Tire Balancing Woes

1997 Toyota T100 2WD pickup.

No problems with the wheel/body shaking. Then I bought a set of Dunlop "Range Rover TA" P235/75R15's.

Steering wheel shakes and I can also "feel it in the seat of my pants" (rear wheel imbalance symptom). Took it back and the rebalance them. Same problem.

The vibration is annoying and starts at 63 MPH and continues through about 68 MPH.

Any ideas what could cause it? It points to the tires or a lousy balancing job.

Should I try to get the tire dealer to exchange them?

thanks, barry

Reply to
<barry
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Approximately 8/28/03 12:03, snipped-for-privacy@psyber.com uttered for posterity:

You should definitely get the tire dealer to do SOMETHING with them. Common cause is that the dot that indicates where to mount them is backwards from what the dealer expects. Insist that the dealer actually accompany you on a road test or replace all tires under warranty.

Reply to
Lon Stowell

Barry I hsd 2 tires that did this because they were out of round. Dealer replaced them. warren

Reply to
warren weber

Reply to
Bob Hetzel

Bob Hetzel wrote in article ...

Actually, if you have ever used a Stewart-Warner on-car wheel balancer, you would realize that tire balance is subject to harmonics. It will go through certain speeds and "come out" of vibration.

To balance with the S/W on-car, you spin the wheel up to full speed, then watch the strobelight indicator needle as it rises, falls, then rises again through the imbalance harmonic. It is this second rise (slower speed) at which you watch the strobe on the wheel to determine where to place the weight.

A car vibrating from 63 to approximately 68 mph (or within any sort of

5-to-10 mph window) is a classic sign of wheel imbalance, which is correctable by balancing operations.

I have seen a lot of 60-series tires with a vibration between 65 and 70 that were smooth as a billiard table at 75 mph. Balancing cures the problem.

It could also be that this particular vehicle has rotor/brake drum imbalance that exacerbates the wheel imbalance, and an on-car balancing operation - if you can find a shop with this ability - might be indicated.

Bob Paulin - R.A.C.E. Chassis Analysis Services

Reply to
Bob Paulin

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