Vibration that comes and goes....
 

I recently put new rims, tires and 7mm spacers on my car because the dealer said that my front rims where bent and unable to balance.
So....
From that time there is a vibration sometimes worse than before at about 70-90. Feels like the front tires are out of balance but how can the vibration come and go.
It is never gone all the way, but it get significatly worse from time to time.

Can both tires be out of balance and somehow cancel each other from time to time?

I cant bring the tires and rims back to discount tire to rebalance, because of there stupid policy.
They will not touch my car because it has spacers on it.
They fail to understand that they sold me the rims and tires, and told me it would fit, it did not and I was left buying spacers on my own.

Anyway, please advise.

James

When the vibration goes... is that only on cold days or nite in the 50's temp? and the vibration comes on warm - hot days and nites? If so, probably your front traction bars. Mine also vibrate but usually when its warm cause the nylon bushing inside become more smushy and i also hear a chatter coming from them, i checked them when i was under my car one day when it was really hot and sure enough they have the slightest amount of play which they are not suppose to have, they are suppose to be solid ****************en firm (excuse my language). No little tick tick noise should come from them even if your shaking the arm with your hand. Absolutly NO noise should come from them if they are in perfect working order.


EDIT: realized you have spacers... chances are your spacers are not very high quality and can easily cause vibration. Im sure someone on this forum has a link to a manufactor that make high quality spacers.

If your front rims were bent, the car hit something hard.... like a curb. Chances are, the car had some suspension damage done to it.

Get your suspension examined carefully and get a four wheel laser alignment (which you should do anytime you get a new set of tires). If the alignment is off and can't be brought into alignment, then you can zero in on what's causing it... and what may be causing your vibration issues.

The spacers are H&R 7MM with hubcentric design. The wheel bolts are a bit longer to accomadate the added length.

The original rims would do the same thing, vibrate then go away, rebalance and then vibrate again.

I never hit anything more than a small pothole on the road with the original rims.

Could it be the tires? I have new PS2, but I bought them off of ebay, so they might be factory seconds? Do they make factory seconds of high performance tires?

The traction bar seems tight. I cant understand how something can come and go. The only constant is that after driving for a bit the vibration disipates, but the first 2 miles vibrate badly.

James

When is the last time you had the car properly aligned and the wheels balanced on a Hunter machine?

Hunter machine?
I am lucky to find a shop to start with, then find one the will mess with a car that has spacers, then one that will touch a porsche.
I am closer to Austin than Houston. I would expect that one of these town would have a Hunter machine.

Does anyone in the Austin, Texas area know where there is a hunter machine?

James

Tada! Here is the link to find a shop that uses the Hunter GSP9700 machine near you,
http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/search/findgsp9700.cfm

:cheers:

James, it would seem that you can eliminate the spacers and the rims as well as the tires if this problem has persisted through new rubber and rims.

You need to locate a good Porsche speed shop and bring it into them for diagnosis. Austin does have them... start looking.

James,

Is the only time you feel the vibration the first couple of miles? Does it occur at any other time? If not, it might just be flat-spotting, which works itself out as you drive.

it is usally the first few miles after parking. that is why i thought cold tires maybe.
I just dont want to spend $$ chasing gremlens.

I agree with grizz, if it only occurs during the first few miles of driving sounds like flat spotted tires.

Hi,

Not at all - unless you're parking the car for two weeks at a time - whatever the Bears may say, it's usually Bull. You need you have the Wheels/Tires dynamically balanced.

This means a Hunter 97XX Machine. Shop 'til you find one... Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring... Jim '99

I do believe that was unprovoked and unnecessary, Dick... I mean Jim. Perhaps I should start whining to the moderators.

I found a place with the fabled Hunter machine close by. I will take the car there monday and have my car dynamically balanced.
My problem is that when they cant seem to balance my tires, they say a rim is bent and my car has not seen any off road or accidents.

It seems to be a way out for them to say the rim is bent - sorry. To be honest, I have had my tires balanced 10+ times in the 30,000 mile history. They work fine for a month and then vibrate again.
Maybe the stick on wheel weights fall off. I dont know, but I will let you guys know what the Hunter guys say.
James