I just installed a set of 17x7 giovanna rims and Kumho 712 tires! I already had them rebalanced because Wheelmax set them to me out of balance! My problem is when ever i drive 55+ my steering wheel has a vibration in it. When i put on the wheels I also put on a set of locking lug nuts one per wheel (They are bigger than the other three lugs per wheel). Could that be the reason I have this vibration or could putting the 17 inch wheels on have thrown off my alignment! I also have a set of progress springs so the car is very low to the ground!

Also the tires say 44 max psi what psi should I keep the wheels at???????

 

bump

 

are they low profile? first time driving on low profiles?

you will have more vibration because there is less rubber to stop it.

after I put on my rims I also had to get my front end realigned.

 

yes 205/40/17 vibration is bad and gets worse the faster you go! I have checked it on different kinds of pavement and it acts the same

 

I am a tire professional.They will never ride as good as the stock stuff.I have Motegi ff6s with 215/45/17 falkens.Rides like hell.

 

Although this is mostly correct, there are a few other things that need attention. True the low profiles will not ride like stock tires, but they can ride smooth. I also have 215/45/17 on my OZ and it rides very nice.
1. Make sure to check your Hub centrix, if they are cracked or slightly out of round this will not allow the tires to ride smooth.
2. Generaly on these type of low profile tires, they have little yellow or red dots on the tire, that are to be alligned with the valve stem on the rim. If this is how the tires are set then have the dot moved to the exact opposite side of the valve stem then rebalance.
3. Most tire shops will do an Alloy or static balance witch consist of the wheel weights being on only one side of the rim. Although you dont want weights on the OUTSIDE of the rim they can place the weights on the inside as close to the outer as possible, and on the very inside of the rim as well , this is called a dynamic balance.
4. Allighnment will not generally give you ride problems unless you are seriously out of specs. "dont worry about this one"
5. Also make sure to see if the tire is out of round, they do this by spinning the tire on a dynamic balancer and using a piece of tire chalk to see if it makes an even line around the entire wheel "in the center of tire"
6. Try to keep from putting any tire with more then 2.5 ounces of weight on the front "this is where having low pros really become a problem. And the tire with the very least amount of weight on the front drivers.


Hopefully this will help, what you are dealing with is really a common problem, but with patience can be fixed. UNLESS the tire is truely out of round. This is all just suggestions from being in the tire business for about 5 to 6 years in the past. Good luck