of each of your cold tires to ensure that they are in spec.
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Joined: Apr 2004
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From: North Jersey
what do you do with a tire that is out of round? can you shave it?
Also, I just got a flat tire and the shop just told there are bubbles coming out of it and therefore I need to get a new tire for the front, my tires only have 15K miles and i don't want to spend $250 on a tire just yet, I want to take my rim to get a second opinion, what do you guys think?
Also, I just got a flat tire and the shop just told there are bubbles coming out of it and therefore I need to get a new tire for the front, my tires only have 15K miles and i don't want to spend $250 on a tire just yet, I want to take my rim to get a second opinion, what do you guys think?
Originally Posted by FAST1
You beat me to the punch .A common misconception is that a bad allignment causes a vibration. I suppose if you drove with badly alligned wheels for a long enough time, the tires would have such uneven wear that it may cause a vibration.
In 99% of the cases steering wheel vibration is caused by improperly balanced wheels, bent wheel(s), improperly inflated tires or defective tire(s). The only other thing that can cause a vibration is a flat spot on the tires. Sometimes when a car has been in the same spot for a really long time, like some used cars on Dealers lots, a flat spot will develop which temporaily causes a vibration. After the tires are driven for a while, the flat spot will disappear.
Maybe you are lucky and it's simply a matter of improperly inflated tires. Carefully check the air pressure of each of your cold tires to ensure that they are in spec.
In 99% of the cases steering wheel vibration is caused by improperly balanced wheels, bent wheel(s), improperly inflated tires or defective tire(s). The only other thing that can cause a vibration is a flat spot on the tires. Sometimes when a car has been in the same spot for a really long time, like some used cars on Dealers lots, a flat spot will develop which temporaily causes a vibration. After the tires are driven for a while, the flat spot will disappear.
Maybe you are lucky and it's simply a matter of improperly inflated tires. Carefully check the air pressure of each of your cold tires to ensure that they are in spec.
Originally Posted by Lucino
what do you do with a tire that is out of round? can you shave it?
Also, I just got a flat tire and the shop just told there are bubbles coming out of it and therefore I need to get a new tire for the front, my tires only have 15K miles and i don't want to spend $250 on a tire just yet, I want to take my rim to get a second opinion, what do you guys think?
Also, I just got a flat tire and the shop just told there are bubbles coming out of it and therefore I need to get a new tire for the front, my tires only have 15K miles and i don't want to spend $250 on a tire just yet, I want to take my rim to get a second opinion, what do you guys think?
If the bubbles are from a puncture you can have a patch put on it. On a speed rated tire I believe this eliminates any high speed rating because the tire is compromised.
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Joined: Jul 2005
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From: Rhode Island
For an excellent explanation of the many things that can cause wheels to vibrate, check this out:
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...oBalancing.jsp
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...oBalancing.jsp
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