Question regarding wheel weights and vibration

JBT · Postby **JBT** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 8:36 pm

Agree completely. Swap the wheels/tyres with a set from a car that is not having the symptoms and test drive over familiar roads. It will eliminate that part of the system or confirm that's where the problem lies and cost you nothing but a 6 pack. :wink:

JBT · Postby **JBT** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 9:47 pm

Have look here: http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=487952&highlight=vibrations
I almost gave up the will to live by page 4 and will come back to it tomorrow.

speed freak · Postby **speed freak** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 8:18 pm

Thanks heaps guys. Ill start with the basics, Ill rotate back tyres to the front and see how it goes and if I can Ill put a completely different set on the car and test. Ill also get my wheels/tyres check at a tyre shop to see if there rounded properly. Then Ill go onto balances etc Im determined to solve this issue. Im sure if it were driveshafts or tailshaft it would vibrate a hell of a lot more and possibly produce some sort of noise? Ill probably get them checked but Id say its to do with wheels or something.

Ill have a read through that link, hopefully I make it all the way through lol.

Thanks again guys Ill keep you updated with the progress, fingers crossed I can solve this.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 8:32 pm

Give me a yell around 7/11 and you can drop into my place and try a few sets of different tyres if you have not solved the problem. I also have a set of 16" as well as a few sets of 15"

zero00 · Postby **zero00** » Sat Oct 19, 2013 4:04 pm

SF called up this morning - coffee at the BP then back to my place

Unfortunately the 'Advanti' 15x6.5 wouldn't quite clear the brakes etc, so SF changed front to back and back to front to see how that went heading back to the Gold Coast - if the rear end still has that vibration that should eliminate wheel balance IMO

FTR, I have KU36's on both the NA and the NB - I run the NA cold at 34psi and PERFECT HANDLING & RIDE, I run the NB at 36psi cold and again perfect for the road and the track - the latter has TEIN coilovers whilst the NA has KYB-AGX with King Springs

If I run either any lower the feeling is like driving on soggy sausages wrapped around the rims!! Well, that's as close an analogy as I can come up with

Eagerly await SF's next post if he gets off that 'Australian Volcano' site!!

speed freak · Postby **speed freak** » Sat Oct 19, 2013 4:27 pm

It wasn't too bad at all driving back home, I could barely notice the vibration if any at all to be honest. Maybe it could be the balance?

I think the next option is to go see a tyre shop get all weights stripped off the wheels get them to check for cracks/buckles and get them to balance them again with a new wheel alignment. Might get them to check the driveshafts for me too when its up on the hoist.

project.r.racing · Postby **project.r.racing** » Sat Oct 19, 2013 4:34 pm

speed freak wrote:It wasn't too bad at all driving back home, I could barely notice the vibration if any at all to be honest. Maybe it could be the balance?

I think the next option is to go see a tyre shop get all weights stripped off the wheels get them to check for cracks/buckles and get them to balance them again with a new wheel alignment. Might get them to check the driveshafts for me too when its up on the hoist.

nope. does not make sense. if they were that badly unbalaned on the rears, then you'd feel in on the fronts and thru the steering wheel.

were the rear wheel nuts actually tight before doing the swap?

speed freak · Postby **speed freak** » Sat Oct 19, 2013 6:14 pm

project.r.racing wrote:
speed freak wrote:It wasn't too bad at all driving back home, I could barely notice the vibration if any at all to be honest. Maybe it could be the balance?

I think the next option is to go see a tyre shop get all weights stripped off the wheels get them to check for cracks/buckles and get them to balance them again with a new wheel alignment. Might get them to check the driveshafts for me too when its up on the hoist.
nope. does not make sense. if they were that badly unbalaned on the rears, then you'd feel in on the fronts and thru the steering wheel.

were the rear wheel nuts actually tight before doing the swap?

Unless all wheels aren't balanced properly? It wasn't bad but it was slightly there every now and then. That's the thing its not doing it 100% of the time sometimes you will feel almost nothing sometimes very slightly noticeable and sometimes its very bad. I also just read in that link that JBT posted there is something called cowl shake? I think I get that every now and then too when you hit a bump/pothole or on rough country roads. Could that cowl shake mean my tire pressures are too high?

Ill see how it tomorrow morning going to work. In that link above they mainly talk about getting a proper balance done using the hunter machine, wheels or tires out of round. Driveshafts did get mentioned so I might get that checked out.

speed freak · Postby **speed freak** » Sat Oct 19, 2013 7:51 pm

All the wheel nuts were tight before swapping front to back and back to front.

If it was wheel bearings they would be roaring or squeeling when driving yea? Plus in saying that I have wiggled or tried to wiggle the wheels when jacked up and there was no movement. Hubs should be ok I assume.

project.r.racing · Postby **project.r.racing** » Sat Oct 19, 2013 8:05 pm

the fact that once the wheel were removed then replaced back on the they were better is leading me to mounting issues. hence the nut question.

are they aftermarket wheels? do the have a hub locator. are they missing a hub locator?

speed freak · Postby **speed freak** » Sat Oct 19, 2013 8:27 pm

They are the stock 16" wheels

The hub locator is the little ring thing that goes inside the centre of the wheel that sits in/on the hub when on the car? to be honest I cant recall seeing any when swapping the wheels around today, inside the wheels or on the hubs themselves.

Most of my trip home today after swapping the wheels around was mostly on the motorway so speeds of 80 km/h upward to 110 km/h only in a 60 zone when nearing home and I may have felt it slightly. I will see how it rides tomorrow morning on the way to work and I will report here. I hope I can find the problem soon.

project.r.racing · Postby **project.r.racing** » Sat Oct 19, 2013 10:58 pm

stock wheels should have the 54.1mm centre bore.

ralt · Postby **ralt** » Sat Oct 19, 2013 11:20 pm

Hi.
Take your car to another tyre shop and have them balance the wheels. So much drama for what is probably a simple balance problem.

speed freak · Postby **speed freak** » Sun Oct 20, 2013 5:39 pm

That's the plan, Im getting a new wheel alignment done soon for my next track day so Ill get a new balance and get them to check condition of wheels and tires.

Ill take a wheel off one arvo and check to see if its got a hub ring in the wheel or on the hub itself.

It behaved pretty well today, it vibrated/shaked once on the way to work and only twice on the way home from work.

When it done it today it didn't last too long either only a couple of seconds so its improved just not totally gone.

project.r.racing · Postby **project.r.racing** » Sun Oct 20, 2013 7:37 pm

speed freak wrote:When it done it today it didn't last too long either only a couple of seconds so its improved just not totally gone.

it's just getting weirder and weirder. balance issue just just come and go. however low pressure in tyres will only be effected by certain angles roads. although that'll have alignment issues attached to it also.