Wheel Alignment/Tracking

MoneySavingUser

For about two weeks now - once I get to 60 mph the steering wheel vibrates a bit and I seem to have less control over the steering and the car seems to lurch to the side (both) sometimes.

Under 60 everything seems ok. I checked the tyre pressure a few weeks ago and did it up to 32 - checked it again a few days ago and the machine pretty much beeped immediately so the pressures seem fine.

The car is 2.5 years old - 3 tyres were replaced (both front and one rear) about 7 months ago

I have read this: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/538344 and https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3967213

Haven't been off road

I'm planning to take it to the Toyota garage - should I just ask them to do the wheel alignment or explain the issue and let them work out what to do themselves?

Thanks for your advice

Joe_Horner

That's far more likely to be balance rather than alignment. You've almost certainly lost one of the balance weights on a front wheel. Vibration starting above a certain speed (usually around 50 - 60mph) is an absolutely classic sign of this. You'll probably find that if you keep accelerating it'll disappear by about 70 - 75, then reappear again at 120 or so (don't try this at home kids :P )

Any tyre shop should be able to re-balance them for you at less than dealer prices. In fact, many dealers don't do their own tyres anyway, so you're likely to be paying them to take it somewhere you could just go yourself

atrixblue.-MFR-.

dont be so sure the counter wieghts have fallen off.

my counter wieghts are still there but yet i got vibration from 50MPH, this was due to track rod end being worn and now replaced.

the cars 2.5 yrs old, i would be seeking toyota to find the problem or full geometry set up to check all the suspension and castors cambers and toe and thrust are spot on.

Joe_Horner

Imbalance is by far the most likely reason for the symptoms the OP described, especially if they've come on fairly suddenly, and getting the wheels balanced is going to cost less than a tenner a wheel (going by local rates here), so let's say £20 for the fronts (won't need the backs done - they won't cause steering vibration).

The dealer is unlikely to provide either tracking or balancing under warranty because it will be assumed the car's been kerbed which is easily the most common reason for either to go out other than weights falling off. With modern alloys and stick-on weights it's a lot easier (and less obvious) to lose a weight than in the days of visible clip-on ones.

So, as this is a Money Saving forum, pay the £20 that will almost certainly cure it and save yourself the dealer's price for the (identical) non-warranty job and the (probably not needed) tracking check!

If you want to take the full money-saving route, swap your tyres front - rear on both sides and see if that cures it. If it does, then it's definitely balance and you're safe spending the cash to get the (now rears) sorted.

As for the full suspension check - if there's a problem with rear alignment / castor / camber etc on a less than 3 year old car then, unless you've had a pretty bad knock in it, don't get it fixed, get rid!

benham3160

Joe_Horner wrote: »

Imbalance is by far the most likely reason for the symptoms the OP described, especially if they've come on fairly suddenly, and getting the wheels balanced is going to cost less than a tenner a wheel (going by local rates here), so let's say £20 for the fronts (won't need the backs done - they won't cause steering vibration).

The dealer is unlikely to provide either tracking or balancing under warranty because it will be assumed the car's been kerbed which is easily the most common reason for either to go out other than weights falling off. With modern alloys and stick-on weights it's a lot easier (and less obvious) to lose a weight than in the days of visible clip-on ones.

So, as this is a Money Saving forum, pay the £20 that will almost certainly cure it and save yourself the dealer's price for the (identical) non-warranty job and the (probably not needed) tracking check!

If you want to take the full money-saving route, swap your tyres front - rear on both sides and see if that cures it. If it does, then it's definitely balance and you're safe spending the cash to get the (now rears) sorted.

As for the full suspension check - if there's a problem with rear alignment / castor / camber etc on a less than 3 year old car then, unless you've had a pretty bad knock in it, don't get it fixed, get rid!

Total sense, thanked.

If it's a harmonic at a certain road speed, it's 90% likely to be wheel balancing.

Regards,
Andy

Strider590

Wheel balance is most likely, even my mum would know this.... No offence, but I just find it most scary the lack of basic knowledge required to drive a 1.5 tonne lethal weapon these days....

The other thing worth considering (which hasnt been mentioned), is if you've ever been conned into buying brake pads/discs that you didn't need. If poor quality parts were fitted, they could be slightly loose on one wheel, causing binding and vibration at certain speeds.

vaio

Strider590 wrote: »

.........The other thing worth considering (which hasnt been mentioned), is if you've ever been conned into buying brake pads/discs that you didn't need. If poor quality parts were fitted, they could be slightly loose on one wheel, causing binding and vibration at certain speeds.

Does that also apply if you weren't conned and did actually need the discs & pads?

What's the mechanism for poor quality parts going "loose so they bind & vibrate"?

OP....my douze points also goes to balance weights, for £10 just get them done and if it doesn't cure it then start looking further.

Tracking/alignment issues will affect tyre wear, they will wear significantly more on one side. Are yours doing this?

Strider590

vaio wrote: »

Does that also apply if you weren't conned and did actually need the discs & pads?

At 2 years?

vaio wrote: »

What's the mechanism for poor quality parts going "loose so they bind & vibrate"?

Lets say for example you own a Vauxhall Vectra and fit cheap pattern parts for the brakes....... They don't fit quite right, they can rattle around and cause metalic sounding vibrations, they impede braking performance and can cause the car to pull left/right. There may be just microns in it, but the slightest difference can have a dramatic effect.

MoneySavingUser

Strider590 wrote: »

Wheel balance is most likely, even my mum would know this.... No offence, but I just find it most scary the lack of basic knowledge required to drive a 1.5 tonne lethal weapon these days....

Whilst I partially agree with you - you can't expect everyone driving a car to know the ins and outs of every aspect of it!! (and that is partially why this forum is here so we can ask!)

vaio wrote: »

OP....my douze points also goes to balance weights, for £10 just get them done and if it doesn't cure it then start looking further.

Tracking/alignment issues will affect tyre wear, they will wear significantly more on one side. Are yours doing this?

No they aren't but it only started happening recently so maybe this hasn't started happening much yet.

mikey72

Strider590 wrote: »

At 2 years?



Lets say for example you own a Vauxhall Vectra and fit cheap pattern parts for the brakes....... They don't fit quite right, they can rattle around and cause metalic sounding vibrations, they impede braking performance and can cause the car to pull left/right. There may be just microns in it, but the slightest difference can have a dramatic effect.

Have you perhaps been done over by a fast fit recently, because that sounds like you fell for a line.

Strider590

mikey72 wrote: »

Have you perhaps been done over by a fast fit recently, because that sounds like you fell for a line.

Or perhaps I read up on the subject and frequent various owners forums.......