After installing new tires couple weeks ago I noticed I had a small steering wheel wobble at 45-55 mph. Everyone I talked to said tire balance. So I took it to another shop and had them re-balanced today. I asked the tech if they were bad out of balance, he said yes. After the re-balance I have still have wheel shake at approx the same speeds maybe not as bad as before. All other speeds it is rock solid. I notice the ride is even better than before so there is so noticeable improvement.

Think I need to have them balanced again or should I suspect another problem?

Mike

 

That surely points to only one thing and that is dynamic imbalance.

Either none of those guys who attended to your problem know how to do a proper dynamic balancing, or the new tires are so badly constructed that the side forces are too high.

I'd go back to the last guy (you've removed the first culprit from the equation by going to another guy who had removed and repositioned the balance weights) and stand with him at the balancer and see that he gets 00 readings on both side displays.

If both are 00, ask him to do an accurate check for possible out-of-round of the tire surface - I've had that with tires I once bought in Canada.

If he can not get both displays to read 00, the tires (or at least the one which gives the problem is a factory unsatisfactory product.

If both tires give 00 readings and on driving it the imbalance is still there, you may wish to check out the tie-rod ends on your vehicle.

 

Awesome info now I armed with questions come Monday morning

 

Have you adjusted your swivel pre load?

 

Nope/if I understand the swivel pre load being to loose will cause the steering to move or wobble on impact of inperfections in road? If too tight will cause tight steering wheel? I have neither case. I can let go of wheel and it wheel stay straight, hitting pot holes: no change. Its just the small vibration at the certain speeds.

 

Adjusting mine fixed a lot of odd shakes and wobbles including vibration at highway speeds, loose pre load is like driving with bad ball joints, easy to check easy to adjust just a suggestion, bigger the tires more the little issues get over exaggerated in my experience

 

Good point Tom, def will ck that today

 

Good info to file away in the mind, thanks Tom.

I do not like wide tires for various reasons but even so the technial point is right on.

 

I am just restating info from other more experienced members and adding what I experienced

 

The "death wobble" is very common. You'll find many posts on this.