steering vibration

[D.L.]

Hello. I am new to this site, but love it so far. I have a 98 boxster and noticed a vibration in the steering wheel at about 77 MPH and up. Smooth as glass at slower speeds though. I had the wheels re-balanced and the vibration is still there! Any suggestions to help troubleshoot!????!?!

This is my first roadster, so at first I thought it was normal due to the shorter wheel base and harsh roads out here in Seattle, WA. But, I'm not sure if it's normal or not. Any help or suggestions appreciated!!! thanks in advance.

David

[phrankandbeanz]

i have a 2004 boxster and I have the same problem, the balance is perfect and I cant seem to figure out what it is

[Brucelee]

If you have a vibration only at a certain speed, it is almost certainly a wheel balance issue.

Wheel balancing is an art and a science. Depending on the technology employed, a wheel can be "in balance" and not be so at certain RPM.

Suggest you find another wheel balance technician.

Good luck.

[Pilot2519j]

Also make sure to check the alloys for any dents. Don't take it as a guarantee when a shop has done the wheel alignment, if it does not feel right bring back until is done properly. If not tell them to return the money you paid for services not done.
Did they perform high speed balancing of the tires?

[Brucelee]

Yes, in fact, to get the wheels perfectly on a Box, the shop should do both dynamic and statis balance and deal with any discrep. between the two. Also, as pointed out above, if the basic wheel has issues, this will make the balance even all the more challegning.

[RandallNeighbour]

What BruceLee is referring to, if I am not mistaken, is two different kinds of wheel balancing.

One is done "normally" by spinning the tire by the center of the rim the way you're probably used to seeing it done.

The other way, which is not that uncommon, is to balance the tire under a load or what he referred to as "dynamically".

I have heard that some Discount Tire stores have both kinds. That's the place you want to take your Boxster.

Another option is to call a few rim shops that specialize in high performance tires and rims... they have balancing equipment that goes up to and beyond 100 miles per hour.

I am told that wheel balancing problems go away after 90 mph or more. So, one very cheap fix for your problem is to drive faster!

Of course, one could become dangerous at high speeds or incur speeding tickets, so that may not be the best idea!

If my explanation requires correction and I'm not right on my descriptions, please do post it here so that I can learn more as well. I've NEVER been pleased with the balancing of my wheels since I bought my boxster last year... had them balanced three times and just decided to live with it.