That got you reading didn't it?
I have a question as always. As you may remember, some weeks ago I was on here whining about how 1 tyre was wearing quicker than the other and there was some wheel shake on my '99 Focus. After the advice of the BR's, I had the tracking sorted, the wheels balanced (all of them) and the steering wheel aligned.
Now - I've noticed that at 70ish, if you take your hands off the wheel (not completely off as that would be dangerous ;-) - just loosen the grip slightly) there is quite a bit of shake. The second problem is that at slower speeds the steering wheel seems to ever so slightly "bob" left then right very quickly but continuously but only if you're not gripping the steering wheel.
My question is, is this damaging the car? I only ask because the problem doesn't bother me - if you're holding the wheel properly then you dont' really notice I just don't want it to be silently damaging my car. A completely unrelated matter possibly is that when I was driving home from getting the wheels balanced, I turned right relatively quickly and heard a mechanical clang which I checked when I got home using my limited...well - non-existent mechanical skills. I dont' know how wheel balancing works but my thought was that a weight had fallen off the back wheel as the noise came from the rear. Of course, I could be wrong.
I would be very grateful for any input - if it isn't damaging the car then I don't care because like I said before, if you drive properly, then you don't notice anything.
Many thanks in advance,
Adam
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1. Wheel balancing. When they balance a wheel they put little weights on. If steel wheels, these are little weights hammered on to the rim. If alloys, then (if you are lucky!) they are little stick on weights.
Look on a wheel where you know there are balance weights, and identify them. Then look at the other wheels and look for them. If there aren't any, then maybe they have fallen off. Nothing for it but to pay for rebalancing (or you may be able to persuade them that their weights have fallen off).
2. Is it doing any harm? Well it isn't doing any good.
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I remember on my last Accord that the alloys (aftermarket BK Racing 604) were sensitive to where the balance weights were actually fitted. On the inside of the rim - vibration; on the outside between the spokes - no problem. Because of the design, they were the stick-on type.
Andy
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As others say - sounds like a balance problem. I would, as I have in the past, go back to whoever did the job and tell them the symptoms, probably leaving out the noise on the way home as they might say you knocked off the weight...
Sounds a little like a part-trained monkey did the job. At least one wheel balance badly and a weight fell off a second.
hth
Andy
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Adski
'Bobbing'? Do you mean the wheel is turning slightly left, right, left as you drive slowly?
If so, based on my experience, the problem is almost certainly a distorted front tyre, which is oscillating on the road. Wheel balance problems don't show up at low speeds. The distortion will never be cured by balancing, which is why the car still shakes at higher speeds.
Try swapping each front tyre for the spare or a rear tyre in turn, and see if this isolates the faulty tyre.
Regards
JS
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Thank you for all of your advice. Yes the wheel does turn left right left right slightly as you drive. To comment on the distorted tyre; the front right has worn quicker than the left presumably due to the tracking being out. You can see the outer edge is visibly worn but not enough to be dangerous. If this is the case, presumably a new tyre will cure this. If so, can I leave this problem until I decide to get 2 new front tyres in a few months time?
Very many thanks for your help
Adam
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Am not sure if you fully understand what John S has said. Have you checked whether the tyres themselves are distorted? Car tyres should not be used if they are five or more years old. On cheap tyres especially, the sidewalls can gradually buckle and completely collapse when they are very old. If you rotate each wheel in turn you will notice whether they are running perfectly true. I'm not suggesting that this is the case but it's worth checking. John is right, a problem like this at low speed won't be a balancing problem as such. You need to get this sorted. Mikey
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If you rotate each wheel in turn you will notice whether they are running perfectly true. I'm not suggesting that this is the case but it's worth checking.
>>John is right, a problem like this at low speed won't be a balancing problem as such.
>>
I had this problem with Goodyear Club tyres.
I marked each tyre with a fibre pen. Using the Goodyear label on the tyres, I marked a diffent letter for each tyre.
Then I swapped Left front to Left back etc. Each time logging which tyre was where and effect on steering.
I too had the wheels balanced first.
I used a very smooth quiet road and drove very very slowly. I could feel the wandering effect. With the car jacked up, spinning the wheel and very carefully watching the tyre against the background, I could detect the distortion.
>>If so, can I leave this problem until I decide to get 2 new front tyres in a few months time?
I assume you meant two new tyres for the REAR.
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Yes I had misunderstood ;-)
Now I understand though and I will try Henry's method later on today.
Many thanks...I'll let you know how I get on.
Adam
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Tracking has to be done/adjusted equally between both wheels.if only one side is adjusted.wear will occur on one side only.replacement of tyre wont cure it.just means replacement of same tyre more often.it sounds like you have 2 probs 1 as my previous post.the other tracking was only adjusted on one side.think DD mentioned on another thread.and is correct.try taking elsewhere to correct
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Was mech1
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Adam
I had the wheels balanced on my Audi recently but a vibration still existed afterwards - took it to another garage and they found that one of wheels was buckled - as was the spare - two new wheels on the front cured the problem. Steel wheels are cheap
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Would suggest it is tyre prob.it may be the tread is out of line in a certain section of tread.this will cause wheel woble
it wont be a good idea to leave.as it will cause undue stress on the steering.And would say get it sorted before any damage occurs.Both balancing and tracking cannot help in this case,
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Was mech1
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I had two new Continental Sport Contacts fitted to the front wheels of my Mondeo a few weeks back.
The following weekend was first time I'd done any speed (60+) and I noticed a wheel wobble at just over indictaed 70mph, so took the car back and had them rebalanced.
This was done FOC and my rears were balanced too.
This still did not cure the wobble, so after a third unsuccessful balancing attempt they replaced the new tyres with two identical ones from stock and the problem was cured.
Again, this didn't cost me anything and I was quite impressed that they were willing to try new tyres when it could have turned out to have been the car at fault in some way.
Never found out what was wrong with the originally fitted tyre/s, I assume one was out of round or something.
PP
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"Advice Please - Focus All Over The Place" - stop drinking.
Have you checked your track rod ends, and all wishbone bushes for wear?
Jack up front wheel and see if there is any play as you try to turn the wheel left and right, also try turning the wheel up and down so to speak. With a good bit of wood under the tyre and the wheel slightly above it, put a bent metal bar in between the two and lever the car wheel up and down, again if there is any play find out where it's coming from.
play = a bit of easy movement before the real force is required to move it. Errr think of a house door which is closed you can rattle the door even though it is closed this is "play".
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was kev_is_here
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