Vibration...

[CupraR-Rog]

Hi Folks!!

My car has a vibration that's really starting to bug me now!!

I've been driving a lot of roads with roadworks lately, and a couple of weeks back was going through one lot of roadworks where they were re-surfacing...
...but they hadn't softened the ramp!!

I noticed this a bit late (partly due to it not being signed!), so hit fairly hard (approx 30 - 40mph). Car had me, 2 passengers and a full boot.

The rest of the drive home had the car shaking like mad, with the steering wheel really going for it... although the next day this had calmed down.

A week of driving, and it had stopped dying down. By this time I'd spun the wheels off the car to check for damage to wheels (no new), and damage to tyres (not a mark, scratch, cut or blister anywhere, except my front inside edges were a bit worse for wear )

Anyway, next step - 4 wheel alignment & 4 wheel balance...

...now, I don't think this garage did that good a job - 1st attempt at alignment had my steering wheel at the 2 o'clock position - not good! 2nd attempt and it's straight, but I'm not convinced it's "right".

Anyway, things seemed better after this, but not right - still vibrated like there was an out of balance wheel!

A couple more weeks on, and it's still doing it... sometimes worse than at others which is wierd...

The car was serviced yesterday, and the dealer picked up nothing, apart from my worn inside edges on the front tyres (gutting as they're only 1/2 worn!).

I'm planning on getting the wheels re-balanced again by another garage on Saturday to see if that sorts it out, but if it doesn't, does anyone else have any ideas what it could be??

Cheers!!

 

[edc]

Buckled wheel?

 

[Neanderthal]

Not had it myself, but a mate hit a pot hole at speed which buckled his alloy.

 

[RobDon]

Balancing weight fell off, steering arm bent, slightly buckled wheel - could be a number of things unfortunately.

 

[Ruddmeister]

Rog,

Sounds fairly similar to my recent issues.

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=39187&highlight=wheel+vibration

Following on from the end of this thread I have sorted the problem, I think, got a local garage to swap some more wheels round (back to front, fronts to back) and all seems well, just done a couple of runs up the dual carriageway and all seems fine.

Assume your virbration only happens at certain speeds (worst for me was 80 to 90 mph).

I was sure the suspension was damaged or that I had a buckled alloy.....can't explain it really although I had a Fiesta years ago that was mega sensitive on which wheel was in which corner.....only thing is mine aren;t wearing the inside edges like yours.

Steve

 

[CupraR-Rog]

I managed to turn a wheel horse shoe shaped on my last car... thankfully nothing this time looks that bad!!

When the wheels were being balanced, they seemed to balance OK on the machine, and watching them spin they seemed round... tread lines didn't wander either...

...I've also had people watch the car when it drives to try to see if a wheel is 'wobbling' at all...

...so if it IS a buckled wheel, it's not enough to be seen like that... anyone know of another way to check?

I'm hoping that it's just another balancing weight that's come off... hoping as that would be the cheapest repair option!!

If it was a bent steering arm, how would that cause the judder? I thought if the arm was bent, it would just be the equivalent of the tracking being out? Nothing noticed by the guy that did the tracking, or the mechanic that did the service though...

Just had another thought - if it was tyre damage, i.e. to the carcass, would I see anything looking at the outside of the tyre? I mean, is it worth me having the tyres taken off the rims and inspected? I would have thought any damage would have shown itself externally after 1500+ miles...

 

[CupraR-Rog]

Cheers for the info Steve!!

Thing is though, my wheels haven't been swapped front to back...

...amd I don't really want to swap them if it's looking like I'll need 2 tyres soon... (don't like old tyres on the back!!!)

 

[Icecavern]

buckled wheel. I found one of mine had wear on two contact points ( easy to spot with pzeros ) worn much more than the rest of the tyre, I recon it's buckled but it looks fine.

Pete

 

[Ruddmeister]

Thing is though, my wheels haven't been swapped front to back...

...amd I don't really want to swap them if it's looking like I'll need 2 tyres soon... (don't like old tyres on the back!!!)

Well I now have tyres with better tread on the front something I never wanted to do but no vibration?

 

[Paulie]

Sounds as if youve suffered a buckled wheel. Vibration hasnt "gone away" but as its on the back youre not feeling it through the steering wheel as you were before.

Ask the tyre dealer to put the wheels on the balancer and watch them as they spin, you'll soon see if theres any run-out.

 

[CupraR-Rog]

When they were balanced before I watched, and didn't notice anything...

...will look again on Sat when I next get them balanced...

...might get the spare balanced this time as well so I can try swapping that on the car!!

 

[ibizacupra]

Bearings ok? Top mounts on suspension ok?

 

[Ruddmeister]

Sounds as if youve suffered a buckled wheel. Vibration hasnt "gone away" but as its on the back youre not feeling it through the steering wheel as you were before.

Ask the tyre dealer to put the wheels on the balancer and watch them as they spin, you'll soon see if theres any run-out.

All of the wheels balanced twice, two different garages and said to both I suspected one was buckled.....neither could spot it.

Drove Brum to Bristol last night and everything is sweet now, smooooooth.



(except engine felt a bit lumpy / power delivery sluggish , if it's not one thing........although re-set the Revo SPS settings, reduced the timing setting and it's better today )

 

[LCR mat]

try taking your wheels to renowheel in bridgend(the ppl who repaired my wheel)
at least they'll be able to rule out if its buckeled

 

[CupraR-Rog]

Bearings ok? Top mounts on suspension ok?

How do I check???

 

[CupraR-Rog]

try taking your wheels to renowheel in bridgend(the ppl who repaired my wheel)
at least they'll be able to rule out if its buckeled

pm / e-mail me their details?

The repair they did on your wheel was brill... couldn't even spot it!!

 

[CupraR-Rog]

Right folks, here's a bit of an update...

Driving out of work today, I turned a hard left turn at low speed (sub 20mph) and the steering wheel tried to shake itself out of my hand didn't do it again as badly...

So... I drove to Andy Blunt's gaff, disturbed him from his tea (sorry mate!) and let him take the car for a spin

He said he could feel something when turning, and when turning left more than right... we couldn't get enough speed up to get the whole car shaking like I get on the motorways...

...he said it was like an egg on the tyre...

...so I could have a shot tyre (still haven't spotted the blister tho!), or buckled wheel... he seemed to think it was less likely to be a bearing, but I guess it still could be.

Anyway, a garage is taking a look tomorrow - mate of a mate kind of thing - they're going to re-check the tracking (still don't trust the last garage that did it!), and I'm getting them to re-balance the wheels again - this time with the spare (in case i need it!).

Will get them to take a look at anything else you folks think it could be, i.e. bearings, suspension mounts etc on front and back also...

...On another note, provided my car doesn't fall apart in the meantime, I'm picking up a set of very 2nd hand TT wheels with tyres from Liverpool... might drive home with those wheels on the car, even though I bet the wheels aren't balanced properly!! Might help eliminate things though (but you never know!)

 

[cupra R con]

my money says its tread separation on the front tyres, if you have been driving hard & have worn the fronts down on the inside edge its a good bet the tyre is starting to fall apart. IME toyo's were good for this, they were particularly susceptible to road surface variations, always griped well but as with any good tyre, was always trying to let me know what the tarmac was saying.
if the shake is coming through the steering wheel then swap the tyres front to rear & see if that cures it. if you can feel the shake through the seat then its your rears that are at fault.
if you drive the same roads every day, then try to pinpoint where the problem is worse, sometimes it can be just one section of tarmac that sends your car darting left then right & make it vibrate like my wifes best friend.
it doesn't get worse when you brake does it?

 

[CupraR-Rog]

The through-car vibration is really noticable at 100+ (kph officer ), holding a steady 80 it all feels smooth... well, maybe a slight vibration through the steering wheel, but that could just be the road surface... hard to tell!!

When the vibration does start up, it starts up strong as well...

It wouldn't surprise me if it is tyre damage - ever since I've fitted the vredesteins I've been driving through roadworks a good couple of times a week, so with all those ramps and temporary surfaces, they're going to have taken a battering!! And I also don't drive like Miss Daisy - I've really been testing out these tyres and the CM pads!!

Thing that gets me is, I've only noticed the inside edge wear since that harsh ramp, and the vibration started... hence why I had the tracking checked when I had the wheels re-balanced!!
Also, balancing the wheels seemed to help for a while - I guess if the wheels are heavily out of balance tomorrow then it'll show the tyres are shot!!

I'll try swapping front to back as well when I get a chance... probably be Sunday when I do that when I come back from Liverpool, unless I fit the TT wheels on...

I suppose the tread separation would also explain why I suddenly noticed today that very bad judder on some left turns...

 

[cupra R con]

what made you go for cheap tyres? don't those ones have a very blocky winter tread?
i think you have just confirmed my initial thoughts.
but then cheap discs do the same thing.
good luck tomorrow, i hope its just balancing.