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Today's ride home in the chilly weather reminded me how much smoother the car rolls at speed in the cold.
When warm out, there are various degrees of wheel shake and rolling roughness, most pronounced at highway speeds. Applying brakes feels like warped rotors.
Cold weather--and first few kms of every day, regardless of temps--are almost new-car smooth and symptom free.
Over the years, I've had tires balanced on various machines but this doesn't change the symptoms. The winter wheel & tire combo is smooth unless, of course, it's warm out. Then it isn't.
Not serious enough to bother, for years I've ignored this Jekyll & Hyde behaviour. But, since I've got the mechanicals all smooth at the moment, I'd love some consistency in the ride now too.
I have zero experience with "bushings"; I haven't yet done any work there. Is this temperature change in rolling smoothness common for a "bushings" wear? And if so, what exactly am I looking to change here?
(170k US miles daily driver)
Last edited by Dan Martinic; 10-16-2019 at 05:12 PM.
Reason: Grammar
Yeah.. I used to think that too but they're all cold- 36psi at the moment
Roughly 1 psi/10F increase.
It's not just friction/slip angle + surface temp of road but also heat from your rotor 's radiant heat and heat conducting through the hub to the wheel, eventually to the tire.
Just the position of the sun facing one side of the car can raise pressures on those two tires by 2 psi.
36 cold at 30-40 ambient could easily be 42-44 hot assuming you don't fill with nitrogen.
It's not just friction/slip angle + surface temp of road but also heat from your rotor 's radiant heat and heat conducting through the hub to the wheel, eventually to the tire.
Just the position of the sun facing one side of the car can raise pressures on those two tires by 2 psi.
36 cold at 30-40 ambient could easily be 42-44 hot assuming you don't fill with nitrogen.
Oh yes, the Hunter "Roadforce" machine seems to give the best balance... the one with the arm thing... but the warm weather shakes continue and unless my car is that sensitive to psi, I've still got my bet on something old and worn in the front end. Not sure what though
Check the wheel bearings and repack with grease if necessary. Make sure that your summer tires are balanced and not cracked and worn funky. Check your bushings for wear. Check the ball joints. Dan you're up in the frozen north, I wonder if the snow removal rigs smooth the road out during the 10 month winter and the roads are untouched during the two week summer? I'm from Arizona and the snow is something of a mystery to me.
Dan you're up in the frozen north, I wonder if the snow removal rigs smooth the road out during the 10 month winter and the roads are untouched during the two week summer?
lol.. most of us live equally south or further south than aprox. 25% of Americans
Jack the front end up and visually inspect the bushings for wear, to check the wheel bearings while the car is up check the toe by grabbing the wheel at 9 and 3 o'clock and attempting to move the wheel. Any movement is a sign of wear.-careful not to turn the steering,remember you're checking a bearing
Jack the front end up and visually inspect the bushings for wear, to check the wheel bearings while the car is up check the toe by grabbing the wheel at 9 and 3 o'clock and attempting to move the wheel. Any movement is a sign of wear.-careful not to turn the steering,remember you're checking a bearing
Thanks for the reminder. All this is slowly coming back to me now... memories of cars long long ago
Oh yes, the Hunter "Roadforce" machine seems to give the best balance... the one with the arm thing... but the warm weather shakes continue and unless my car is that sensitive to psi, I've still got my bet on something old and worn in the front end. Not sure what though
Check for swollen bushings on the a arms. Oil leaks tend to gravitate there. I have seen a roadforce machine compensate for bent wheels. So doesn't rule out a bent rim or defective tires.
10-16-2019, 05:10 PM
Rolling Smoother When Cold: Why?
