Steering wheel vibration - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

rajul · 10-16-2003, 08:03 AM

My 98 Camry is developing some steering wheel vibration approaching 100kmh. Is this due to poor front wheel balancing ? What else do I need to check ?

kocho · 10-16-2003, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rajul
My 98 Camry is developing some steering wheel vibration approaching 100kmh. Is this due to poor front wheel balancing ? What else do I need to check ?

If the floor shakes too, then it is rear wheel balancing as well. Of course, there might be other reasons.

For some reason, on my '00 Camry I have had very tough luck finding a place to make a good balance near my home.

Mr. Tire did a very decent job balancing the tires several months ago - almost no vibrations (and this was after two unsuccessful attempts by the shop that originally installed my tires!). I had them re-balanced one more time after 5-6K miles at another place with good success, but unfortunately I can't get back there - too far.

After another several K miles it was time for a new balance and rotation, so I got back to Mr. Tire for a new balance. No luck this time - the floor did not shake, but the steering wheel did shake a bit (not to mention they put the wheels on the wrong side - I have directional tires). So I went back to have them re-do it. They did, placing new weights quite off from where they put them before. This time it was even worse - the steering wheel shakes very bad, and the floor vibrates awfuly

. Plus, they broke a hubcap off my 17" Lexus IS wheels

and the thing costs $27 at Lexus (though Mr. Tire promised to reimburse me, it's a hassle)

I made an appointment with Lexus this Saturday to check their workmanship out. Will follow-up after that to share the results. Btw, their regular price for balance is $72 (USD), but had an Internet Special for $45 (which is cheaper than Mr. Tire's $50 !?!)

TypeZer0 · 10-16-2003, 08:57 AM

check the alignment, mine had that problem, plus it was veering to one side all the time

rajul · 10-16-2003, 09:28 AM

Guys, thanks ! I'll get the balancing and alignment checked. Is on-wheel balancing worth the extra $ ?

kocho · 10-16-2003, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rajul
Guys, thanks ! I'll get the balancing and alignment checked. Is on-wheel balancing worth the extra $ ?

Do yo umean "on car", without removing the wheel? I have not seen a shop in my area to do this - how much does it cost? I'd probably be willing to do it once to make sure balance is done right.

When I lifted my car after the last un-successful balance and run it in place with the wheels off the ground to about 60 mph the front starts to vibrate. But I do not see the wheels jumping up and down. If there was a way to safely go under the car while doing this, I'd check if the drive axels are not bent and if anything else seems to vibrate...

Ross_G · 10-17-2003, 11:08 AM

If your car vibrates while braking your rotors are warped if your car vibrates while driving at highway speed your wheels are out of balance. On car balance does not work well . there is a way to dynamic balance your tires without putting weights on the outside if the rim. If you can find a good shop that is willing to work with you . Have the mechanic remove all weights on the wheel. Spin the tire put stick on weights inside the wheel as close to the outer edge as possible. Spin the tire if the outside zero's put your weights on the inside as normal spin tire should come to zero. also when mounting tires the tire does have heavy spots near its seems rotating the tire on the rim will compensate for the amount of weight needed. good luck

wontonjohnny · 10-17-2003, 01:34 PM

your tire/s could be out of round.....

did you hit a put hole???

when you drive slow does your car hobble???

rajul · 10-17-2003, 06:55 PM

Ross G,

No steering vib when braking. May I know which rotor you are referring to ? Is that the disc brakes ?

Wontonjohn,

At low speeds, it does not hobble. The steering vib occurs mostly at a particular "sweet spot" of about 90 kmh.

kocho · 10-18-2003, 08:23 PM

Just had a Lexus dealer check my wheel balance. They found that one of my tires was out of round - the machine said it "can't compensate" for this. The rim is OK, jsut the tire was not perfectly round for some reason. Two of the other tires were slightly off-balance, the fourth - good.

The result - still have vibrations... The guy said that re-mounting the tire would not help, though he wsa not very convinced himself, I think.

So, basically, I plan to live with these vibrations till my tires wear out! When the machine is spinning the wheels, I can actually see on all tires there is one spot where they ever so slightly cave-in compared to the rest of the thread surface. So I imagine this dip is causing the vibrations even with a perfect balance.

Next time I'll spend some more money and get a tire NOT made in the USA

(mine are Continentals made here...)

kocho · 10-18-2003, 08:28 PM

Just had a Lexus dealer check my wheel balance after Mr. Tire's balance did not cut it...

They found that one of my tires was out of round - the machine said it "can't compensate" for this. The rim is OK, jsut the tire was not perfectly round for some reason. Two of the other tires were slightly off-balance, the fourth - good. Rebalanced all four tires.

The result - still have vibrations... The guy said that re-mounting the tire would not help, though he was not very convinced himself, I think.

So, basically, I plan to live with these vibrations till my tires wear out! I can't get a smooth ride no matter how many times I balance. When the machine is spinning the wheels, I can actually see on all tires there is a section where the thread caves-in ever so slightly compared to the rest of the thread surface. So I imagine this dip is causing the vibrations even with a perfect balance. But this does not explain why my car still shakes if it is running in place on a lift...

Last hope - I'll rotate the wheel a quarter turn and re-mount it to try to compensate for any imbalance in the hub or some rotor...

haa21 · 10-20-2003, 06:38 AM

Yup, these guys are right! Many things can cause the vibration. Most commonly you need to get your tire/wheels balanced by a respectable place. Have you made any upgrades to your wheels? Bigger size or aftermarket wheels? That can effect things, too. Sometimes aftermarket wheels require spacers. You can get vibrations if you need spacers and they weren't put on. You can also get vibrations just by using spacers.

Jefferson · 10-22-2003, 05:27 PM

I had the same problem with my car before and I have it fixed, but not after lots of flustration.
I actually have problem finishing my reply. Send me your phone number or email address to jeffersontran@yahoo.ca, I will reply you with my suggestion.

CamrySleepsOnU · 10-23-2003, 01:37 PM

I had the same problem and it kept getting worse and worse. I smacked a pot hole and it wasn't noticeable at first... but then it got worse and worse. Anyway, turns out i got new tires and its gone. When you hit pot holes real hard, sometimes the inner metal tread of the tire will get knocked out of alignment, if their older tires, get new ones cause the unalignment cause alot of wear. If their new, and you haven't been driving with the problem very long, take it to a tire doctor to fix it.

kocho · 10-24-2003, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CamrySleepsOnU
I had the same problem and it kept getting worse and worse. I smacked a pot hole and it wasn't noticeable at first... but then it got worse and worse. Anyway, turns out i got new tires and its gone. When you hit pot holes real hard, sometimes the inner metal tread of the tire will get knocked out of alignment, if their older tires, get new ones cause the unalignment cause alot of wear. If their new, and you haven't been driving with the problem very long, take it to a tire doctor to fix it.

What brand of tires did you get and what shop mounted them for you? I think mine is a combination of the tire brand and poor mounting...

I thought this might be a problem the moment my Continental tires came - the way the tire is joined on the incide is bad - you can see and feel the junction and when mounted this results in a dip in the overall surface...

I'm thinking of asking Continental for a warranty replacement...

kocho · 11-04-2003, 01:26 PM

After I balanced my tires at Lexus, I still had very strong vibrations in the steering wheel and the floor (the latter indicating a problem in the rear).

So, I lifted the car and spun the wheel was it was mounted. It was off-center by as much as 2 mm. I could see it go up and down relative to the strut.

So, with the 5 mm spacer I have in the rear, the Toyota/Lexus alloy wheels are NOT exactly lug-centric. I could losen the lug-nuts and let the wheel drop a little, then tighten them and the lump would go in the other direction. So, after some experimentation, I was able to center it. Did the same for the other 3 wheels.

The vibrations are greatly reduced (not completely gone, but much better).

What vibrations remain I think are due to the tires. Either bad mounting or poor manufacturing (or both). As the wheels rotate on the car I can see the tire surface is not smooth but a bit bumpy, which probably prevents me from getting a completely smooth ride.

Conclusion: if you must use a spacer OR a rim that is not hub-centric, try to find a spacer or a hub ring which has a stick-out center bore, so that your wheels are centered around it. And be VERY careful how you center the wheel and always check after mounting by rotating it. Simply tightening the lug nuts, even if you do it by hand all the way in first, will not be enough.