Wheel Shake at 65+ MPH
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 176
Likes: 1
From: Buffalo Grove Illinois
Wheel Shake at 65+ MPH
I am trying to pinpoint a wheel shake issue. I normally run TSW 19" front wheels (20"rears). I have never had any steering shake or vibration and had the car up to 170+ in the past. I recently bought a mint set of wagon wheels for the dragstrip. When I put them on started getting a bad steering wheel shake. Started at 40 MPH. I had brand new Nitto NT 555 tires on the wagon wheels. I had them rebalance the wheels. One wheel was off by only a half ounce. Vibration still existed but at 50+ MPH. I put my TSW 19" wheels back on and even when these wheels are back on I am still getting a vibration at 60+ MPH. I have re-tightened the lug nuts several times to make sure they are all at 95 lbs.
What front end component could contribute to this? I never had any vibrations before swapping wheels around.
Could an axle bearing nut be lose? End link? Bad tie rod?
I know all these wheels are balance perfectly. I even had Discount Tire replace one Nitto 555 because it appeard slighhtly out of round when I watched it on the balancer. Thanks for your help.
What front end component could contribute to this? I never had any vibrations before swapping wheels around.
Could an axle bearing nut be lose? End link? Bad tie rod?
I know all these wheels are balance perfectly. I even had Discount Tire replace one Nitto 555 because it appeard slighhtly out of round when I watched it on the balancer. Thanks for your help.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,835
Likes: 302
From: Columbia SC
Try and see if the shake changes if you go into a left or right turn at speed. It does not seem that the wheels and tires are the issue. That it happened after you changed them out would seem to indicate putting the car in the air affected something. First guess would be shock related.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,335
Likes: 1,590
From: Western NY
I'm thinking wheel hub bearing. Jack the car, and slowly rotate the tires. See if it feels like there's gravel in the bearings, and also grip the tire at the top and bottom and try to rock it in and out. If there's a lot of play, you probably have a bad wheel bearing.
The entire hub bearing is replaced as a unit, there are no "nuts" to tighten. If you like to go that fast, the SKF heavy duty hub bearings are the only way to go....
The entire hub bearing is replaced as a unit, there are no "nuts" to tighten. If you like to go that fast, the SKF heavy duty hub bearings are the only way to go....
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 176
Likes: 1
From: Buffalo Grove Illinois
Problem solved! The TSW wheels have a plastic trim ring on the back. The one on the left wheel came off and was stuck on the wheel hub. It wasnt noticable becasue it had rust powder on it and looked like part of the hub. The ring was keeping either wheel from seating flat on the rotor face. I took the ring off and wire brushed the rotor face around the lugs studs and put the wheels back on.
Tested up to 120 MPH no hsake or shimmy.
Tested up to 120 MPH no hsake or shimmy.
