vibration

[staggerwing]

Hey guys - sorry we missed the blast in Salado, we really tried to make it but just couldn't.

Adapters? I know I know, we've been down this road before. But I was really excited about getting wheels balanced and a real alignment (by a professional?) the other day, but now I'm not so sure. Is it just me or is it impossible to get a good balance these days? The alignment did the trick for a small problem we were having with turns in the road. She needed to be steered in and out of the turns just a tad more than one would like and the alignment the guy did really helped. Steering is improved. Getting the tires balanced however has caused a new problem to surface. The guy that did the balancing said that things were off quite a bit but all four wheels did balance nicely (according to him). Now then why the heck am I feeling a dang vibration. I checked the trueness of the wheel adapters using a fixed indicator and rotating the wheels checking the clearance of the adapter studs with the indicator. Things weren't perfect but I thought they seemed close enough. Went for a ride to experience the new wheel balance; and things are just not right. While driving though, the front tire tracks nicely, the rear doesn't track so good; seems to have a bit of a wobble, but I think it's been that way sice day one (4750 miles ago) and yep, that wheel nut is nice a tight. I'll be swapping the adapters on the drivers side, front to rear and rear to front to see if that helps. I really hate to go back to the guy that did the balance cause he really seemed to know what he was doing. Dunno what else to think unless it's a bad set of adapters cause I've heard good things about them and they are readily used on all types of cars. If it ain't that then I guess we have to get the tires shaved and balanced, that way we are sure things are perfect? Cha ching - pop!

[Bill K]

I've never had a balancing problem with adaptors, but that's not to say all adaptors are created equal.

Discount Tire has always given me a very good balance job. Is that who you used, Richard?

[staggerwing]

Bought the wheels and rims from Jegs and TireRack, got Discount to balance them; everything seemed okay and that was 4500 miles ago. Never thought I had a problem till I got the alignment and front wheels balanced, but after we did the front stuff, I could feel something. So I went back and got the backs balanced; went out for a ride on a nice smooth road and thought I could REALLY feel something. Just got done rotating the adapters on th drivers side from front to rear and rear to front, but did't check to see if they were tight first before removing them (duh). Went for a ride but didn't go to the nice smooth road - things "seem" better. That rear wheel still has a bit of a wobble to it though. The real test will be to get it out on that smooth road to see if it (that vibration) went away. I think I'm going nuts.

[Jack Duncan]

I had a real problem with balance. The wheel and tire can be in balance and still vibrate. I had purchased an after market brake drum that was cast slightly off center. I had to put it on a lathe and true it up. That solved the problem, but I went a step farther. I went to Southwest Wheel and Alighnment on Benz-Engleman Rd. in SA and had the front tires shaved and balanced. Now my car is smooth as glass.

[Bryan Porter]

If the wobble is still there check if stub axle is straight and axle nut is tight real tight 200 plus lbs.