Noise after installing aftermarket wheels

[muligan]

I just put a set of 20" x 8.5" TSW wheels with 245/35/20 Bridgestone Potenza tires on my 08 SE and noticed that there is a slight rubbing noise on the drivers side ever since. I have crawled all over the underside of the car trying to find the source and can not find it. I even went as far as putting just the drivers front stock wheel back on to test if the noise went away. Which it did. I also tried rotating the front and back wheels and the noise is still there. I also tried to drive the car with the front wheels jack off the ground but the VSC kicks in and won't let me spin the wheels fast enough to make any noise.

Does anyone have a clue what the source might be?

TIA

Muligan

[DrewsCam]

are they hitting the fender, or is any plastic trim under the car loose that can be rubbing on the tire?

[Zembonez]

Have you tried putting the old wheels on and seeing if the noise goes away? It should be fairly (visually) obvious if you have something rubbing. It normally would leave a mark on the tire where it is making contact.

[muligan]

Originally Posted by Zembonez

Have you tried putting the old wheels on and seeing if the noise goes away? It should be fairly (visually) obvious if you have something rubbing. It normally would leave a mark on the tire where it is making contact.

I did put one of the originals back on and the noise went away. I also looked high and low for where it would be rubbing and do not see anything suspicious. Someone else suggested it might be the brake rotor making the noise from the added weight of the wheels. I can hear that noise when I hand spin the wheel with it off the ground but not sure if they are one in the same.

[Zembonez]

Additional noise when you install wheels is not normal and not something to be taken lightly. Noise indicates that something isn't right. I'd have a tire and wheel place or dealer look at it.

[muligan]

Originally Posted by Zembonez

Additional noise when you install wheels is not normal and not something to be taken lightly. Noise indicates that something isn't right. I'd have a tire and wheel place or dealer look at it.

I took the car to a Les Schwab and had one of the guys drive the car. He said he couldn't hear anything. They also put the car on the rack and tried to drive it with it up in the air. The VSC would allow them to turn the tires fast enough to make the noise. It's a pretty soft noise but definitely there when the wheels are on. Is it possible that it's just tire noise I'm hearing? The tread pattern is much more aggressive than the stock tire.

[Zembonez]

This may sound silly but do you think you might just be hearing the different tread pattern making a "new" sound? Ultra low profile wider tires might make quite a different noise. Most have a much more aggressive tread design than stock...

Originally Posted by Tobeit

PS: Tire road noise should be obvious...

I agree... just grasping at straws... but possible I guess. I'm still going with something rubbing.

[Tobeit]

if you checked tires, fenders, struts, and looked for marks on any of them...time to look at the inside of the rim. Maybe something like that? Not sure what TSW you got and what offset etc.... http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/sh...96#post2439996

PS: Tire road noise should be obvious...