Shaking around 80MPH
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
From: Austin Texas
Shaking around 80MPH
I noticed it with my '07 coupe. Very disconcerting and you can even see the headlights kinda dancing around. Slowing down or to a lesser extent speeding up seems to help. As far as I can tell it's due to wind hitting the car but I'm not sure yet. Can wheel alignment cause that kind of shaking?
Just making sure it's normal rather than something that should be checked. My Altima was silky smooth even well into the triple digits. My GPS told me the Altima hit 145 and I didn't know it
Just making sure it's normal rather than something that should be checked. My Altima was silky smooth even well into the triple digits. My GPS told me the Altima hit 145 and I didn't know it
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,630
Likes: 0
From: Studio City CA
I noticed it with my '07 coupe. Very disconcerting and you can even see the headlights kinda dancing around. Slowing down or to a lesser extent speeding up seems to help. As far as I can tell it's due to wind hitting the car but I'm not sure yet. Can wheel alignment cause that kind of shaking?
Just making sure it's normal rather than something that should be checked. My Altima was silky smooth even well into the triple digits. My GPS told me the Altima hit 145 and I didn't know it
Just making sure it's normal rather than something that should be checked. My Altima was silky smooth even well into the triple digits. My GPS told me the Altima hit 145 and I didn't know it
LEX
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 213
Likes: 0
From: Basingstoke England
Sounds like wheel balance (rather than alignment). My C6 has developed a habit (OK, it's done it twice in 2 months) of losing balance weights on the driver's side front wheel. When that happens you get really horrible vibration over 80mph.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 916
Likes: 0
From: Lexington Park MD
I've been having that as well lately. Had a balance/alignment done twice at the dealer within the past 2 weeks. It's gotten better, but still does it. My tires are starting to look like crap(Since March).
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 10,924
Likes: 854
From: Daytona Beach FL
This is a common problem when you put on fancy aftermarket wheels.
The OE wheels have a countersunk area on the inside around the lug holes. These recesses allow the Tinnerman nuts that hold the rotors on to fit into the wheel and allows the wheel to fit flush against the hub.
The Tinnerman nuts are put on simply to temporarily hold the rotors on while the car is coming down the assembly line until calipers and wheels are bolted on. They are not required at all and should be removed when you take the wheels off.
Many aftermarket wheels don't have the countersunk area, so if the Tinnerman nuts are on there the wheel won't seat flush with the hub and no amount of balancing or aligning will stop the high speed vibration.
So....if you have aftermarket wheels, remove those temporary rotor retention nuts.
C6XTACY, looking at your avatar, I bet that would solve your problem.
Bob
The OE wheels have a countersunk area on the inside around the lug holes. These recesses allow the Tinnerman nuts that hold the rotors on to fit into the wheel and allows the wheel to fit flush against the hub.
The Tinnerman nuts are put on simply to temporarily hold the rotors on while the car is coming down the assembly line until calipers and wheels are bolted on. They are not required at all and should be removed when you take the wheels off.
Many aftermarket wheels don't have the countersunk area, so if the Tinnerman nuts are on there the wheel won't seat flush with the hub and no amount of balancing or aligning will stop the high speed vibration.
So....if you have aftermarket wheels, remove those temporary rotor retention nuts.
C6XTACY, looking at your avatar, I bet that would solve your problem.
Bob
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Drifting
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,296
Likes: 1
From: Forest Hill, (Out in the country), north of Baltimore. Maryland. Land of "Pleasant Living" with my Corvette, steamed crabs & crab cakes.
Girlfriend problem
Check with your girlfriend for the "shaking" at 80 MPH. 
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 916
Likes: 0
From: Lexington Park MD
This is a common problem when you put on fancy aftermarket wheels.
The OE wheels have a countersunk area on the inside around the lug holes. These recesses allow the Tinnerman nuts that hold the rotors on to fit into the wheel and allows the wheel to fit flush against the hub.
The Tinnerman nuts are put on simply to temporarily hold the rotors on while the car is coming down the assembly line until calipers and wheels are bolted on. They are not required at all and should be removed when you take the wheels off.
Many aftermarket wheels don't have the countersunk area, so if the Tinnerman nuts are on there the wheel won't seat flush with the hub and no amount of balancing or aligning will stop the high speed vibration.
So....if you have aftermarket wheels, remove those temporary rotor retention nuts.
C6XTACY, looking at your avatar, I bet that would solve your problem.
Bob
The OE wheels have a countersunk area on the inside around the lug holes. These recesses allow the Tinnerman nuts that hold the rotors on to fit into the wheel and allows the wheel to fit flush against the hub.
The Tinnerman nuts are put on simply to temporarily hold the rotors on while the car is coming down the assembly line until calipers and wheels are bolted on. They are not required at all and should be removed when you take the wheels off.
Many aftermarket wheels don't have the countersunk area, so if the Tinnerman nuts are on there the wheel won't seat flush with the hub and no amount of balancing or aligning will stop the high speed vibration.
So....if you have aftermarket wheels, remove those temporary rotor retention nuts.
C6XTACY, looking at your avatar, I bet that would solve your problem.
Bob
Moderator
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: Lakewood Ranch, FL
CF Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 23,313
Likes: 25
From: Tucson Arizona
A racers' trick...you gently tap-down the sharp edges of the wheel weights with a small hammer and cover them with HVAC foil (metallic) tape. This keeps the weights from breaking loose and going anywhere.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
Just remember: this is not a set it and forget thing---wheel balancing and alignments don't stay that way forever. It needs to be done every once in awhile. And some places are better at it, or have better equipment, than others.
Pro
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 505
Likes: 0
From: North Jersey
I had the same problem with aftermarket wheels.
I had severe shimmy at highway speeds, then popped off the retainers on the rotors which helped, then I got my aftermarket wheels re-balanced, zero'd them out. everything appeared to be fine, then I saw.....ahhhhhhhhhh........the wheels were out of round. when the spun on the balancer, the lip oscilated like 2 to 4 milimeters.....i had to send the wheels back to the manufacturer.
I had severe shimmy at highway speeds, then popped off the retainers on the rotors which helped, then I got my aftermarket wheels re-balanced, zero'd them out. everything appeared to be fine, then I saw.....ahhhhhhhhhh........the wheels were out of round. when the spun on the balancer, the lip oscilated like 2 to 4 milimeters.....i had to send the wheels back to the manufacturer.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,078
Likes: 2
From: Northern Virginia
My father borrowed my 928S4 a few years back, and when he gave it back, he said at a speed much higher than 80 it had a slight vibration. But it smoothed out above that mark. God love'm
I can't say at what speed on the forum.
I can't say at what speed on the forum.
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
From: Merritt Island FL
Vibration in wet weather at speed
I have the HRE wheels. Car only has 8,000 miles, but at 70-80 mph on wet roads, I get heavy vibration. Only seems to do it on wet roads, though. Anybody have that happen to them?
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,790
Likes: 29
From: STL MO
St. Jude Donor '09-'10
Have both front tires balanced with a road-force balancer and make sure they clean the inside of your wheels with something like brake clean (sprayed on a towel) so the new weights will stay on.
