Steering Wheel Vibration - Page 3

madmaxx · #1 (**permalink**) 06-29-2008, 05:36 AM

Tbuttrick

A short cut would be to take the car for a spin, jack it up in the front, put a piece of masking tape around the circumference of the tire in the middle and check the run out of the whole assembly. I beleive the GM spec is .030".

He had his rim and tires road force balance and they can easily check the run out when they do that, what needs to happen is someone swap front wheel assemblies and see what happens. Any spf owners in his area?

Tony Radford · #2 (**permalink**) 06-29-2008, 07:36 AM

Bart, my car always had a tendency to vibrate in the front end at highway speeds. Fortunately, we have a precision balance / alignment shop here in Atlanta called Gran Turismo East. The process takes a while and ain't real cheap, but they spend time balancing the tires on a machine, then they put them on the car (front only as mine has IRS) and speed balanced them by feel. One tire was out of round and was beyond shaving. They had to shift the tire location on the rim. I wouldn't let them put weights on the outside of my Compomotives and they still got them right. I later had the rubber replaced all the way around, ride height adjsted etc. and the balance from the shop REALLY sucked. It rode like a stage coach. I took her back to Gran Turismo and they smoothed the ride out like glass again. I'm convinced that it's all in the skill of the balancer.

madmaxx · #3 (**permalink**) 06-29-2008, 07:39 AM

Kudo's to you with keeping those nasty ugly weights off the outside of the rim. I have a spf and they used weights on the inside, none on the outside and zero vib.

Bartruff1 · #4 (**permalink**) 06-29-2008, 11:18 AM

Has anyone had any experience with this on a Superformance ? If so, what size ?

Tony Radford · #5 (**permalink**) 06-29-2008, 12:04 PM

I put a steering damper on my car while I was having the vibration issue. The benefits of the damper are very subtle. It will have no noticible affect on the kind of vibration you're experiencing.

scootter · #6 (**permalink**) 06-29-2008, 01:00 PM

Yes, Take a look at my earlier post.
Scott

Got the Bug · #7 (**permalink**) 06-29-2008, 04:46 PM

Bart - As a comparison, you might want to take a ride in a couple of other SPF cars to see if there's a noticeable difference in the amount of vibration that you're experiencing in your car.

Bartruff1 · #8 (**permalink**) 06-29-2008, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Got the Bug

Bart - As a comparison, you might want to take a ride in a couple of other SPF cars to see if there's a noticeable difference in the amount of vibration that you're experiencing in your car.

In any case, I believe those that say they have ZERO vibration and that is what I intend to get to...

scootter · #9 (**permalink**) 06-29-2008, 09:16 PM

Bart,
Also keep in mind what type of road you are driving on. Since I had my tires balanced on the car, it is perfect on an asphalt highway, but I will still get a bit of vibration on a concrete freeway with groves cut in it.
Scott

richardferguson · #10 (**permalink**) 06-29-2008, 04:56 PM

Zero vibration on either my 15" Yoko's or 17" Vintage with Michelin Pilot Cup Sports. My SPF is a 2005 build. Few other unidentified rattles and squeaks however. Learned to live with it!
Can you borrow another set of front wheels from a non-vibrating car and see what happens?
Richard

STCinc · #11 (**permalink**) 06-29-2008, 06:54 PM

Tire balancing beads?
Can you recommend where to get them and aprox how much to put in each tire??

Thanks!
Sean

Got the Bug · #12 (**permalink**) 06-29-2008, 09:22 PM

Good point Scott. You get a LOT of road feedback with these cars. My car is steady at most speeds, but I took a run up the coast hwy today and hit a couple of spots where my steering weel was bouncing all over the place.

ttmb · #13 (**permalink**) 06-29-2008, 09:54 PM

Mine is very sensitive to the road surface. The vibration varies from zero to barely noticeable - I can see a little, but not feel it, if I take hands off the steering wheel at 65-70 on certain surfaces.

Bartruff1 · #14 (**permalink**) 07-01-2008, 11:27 AM

Well, in a triumph of hope over experience and on the 4th try, the Manager finally balanced my tires and re torqued the pins to 100lbs. You just have to find the guy that can operate the submarine. It might be that he test drove the car before and after, something we would not let the kids do.

BLUE427 · #15 (**permalink**) 07-01-2008, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bartruff1

Well, in a triumph of hope over experience and on the 4th try, the Manager finally balanced my tires and re torqued the pins to 100lbs. You just have to find the guy that can operate the submarine. It might be that he test drove the car before and after, something we would not let the kids do.

IS IT FIXED?????????????????????????????????????

Bartruff1 · #16 (**permalink**) 07-01-2008, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLUE427

IS IT FIXED?????????????????????????????????????

Yes, I think so, will try a variety of speeds and pavements tomorrow. I can live with some feedback from the road (of course) but that constant vibration at 65 + was not something I could put up with...... I was thinking vette....

RedBarchetta · #17 (**permalink**) 07-01-2008, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bartruff1

...the Manager... re torqued the pins to 100lbs.

Would love to know how exactly he did that without mushrooming any of them in the process?!? 70-80lbs is max. Could be an interesting exercise for you the next time those wheels need to come off.

-Dean #747

madmaxx · #18 (**permalink**) 07-01-2008, 01:53 PM

The scof site call for 100ft-lbs. If any deformation were present he would never have been able to get the wheel on. Even 150ft-lbs would not be enough to deform.

jwoodard · #19 (**permalink**) 07-01-2008, 05:12 PM

Not sure where you got your info but SPF Mark III Service Bulletin: 0509mb state to torque the pins to 80 ft-lbs. 80 ft-lbs is also the stated amount in wheel pin alignment article.

Alan7407 · #20 (**permalink**) 07-02-2008, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bartruff1

Ok, any ideas...I did a search....I have a annoying steering wheel vibration ...not violent or dangerous and I can live with it if I have to, but....the tires, stock 15" have been road force balanced (9.5 on a scale of 10) and inflated to the recommended 18 psi cold....vibration occurs around 65 to 70...doesn't seem to get any worse at higher speeds.....I read people in here that have NO ...that is ZERO vibration... and I have also read that it is a "Superformance thing". Car has 2000 miles. Is there a shop in the Pacific Northwest that is the best at fixing this ? Steering Damper ? Thanks in advance for any advice..

Hopefully you have already resolved your problem. I also have SPO 2028 and had the same problem. I had the wheels computer balenced and got the same shimmy at 60 and up. I then had them Hunter balanced. That's where they put a motor that turns the wheel on the car and then they make the appropriate weight add/removal.

Problem resolved. It has not shimmied since. The Hunter balancing system is really a step back in time. It used to be big in the 60's and 70's until computer balancing came in. However, since our cars are so light, this is really the only way to go.

Good luck.