Got a vibration....03 Turbo, just over 20K...
11-26-2009, 09:18 AM
#1
Race Director
Thread Starter
Got a vibration....03 Turbo, just over 20K...
miles. Left on road trip Saturday and as I drove I noticed a vibration in the steering wheel.
Almost feels like car's riding on "knobbies" (you offroad motorcycle riders will understand the reference, I hope).
Seems most noticable on smooth roads.
Just had new Conti tires installed on the rear at local Porsche dealer. Alignment done at same time.
Few hundred miles into the 1st day's run stopped and checked tire pressure. Even though tire pressure elevated due to high speed (highway high speed) running tire pressure seemed too high. Bled off a PSI at the rear tires and 2 psi each at the fronts. I had checked tire pressure cold before leaving but this was during a particularly "cold" snap.
Vibration appeared to diminish but not gone.
I notice it cause steering wheel has a rather high frequency vibration. With my hands lightly gripping the wheel I can feel it. The wheel barely moves from this vibration.
Car steers good, doesn't pull or otherwise act up. Tire pressures good no tire loosing pressure.
Do not recall this symptom being present before the tires replaced. I put around 10K miles on the car before the rear tires needed replacing. Alignment off from another dealer and this contributed to premature tire wear.
Also, I drove the car a few hundred miles after new tires installed and don't recall any vibration.
I know not much anyone can offer other than to have tire balance checked and I will when I get back home. In OKC today and will head out in an hour or so and spend one more night on the road before getting back home.
I'm new to Contis and the Turbo. Are Contis a smooth tire? I drive my Boxster with its new Michelins and there is no vibration and ride is magic carpet smooth compared to the Turbo's. I expect the Turbo's stiffer suspension and 18" wheels/tires contribute some of the "harshness" the Turbo's ride has compared to the Boxster's but this high frequency low amplitude vibration is I think more than just a stiffer suspension and 18" wheels/tires.
Tire wear appears ok and I can feel nothing amiss.
Guess I'll just have to wait until Monday and take it back to dealer and have the tech take car for a spin and render a judgement.
Sincerely,
Macster.
Almost feels like car's riding on "knobbies" (you offroad motorcycle riders will understand the reference, I hope).
Seems most noticable on smooth roads.
Just had new Conti tires installed on the rear at local Porsche dealer. Alignment done at same time.
Few hundred miles into the 1st day's run stopped and checked tire pressure. Even though tire pressure elevated due to high speed (highway high speed) running tire pressure seemed too high. Bled off a PSI at the rear tires and 2 psi each at the fronts. I had checked tire pressure cold before leaving but this was during a particularly "cold" snap.
Vibration appeared to diminish but not gone.
I notice it cause steering wheel has a rather high frequency vibration. With my hands lightly gripping the wheel I can feel it. The wheel barely moves from this vibration.
Car steers good, doesn't pull or otherwise act up. Tire pressures good no tire loosing pressure.
Do not recall this symptom being present before the tires replaced. I put around 10K miles on the car before the rear tires needed replacing. Alignment off from another dealer and this contributed to premature tire wear.
Also, I drove the car a few hundred miles after new tires installed and don't recall any vibration.
I know not much anyone can offer other than to have tire balance checked and I will when I get back home. In OKC today and will head out in an hour or so and spend one more night on the road before getting back home.
I'm new to Contis and the Turbo. Are Contis a smooth tire? I drive my Boxster with its new Michelins and there is no vibration and ride is magic carpet smooth compared to the Turbo's. I expect the Turbo's stiffer suspension and 18" wheels/tires contribute some of the "harshness" the Turbo's ride has compared to the Boxster's but this high frequency low amplitude vibration is I think more than just a stiffer suspension and 18" wheels/tires.
Tire wear appears ok and I can feel nothing amiss.
Guess I'll just have to wait until Monday and take it back to dealer and have the tech take car for a spin and render a judgement.
Sincerely,
Macster.
11-26-2009, 11:57 AM
#3
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I had the same problem, I "picked up" a piece of pavement (tar) and it stuck to the inside of the wheel, creating a "wheel weight" and causing a vibration that stopped once I removed the tar.
11-26-2009, 01:13 PM
#4
Rennlist Member
Wheel weight loss is what I was going to say. If there is a Hunter 9700 computer balancing machine around your area, I highly recommend it. That thing is awesome. It balanced some problem tires I had that 3 other shops couldn't balance.
11-26-2009, 10:50 PM
#5
11-27-2009, 10:25 AM
#7
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Sounds like a road force balance problem.
Could be a bad tire (unable to road force balance) or a not so good balance job.
Yes, there are tires that can't be RFB very well (even with rotating the tire and using more weights than desired).
Could be a bad tire (unable to road force balance) or a not so good balance job.
Yes, there are tires that can't be RFB very well (even with rotating the tire and using more weights than desired).
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11-27-2009, 11:29 AM
#8
Race Director
Thread Starter
Thanks for all the good suggestions. It is cold this AM at Flagstaff (16F) but after sun warms up things a bit I'll get down on all fours and check for something caught on a wheel.
I'll look as best I can for missing weight but with car on the ground this is going to be an incomplete search.
A better search or inspection will have to wait until I get back home and can run by dealer's service department. Just had new rear tires installed and I think I can get a good will inspection of the tires/wheels with the car on the lift.
My recollection is the vibration wasn't present until after the new rear tires mounted. This is not done at Porsche dealer unfortunately, but done at a nearby Honda dealership which is owned by the same people that own the Porsche dealership. The Honda facility does all tires for the 3 or 4 neighboring dealerships. It has done the tires on my Boxster several times and I have never had any problems.
Honda facility has a nice Hunter machine so I'm at a loss to explain how the vibration could be present in the rear tires, absence of course one of the excellent ideas offered in other posts.
Sincerely,
Macster.
I'll look as best I can for missing weight but with car on the ground this is going to be an incomplete search.
A better search or inspection will have to wait until I get back home and can run by dealer's service department. Just had new rear tires installed and I think I can get a good will inspection of the tires/wheels with the car on the lift.
My recollection is the vibration wasn't present until after the new rear tires mounted. This is not done at Porsche dealer unfortunately, but done at a nearby Honda dealership which is owned by the same people that own the Porsche dealership. The Honda facility does all tires for the 3 or 4 neighboring dealerships. It has done the tires on my Boxster several times and I have never had any problems.
Honda facility has a nice Hunter machine so I'm at a loss to explain how the vibration could be present in the rear tires, absence of course one of the excellent ideas offered in other posts.
Sincerely,
Macster.
