Sumitimo Tires
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,616
Likes: 5
From: Sandhills of North Carolina
This is weird........I replaced my rotors yesterday. Before taking the tires off the front I jacked the car up and gave each front wheel a good shake in all directions to see if there was any movement that might be causing the shimmy. There was........outer tie rods need replaceing. So I said GREAT not a wheel issue then maybe. I just need to replace those and get an alignment and all should be fine. Put the new rotors on and in the process of burnishing them got up to the shake speed and guess what..........no shake!!! Just to weird.....
Looks like another project to add to the list. 
Looks like another project to add to the list.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 7,625
Likes: 4
From: Director of Bands
St. Jude Donor '08
I have a front vibration that started the day I installed 4 new Tomz wheels and 4 new Tirerack Sumitomo tires. I tried swapping a suspected bad rim with a new one I bought from Tomz. No luck there. No one can figure out the problem even on the Roadforce Hunter machine 3 times. I think the idiots at Firestone don't know how to work the thing. I spent way too much money on this already. I should have left it be. I guess the next step is trying new tires. I'm about ready to give up and sell all four tires and rims. I will be hard for me to ever buy tires and rims off the internet again. Too much of a headache.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,514
Likes: 30
From: Friendswood TX
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,221
Likes: 446
From: Overland Park Kansas
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C4 of Year Winner (appearance mods) 2019
This is weird........I replaced my rotors yesterday. Before taking the tires off the front I jacked the car up and gave each front wheel a good shake in all directions to see if there was any movement that might be causing the shimmy. There was........outer tie rods need replaceing. So I said GREAT not a wheel issue then maybe. I just need to replace those and get an alignment and all should be fine. Put the new rotors on and in the process of burnishing them got up to the shake speed and guess what..........no shake!!! Just to weird..... Looks like another project to add to the list.
Looks like another project to add to the list. 
I think I have a similar issue with my Jeep but it's on the rear. Much harder to imagine but I bet the rear axle bearings have a little slop. The cheap drums I bought probably aren't true. When I press on the brakes in that vehicle, the rear end sometimes shakes significantly.
(Every part on the rear brakes was replaced... cylinders, lines, shoes, springs, drums, everything).
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,616
Likes: 5
From: Sandhills of North Carolina
[quote=GREGGPENN;1564749874]So... you're old rotors were a little warped and the tie-rods amplified the shimmy from the caliper-to-warped-rotor contact. Nice catch! Didn't you feel that amplified when braking?Not that I noticed, Gregg. The brakes were a little soft, probably because of the old rubber lines but no pulseing at all. When I put the new rotors on I had a lot of pulseing. I'm hoping this is the old pads seating in and not these cheap rotors. The fronts are just about new and the rears probably have 10k on them. It's improving every day though. Maybe this might be the tie rod issue just showing up in a different spot. I hope to get the rods fixed next week so I guess I'll know then. These Summi's I'm running now are wider than the Firehawks that were on the car so maybe that has some effect on everything.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 7,625
Likes: 4
From: Director of Bands
St. Jude Donor '08
This is weird........I replaced my rotors yesterday. Before taking the tires off the front I jacked the car up and gave each front wheel a good shake in all directions to see if there was any movement that might be causing the shimmy. There was........outer tie rods need replaceing. So I said GREAT not a wheel issue then maybe. I just need to replace those and get an alignment and all should be fine. Put the new rotors on and in the process of burnishing them got up to the shake speed and guess what..........no shake!!! Just to weird..... Looks like another project to add to the list.
Looks like another project to add to the list. Still haven't ponied up for the Goodyears.... other expenses came first. Wish I could stand to drive my Vette on long trips... I would just put the old (really old GSD3s) back on the car but one of the rims is cracked.
Until I get some $$$ together, I'm just gonna have to live with sub-par tires for a while...
Racer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 477
Likes: 1
From: Jefferson Georgia
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 7,625
Likes: 4
From: Director of Bands
St. Jude Donor '08
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,604
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix, Arizona
I just scored though...found a set of 315's (brand new w/ the stickers still on the tires!) in the C4 F/S forum. Got them for $450 + $70 shipping. That's $260 a tire shipped!
Mine aren't even worn out yet but, considering you can't get a set of D3's in 315's anywhere, I jumped on this deal. FWIW..Tirerack's price is $292 per tire + shipping, and they have no idea when they will even see them in that size. "On backorder from hell"
Okay, I'm done gloating.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 21,094
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From: Phila., PA burbs
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,604
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix, Arizona
Well I haven't heard that but I did hear that GY wasn't even going to start producing them until the end of the year. Any way you look at it, 315/17's are becoming a rare breed. It's either Sumi's (just won't go that route on my car), Goodyears (or better yet good luck), or Vredesteins (which I've heard very little about). Other than that, it's drag radials...which I've considered.
In the meantime, I'm very lucky to have a fresh set of D3's in my garage.
In the meantime, I'm very lucky to have a fresh set of D3's in my garage.