Wheels will not balance
#1
Wheels will not balance
I am a new member with my first Corvette, a 2002 Red Coupe. I love it. Recently I bought a set of new C6 ZR1 style wheels from a speed shop here in Florida. I put new Nitto Extremes, 255/45-ZR17 and 285/40-ZR18, on them. I have had the car at 2 different tire shops trying to get them to stop shaking at 60mph. Has anyone had this problem and how do you tell if it is the tire or the rim? I'm pretty sure which wheel is causing the problem, but I'm not 100% and the shop bills are piling up.
#4
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Could be your wheels are bent/out of round or the tires have a problem. A good shop should be able to pinpoint the problem.
#5
I am a new member with my first Corvette, a 2002 Red Coupe. I love it. Recently I bought a set of new C6 ZR1 style wheels from a speed shop here in Florida. I put new Nitto Extremes, 255/45-ZR17 and 285/40-ZR18, on them. I have had the car at 2 different tire shops trying to get them to stop shaking at 60mph. Has anyone had this problem and how do you tell if it is the tire or the rim? I'm pretty sure which wheel is causing the problem, but I'm not 100% and the shop bills are piling up.
#6
Racer
Why keep taking them to different shops? If they vibrated after the first balance I'd return to the shop and explain the issue. Request a rebalance or a refund. If they can show you the wheels and tires balance on their machine you may need to look else ware for the cause of the vibration. Good luck.
#7
Check to make sure the sheet metal "speed nuts" are not still holding the brake rotors on (usually two per wheel). If they are some wheels will not seat flat on the rotor hub. Causes a lot of shaking. Have a look and good luck.
If the brakes have never been done on your car you can almost be certain the speed nuts are still holding the rotors on. On the back of the factory C5 wheels of all variations there is a reveal cut into the rims that allow them to go over the nuts. If you still have the original wheels just look at the back of the lug nut holes. You will see the machining work done. Many aftermarket and perhaps factory wheels from other later versions of the car may not have this feature.
My CCW wheels did not have the relief cut into them and I had exactly the same issue until John at CCW asked the question about the speed nuts. The man knows his stuff.
Worth pulling a wheel off to have a look. Again good luck.
If the brakes have never been done on your car you can almost be certain the speed nuts are still holding the rotors on. On the back of the factory C5 wheels of all variations there is a reveal cut into the rims that allow them to go over the nuts. If you still have the original wheels just look at the back of the lug nut holes. You will see the machining work done. Many aftermarket and perhaps factory wheels from other later versions of the car may not have this feature.
My CCW wheels did not have the relief cut into them and I had exactly the same issue until John at CCW asked the question about the speed nuts. The man knows his stuff.
Worth pulling a wheel off to have a look. Again good luck.
Last edited by Black 03 Z06; 07-27-2016 at 08:42 AM.
#8
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Why keep taking them to different shops? If they vibrated after the first balance I'd return to the shop and explain the issue. Request a rebalance or a refund. If they can show you the wheels and tires balance on their machine you may need to look else ware for the cause of the vibration. Good luck.
#9
Instructor
Wheels will not balance
I had the same issue with my C6 ZR1 wheels on my C5, I took the car to a reputable shop and they performed a Road Force Balance and the problem was solved. Not all shops do that so make sure they have the proper equipment. Good luck and hope the issue is resolved soon.
#11
Instructor
A "balance" problem will come in and out as speeds change. So- it might be smooth at 55, vibrating at 65, smooth again at 75.
An out of round issue (either wheel, wheel to hub/rotor, or tire) will start at a certain speed (when you notice it) and continue to get worse as speed rises. Vibration at 65, worse at 70, still worse at 75, etc.
No amount of balancing can fix an out of round wheel, tire, or combination of wheel and tire. Of course, a cheaper wheel is more likely to be out of round, but any wheel manufacturer will have every wheel tested for out of round before it leaves his factory. It's just that a cheaper wheel will have a larger allowable tolerance so fewer wheels get rejected- higher tolerances, that's one reason they can sell for less.
Now- a possible saving grace:
The wheel AND tire are never perfect. If you have the "high spot" of the tire at the "high spot" of the wheel, the out of round is magnified. You can rotate the two to be opposite each other, and negate the effect.
So:
1. Mark the original position of the valve, on the tire.
2. Dismount the wheel/tire.
3. Run a runout test on the wheel.
4. Re-mount the tire BUT have the tire mounted 180 degrees to its original location. Rebalance.
Test. Most of the time, your problem is eliminated. You still have an out of round situation- but it's hidden by the suspension.
If you use the car on the track, though, don't buy cheap wheels!!!
An out of round issue (either wheel, wheel to hub/rotor, or tire) will start at a certain speed (when you notice it) and continue to get worse as speed rises. Vibration at 65, worse at 70, still worse at 75, etc.
No amount of balancing can fix an out of round wheel, tire, or combination of wheel and tire. Of course, a cheaper wheel is more likely to be out of round, but any wheel manufacturer will have every wheel tested for out of round before it leaves his factory. It's just that a cheaper wheel will have a larger allowable tolerance so fewer wheels get rejected- higher tolerances, that's one reason they can sell for less.
Now- a possible saving grace:
The wheel AND tire are never perfect. If you have the "high spot" of the tire at the "high spot" of the wheel, the out of round is magnified. You can rotate the two to be opposite each other, and negate the effect.
So:
1. Mark the original position of the valve, on the tire.
2. Dismount the wheel/tire.
3. Run a runout test on the wheel.
4. Re-mount the tire BUT have the tire mounted 180 degrees to its original location. Rebalance.
Test. Most of the time, your problem is eliminated. You still have an out of round situation- but it's hidden by the suspension.
If you use the car on the track, though, don't buy cheap wheels!!!
#12
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When your checking for the metal clips on the rotor / stud, do a good inspection on the wheel hubs. There should be little or no lost motion if you do a push / Pull test on the wheel/s and check for loose HUB BEARINGS.
BC
BC
#13
Ditto!!!
#14
Le Mans Master
I had to look it up. Interesting. I doubt if the tire shops I use have that equipment.
#15
Found and removed those.
Check to make sure the sheet metal "speed nuts" are not still holding the brake rotors on (usually two per wheel). If they are some wheels will not seat flat on the rotor hub. Causes a lot of shaking. Have a look and good luck.
If the brakes have never been done on your car you can almost be certain the speed nuts are still holding the rotors on. On the back of the factory C5 wheels of all variations there is a reveal cut into the rims that allow them to go over the nuts. If you still have the original wheels just look at the back of the lug nut holes. You will see the machining work done. Many aftermarket and perhaps factory wheels from other later versions of the car may not have this feature.
My CCW wheels did not have the relief cut into them and I had exactly the same issue until John at CCW asked the question about the speed nuts. The man knows his stuff.
Worth pulling a wheel off to have a look. Again good luck.
If the brakes have never been done on your car you can almost be certain the speed nuts are still holding the rotors on. On the back of the factory C5 wheels of all variations there is a reveal cut into the rims that allow them to go over the nuts. If you still have the original wheels just look at the back of the lug nut holes. You will see the machining work done. Many aftermarket and perhaps factory wheels from other later versions of the car may not have this feature.
My CCW wheels did not have the relief cut into them and I had exactly the same issue until John at CCW asked the question about the speed nuts. The man knows his stuff.
Worth pulling a wheel off to have a look. Again good luck.
Thanks for your input.
#16
Thats new to me
Thanks.
#17
"My Dad's a TV Repairman"
I dealt with the same issue, over and over on a set of chromed Speedline stars that some dirtbag on Craigslist sold me. They actually zeroed out, but a sharp tech at Discount Tire noticed that a couple of them were out of round, by simply lifting the safety shield and watching the tire spin- You could see the slight wobble. An out of round condition can happen to soft, spun-cast wheels like the Speedlines when you hit 'em hard enough on potholes, and cause a side to side that balancing won't fix. Got rid of the soft and bent Speedlines, and put on a set of GM (forged Alcoa) polished stars that I sourced from SVT Bone for a great price. Now? Car is like a Cadillac at 75 with the cruise on.
Last edited by Fed Up; 07-27-2016 at 06:34 PM.
#18
Melting Slicks
#19
Good video
http://www.motorweek.org/features/go...orce_balancing
I had to look it up. Interesting. I doubt if the tire shops I use have that equipment.
I had to look it up. Interesting. I doubt if the tire shops I use have that equipment.
#20
Not really.
They were only on the front. My new wheels do not have the indention to allow for the star nuts. I couldn't tell if it made a difference removing them. I think my biggest problem is still in the right rear. I will try Road Force Balancing that one and see.
Thanks.
Thanks.