slight shake over 60mph

My 2000 blazer is fine at all speeds, even 55... but when I get to 60 or so, there is a slight shake that can be felt. What would be the likely culprit? wheel balance, wheel alignment or something else?

Reply to
Angie
Loading thread data ...

When it starts to vibrate, ride the brake a little. If it quits, the wheels need balanced.

Reply to
George

Alignment is not going to cause a Vibration! It's a tire problem. Sounds like one or more is slightly out of balance. It doesn't take much. I'd go to a shop with a Hunter Road Force Tire Balancing Machine! Look here:

formatting link
for a shop in your Area with a machine! Here's more Info on why you should use this Machine! You'll learn a few things.
formatting link

Reply to
JBDragon

First check the wheel balance, bent rims, and for tire warts hidden from view. If the struts/shocks have never been changed, get some new ones on. Get back with us, as we'll go into the less likely stuff.

Reply to
Jonny

I had that problem once when the tires were wearing thin and at that speed the patched tire makes for a slight vibration that simply CANNOT be balanced out (in this particular case). How are your tires and have they been patched? My tire man disagrees with me on this but the patched area has more rubber than the rest of the tread and THAT is what I was feeling.

Probably is not the case with you but I am offering anyway in case it helps.

- Regards Gordie

Reply to
The Nolalu Barn Owl

Patching a tire isn't going to cause a Vibration problem. A 1/4 Ounce weight possibly weighs more. You can have a Alignment problem, or Bad Shocks or something like that to cause Bad Tire wear and that could possibly could a Vibration, or at the very least, Tire Road Noise.

I will say that if you patch a Z speed rated tire, it's no longer a Z rated tire. Meaning you don't want to be driving at 180 MPH with it!

You can just have a BAD TIRE or a Bent Wheel. If you do a Road Force Balance on the Wheel/Tire Combo, it's like a Road Test on the Machine, and the tire Machine can find problems like this and others. Some problems can be fixed, and others, well the machine will tell you if it's a tire or a wheel problem, or both, or neither. Find a Shop with a Hunter 9700 Road Force Balance Machine and someone that actually knows how to use it correctly! It doesn't take much to make a tire have a Balance problem at High Speeds.

Reply to
JBDragon

I tried to be clear that it is NOT a balance problem. On a worn tire that is getting thin you FEEL the thick patch going over the road at higher speeds. NOT balance but a thump when the more solid part (with the patch) hits the road.

Don't feel bad, my tire guy can't understand it either. Anyway, these days I have more money for better tires but I still am not fussy about a patched tire.

- Regards Gordie

Reply to
The Nolalu Barn Owl

You are NOT going to feel a rubber patch that's on the Inside of a tire! I thought I heard it all, but this is BS. You tire might be Cupped on the Inside part of the tire out the Outside and that is what your hearing/feeling. I had this one Customer come in one day wanting his valve Stems pointing all the same way on the car!?!?! I told him it was a waste of time, but he goes on to tell me some Physics BS, and tried to get him to understand that as soon as you made a turn, one wheel will move faster then the other and they would be all wrong.!?!?!

Your tire guy can't under stand this because it's BS. You can't feel the patch on the inside of a tire. Not unless the thing was a 5 pound piece of lead glued inside your tire, then maybe I'd give that one to you. Your NOT going to feel a Rubber Patch that weighs pretty much Zilch, glued on a Rubber tire, and get a Thump from that. Even if that Patch was a inch thick!

Here's a Idea for you then. Glue patches all around the Inside of the tire, and then in YOUR theory that thump should be gone. Just when you thought you heard it all, another one for the books come out. I don't feel bad at all. It's people like you that make us MORE MONEY! Patch making your tire Thump (According to the Customer that just think he knows more!) fine, gladly sell you a NEW one! I have no problem fixing Customers screw ups. End up Making more money on the job that way.

Reply to
JBDragon

READ FIRST BEFORE RESPONDING PUHLEEEEZE!!

Have it your way but I am not lying. When the tires are worn and thin you CAN feel the thump and no matter how many times you balance it comes back at highway speeds.

Won't show with new or nearly new tires but you can feel it on older tires. NOT A BALANCE PROBLEM. It has nothing to do with balance. The patch is denser that the rest of the tire and you can feel the thump.

Must be nice to know everything.

- Regards Gordie

Reply to
The Nolalu Barn Owl

"George" wrote

I tried this yesterday. It did not stop the vibration.

Reply to
Angie

Seems to me if the tires are THAT thin, you shouldn't be on the road.

Reply to
Angie

"The Nolalu Barn Owl" wrote in > READ FIRST BEFORE RESPONDING PUHLEEEEZE!!

If your tire is so thin that you can feel that patch making a thump, you better replace that tire because it's not street legal! The only person that doesn't seem to know what they are talking about is yourself! The Tire is Denser then the Patch! You would have better luck feeling a tiny Pebble stuck in the tread and feeling that, then a Patch on the inside of a tire. Sorry, but your CRAZY! I'm sure that is what the other tire guy thought also when you left! Glad you think you know what the hell your talking about, because not a single person here will go along with that BS! I could think of several reasons for your problem, and not 1 has to do with a patch! First one being JUNK TIRE! You could have your tire warn completely down to the belts all the way across, and still wouldn't feel the patch. If that's what you think, then the sample solution is to replace the tire! Then when you get another flat, you can buy another NEW tire! Your so called Patch thump problem is solved!

I'll have the talk to the person who supplies the patches that one. He should get a good laugh.

Reply to
JBDragon

He DOES get a good laugh -- arsepick. I have already found two other people who definately know what I am talking about and I was hardly even trying. Both of these people work with me.

TROOLL on or offer another reason for the s l i g h t shake at 60 mph.

What an arsepisk.!

- Regards Gordie

Reply to
The Nolalu Barn Owl

Such is the nature of the Newsgroups.

I also had a shake a few years back and couldn't find it until a blade flew right off the fan. This was a stock fan and had not been modified in any way. The shake was more robust than you describe though.

Tires still come to mind. Not all tire problems can be corrected by balancing. Perhaps a tire shop can find it for you?

- Regards Gordie

Reply to
The Nolalu Barn Owl

This is why I say have the tires checked with a Hunter 9700 Road Force Tire Balance Machine. This will check the tires and wheels and tell you if there are any problems. It Simulates the tire actually rolling on the ground by using a large roller that presses on the tire with great force. If you have a high Road force Number, you can have the machine actually tell you where to place the tire on the wheel to get a lower reading for a better balance possibly depending on the location and how much it's off. Even though it may have been perfectly balanced (Zeroed Out) anyway. You can even go as far as having the machine tell you exactly where to place the tires on the car for the BEST balance the car could possibly have. Most tire balancers in shops can't do any of this!

GO here for more Info and learn something.

formatting link
a shop with a Hunter 9700 machine by going here.http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/search/FindGSP9700.cfm

I'm not saying for sure this is the problem, but it's not a patch. It could be other things, but a shake at 60 MPH and no other time is normally a tire or wheel problem of some type. You can balance all day with a normal machine and it could say it's just fine, but in reality it's not. If the Car/Truck Suspension has been Modified, Lowered, Lifted, you could possibly have Vibration problems for several reasons.

A shake because of a fan is pretty strange. You would think it could shake after if broke. Then again if the blade was bent that would throw the balance all off, causing it to shake and tear it's self apart. I would also think it would do it pretty much all the time, worse as the engine revved up? Was it some type of flex fan? Doesn't sound like a very common problem to have. I've heard of water pump bearings getting so bad the fan is flopping around hitting the fan shroud.

Reply to
JBDragon

Yes, it resembled a flex fan but was off a truck at the wrecking yard. It ran good for a little over a year and when the shaking started we couldn't pinpoint the cause. We live in the country, 35 miles out of town and the blade broke at 60 mph. Until it broke the shake got worse as the speed increased but wasn't really bad until it let go. Luck was with us. The blade took a chunk out of the shroud and then hit the hood right on a brace. Nice work. The truck was just painted and didn't suffer any damage that could be seen with the hood shut.

Makes me think these days when I lean over and rev the engine using the throttle linkage

I lean towards a tire problem because of the speed it shows up and the fact that it was described as "slight". Sometimes tire problems are not out of balance problems??

- Regards Gordie

Reply to
The Nolalu Barn Owl

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.