Do my wheels need re-balancing?

shiraz99

I got my alloy wheels refurbished back in the summer and I've been noticing a certain amount of vibration at high speeds recently. Although it could just be a coincidence but is this a sign that my wheels need balancing. The wheel refurbishers have put new wheel weights on but I'm not sure if I trust they've done a proper job or not.

If it's not the balance what else could be the cause?

MikeJXE

They need balancing then see if that cures it. One bridge at a time 

Alter_ego

Could be wear in suspension, or in steering, etc.  Start with balance

diystarter7

If that happened to a car of ours after a refurb, straight back to the outfit to ensure wheels were balanced professionally, no ifs, no buts!

devondiver

Vibration could be down to numerous causes but wheel balancing or distortion should be checked. Did the wheel refurbers fit new tyres and do the balancing? If so take it back to them. If not - take it back to whoever did. Alternatively take it to a garage you can trust for an opinion.

shiraz99

No, the same tyres. Two of the wheels had to go back one with a defect in the paint and the other because the TPMS valve was leaking.

Personally I'm going to take to a proper tyre fitter that I trust to check the balance.

GDB2222

diystarter7 said:

If that happened to a car of ours after a refurb, straight back to the outfit to ensure wheels were balanced professionally, no ifs, no buts!

Several months later?

Goudy

There are many reasons to get vibration.
You can sometimes identify why if it happens only under certain conditions.

If the steering and brake pedal vibrate when braking, it's usually worn brake discs.

Say if the vibration on throttle is worse than off throttle, say accelerating up to speed is worse than it is on at a steady speed, this can indicate perhaps the driveshafts joints are worn.

Wheel rotation noise and a loose handling feeling is often suspension or a wheel bearing.

Generally, if a wheel is out of balance the vibration comes in and out with differing speed, so if might be fine up 50 mph, then hammer about terribly at 52 mph then might quieten down again at 56 mph, though this goes out the window if more than one wheel is badly balanced as one could vibrate at low speed and the other at higher speed.

If it has just started recently, have a check around the wheels, you might have lost a weight on one of the wheels and it might be obvious where it's missing from.

Next up as already mentioned, go to a decent wheel/tyre specialist and ask them to check the balance.
While it's up in the air, also ask them just to check if there is any play in the suspension ball joints and wheel bearings, it's a simple test.

shiraz99

The vibration is coming through at speed, about 80mph.

diystarter7

shiraz99 said:

The vibration is coming through at speed, about 80mph.

wheel blanace probs are normally  between 50 and 65mph
From what you said, I believe your car is not up to it, faulty axel, or some type of a misfire etc etc  but I've never a wheel balance problem at over 70mph. Years ago I had an old car about 5 years old and the balance problems stopped at around 65mph and I took the car up to 180mph no problems. I had the car checked by an expert later and a wheel was slightly out of balance it was in those days you had the funky balances on the outside edge of the rim. The chap fixed it and it was great.

MikeJXE

So don't drive at 80 until its fixed