Quick Question – is there a simple low-tech way to see if your tires are balanced /threw a weight (Besides crawling under the car and seeing a nice shiny spot where the weight use to be)
I plan to get the car professionally balanced just wanted to know if anyone had some old shade tree mechanic tricks I could use to confirm my suspicions that the tires are out of balance.
Long Explanation – I just recently replaced my bald junk p215/45r18 Advans with some Firestone Firehawk p225/40r18 roundy rounds with actual tread. When I got the tires mounted and balanced I requested if possible to put the weight on the inside. I got the typical grimaced “okay but they are harder to balance that way” Well the guy didn’t exactly work through lunch, but all in all he did a good job and the car drove fine.
Fast Forward – I have put almost a thousand miles on the tires, auto crossed it once. Everything still balanced. Well where I work I have to drive about 2 miles at about 20-30 mph on a gravel road with crater like potholes, snow, mud, your general slop. Last Saturday, in an attempt to beat one of my slower coworkers out of the parking lot I goosed the throttle and promptly put the car in a plowed up snow bank with gravel, boulders, nails and everything else in it. Besides my pride getting hurt, I put a nice cut on the bottom of the bumper cover. Once I got to the main road I had a “new” shake at about 50 mph. I told myself it was mud and it would clean off. Well it did get better, but I still have a shake between 50 ph and 60 mph. All my suspension looks okay. Tomorrow I am going to check my wheels and verify the weights are on the tires. The car really didn’t hit that hard just basically curbed the plastic bumper at 8 degrees above zero and the plastic gave way. I think the bumpy road affected the car more than anything. I’m from WV, trust me I grew up on gravel roads (steer into the skid) and this is a rough road by any hillbilly standards.
I am open to any suggestions or methods to trouble shoot. I have read some other posts such as rotating the tires to see if the problem stays or moves with the tires to say the back.

 

have you drove the car long distances since this or washed it. I have the same problem after going threw deep snow and its snow and ice build up. causes an imbalance. Usally mine goes away after driving for 30 mins and the car gets warmed up. but if its 8 degrees there it might not come off without a wash

 

Snow will throw it out clean the rims out and go for a ride

 

Could indeed be slush packed in on the inside of a wheel rim.

I've done the same thing with muddy dirt. Had a BIG old lose on the track, went off, swung the back through a load of wet slop. I then had the worst wheel vibration ever. Once it was cleaned out, smooth as silk.

Hope it's as simple for ya.

Rich

 

No it has been above freezing for several days. I've taken the car to the carwash a few times concentrating on the underbody and wheels. I definitely have a problem in my wheels or tires. Going to take them off tomorrow and inspect everything, rotate the tires front to back and snug the lug nuts up. Preemptive strike on rotation patterns - the tires are directional so I'm locked into front to back unless I have the tires swapped on the rims. For some reason I can't get that song I think by the Eagles "Don't let the sound of your wheels drive you crazy" Too Late

 

'is it possible' the air tray underneath is loose and vibrating badly in the air at higher speed?