Intermittent High Speed Vibration With New Wheels
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,740
Likes: 5
From: Central FL
Intermittent High Speed Vibration With New Wheels
I bought a brand new set of 17/18reproduction Z06 Motorsport wheels a few weeks ago..I've been battling a high speed vibration that comes in waves...there for a second gone for a second...there for a second...etc. I feel it in my seat not in the steering wheel which leads me to believe it's coming from the back tires. A tire shop mounted balanced and road forced them. They are the stock Goodyear emt's and with the stock wheels I don't remember any vibration. I had a set of repro Z06's and non runflats on I was "borrowing" from my Trans Am from aug-march till I fixed it and there was no vibration. I had another shop check the balance in the back wheels today and although one of the tires was a 1/4 ounce off it didn't fix my problem. So could this be a(the)wheels?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
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From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
Either out of balance overall as in the balance person didn't do it right or the rims could be out of round or just plain old manufactured poorly. I've heard several times there's some nice looking but cheap Chinese rims out there that won't work very well. Its also possible you have a bad tire(s).
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,740
Likes: 5
From: Central FL
Either out of balance overall as in the balance person didn't do it right or the rims could be out of round or just plain old manufactured poorly. I've heard several times there's some nice looking but cheap Chinese rims out there that won't work very well. Its also possible you have a bad tire(s).
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
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From: Should this thoughtful, valuable contribution meet with no acknowledgement or 'thanks' this post----
Twice happened for me. Aftermarket wheels very often do not meet the stringent specifications of OEM wheels. There simply isn't adequate quality control. I had to buy 5 wheels from Factory Reproductions to get 4 decent ones. $900 tied up and lots of trips to the installer, Discount Tire, who even ate the cost of a new tire just to find out what was wrong. I ended up getting the vibration almost completely gone by manipulating tire pressure from one side to the next. It works quite well, but should never be necessary. It's too late for you now, but when buying such wheels always test spin them for trueness BEFORE mounting them with tires. You can see the out of roundness as it spins on the hub of your car, or on the balancing machine. Anything more that .100 of an inch cannot be fixed.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,740
Likes: 5
From: Central FL
Twice happened for me. Aftermarket wheels very often do not meet the stringent specifications of OEM wheels. There simply isn't adequate quality control. I had to buy 5 wheels from Factory Reproductions to get 4 decent ones. $900 tied up and lots of trips to the installer, Discount Tire, who even ate the cost of a new tire just to find out what was wrong. I ended up getting the vibration almost completely gone by manipulating tire pressure from one side to the next. It works quite well, but should never be necessary. It's too late for you now, but when buying such wheels always test spin them for trueness BEFORE mounting them with tires. You can see the out of roundness as it spins on the hub of your car, or on the balancing machine. Anything more that .100 of an inch cannot be fixed.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,315
Likes: 17
From: Near Jacksonville Fl.
Just because they road force balanced your tires doesn't mean they will run smooth.
I had a brand new Goodyear GS-D3 with 27lbs of road force and it did the same thing your car is doing.
After much searching I found the magic number is 17lbs if it's more then that the tire is defective.
I had a brand new Goodyear GS-D3 with 27lbs of road force and it did the same thing your car is doing.
After much searching I found the magic number is 17lbs if it's more then that the tire is defective.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,740
Likes: 5
From: Central FL
Just because they road force balanced your tires doesn't mean they will run smooth.
I had a brand new Goodyear GS-D3 with 27lbs of road force and it did the same thing your car is doing.
After much searching I found the magic number is 17lbs if it's more then that the tire is defective.
I had a brand new Goodyear GS-D3 with 27lbs of road force and it did the same thing your car is doing.
After much searching I found the magic number is 17lbs if it's more then that the tire is defective.
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Tech Contributor
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From: Should this thoughtful, valuable contribution meet with no acknowledgement or 'thanks' this post----
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 6,366
Likes: 249
From: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Did you remove the clips that hold the brake rotor on to the wheel studs? Aftermarket wheels do not usually have the recess to accomodate the clips and will make your wheels feel like you have a balance problem. I found this out when I changed wheels on my own car.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,740
Likes: 5
From: Central FL
I was told about the clips possibly being the problem by the shop who mounted them the next day and no I haven't looked however like I said I just had a set of chrome z06's just on the car with a different set of tires and there was no vibration. I also asked the other shop the other day when they took off my rears if they saw any clips when they took them off they said no.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,740
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From: Central FL
Well I took the car back to the original shop(Performance Tire And Wheel) in Orange City, Florida. The owner balanced and road forced the rear tires again and the high speed intermittent vibration seems to be gone! I can drive on the highway now without my teeth chattering. He said the wheels were good. Amazingly, he tried to charge me $23 for the labor and I told him I already paid him for the job the first time and I've been driving around with an annoyimg vibration for 2 months because he didn't do it right then. He wasn't happy and said "oh you're going to be like that and I worked 1/2 hour on your car today" called me up and hung up the phone on me and said "get tires some where else!" I had spoke with him earlier about getting a set of non run flat tires within the next couple months. Um I don't need you sir I can get tires any where...you need customers and you just lost one. 
