All true - my point is I've had numerous problems at more than one dealership. If the machine is out of calibration or on its last leg, or there's user error in mounting, it doesn't matter. Been down this road many, many times for several years. It's frustrating to deal with, and that's why I'm always for using factory fresh wheels and tires to diagnose.

 

The road force machine is only a tool, the tech needs to know how to calibrate and use it properly. So many shops have them, but don't know how to use it.

 

That's indeed my point. And Lexus dealerships are included on the list. I've dealt with some people who absolutely know what they're doing but also with others. Similarly, on more than one occasion, the dealership I've been using at the time has had a machine that should've been thrown out a long time ago. Sad thing is thy there are no uniform standards out there for dealerships... Some bother and some don't bother to maintain, calibrate, etc.

 

Hi,
It is a LS 2011 (bought new
It vibrates so bad after the car sits for a few hrs., you think you are getting a flat tire. It gets a little better after a few miles, but you still shake while in the car.

 

Hi,
They tell me the tires ARE in spec ! They put new tires on the car and it is still the same!

 

Hi,
I'll ask them if they used it! Thanks!

 

I can not believe that the dealer said that shaking/vibrations are normal. Sounds like you need to find a dealer that is not jacking you around. If I were the dealer I would put on a different set of tires/wheels that I new were OK. If that did not solve the problem, then it is time to yell "LEMON" and get another car.

 

Guess I am a little stumped. What DIFFERENCE does this make ?

Did you ask THEM, as already suggested, for THEM to select ANY similar Lexus off their lot .......... Take a ride WITH them, and see if THAT car on the same road "Shakes ?"

If not, ask them to either FIX yours or Replace it.

It's actually quite simple.

Please let us know how you do. I know how aggravating this is ...... but you have given them wayyyyyyyyy past "reasonability."

Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

Yeah, a road force machine is a fine tuning tool and we're talking about major shakes. I can use a bubble balancer on a 63 Valiant and get a decent ride, no way should a Lexus be worse than that.

 

Whats sad is these posts pop from time to time and its always the same......they have no clue. In your case with a 2011 this is 100% unacceptable. I would keep taking it back and maybe try another dealership. Worse case they can get a Lexus FTS ( field technical specialist) to look at it. Those guys are master of Lexus repair and are engineers I think

 

I had my wheels/tires roadforced twice and no help. My car still shakes like crazy between 60-80 mph. AND, it is also a little "shaky" in the mornings.... when i first drive it.

I BET, I BETTTT it has to do with front suspension bushings (upper control arm maybe because the design looks different than most cars) OR an unbalanced driveshaft. SINCE the problem is worse after the car sits.

 

What i want to know is what are the exact road force numbers for each wheel/tire?? Are they under 10 lbs or 20 lbs or what? Lexus specs are below 10 lbs, industry average is below 16 lbs of road force. You should be getting a print out of the road force balancing numbers for each of the wheels and given to you by your service adviser. Let me know. Are your tires Michelin Primacy MXM4, Bridgestone Turanzas, or Dunlops??

 

I can almost garauntee that the vibration in this case is not the wheels or tires. I have had my wheels balanced 12 times on the 22" and 4 times on the 18" and the car still vibrates. I changed my 22" wheels out and the car still shakes ( although a little better). I am working with a new dealership to resolve the problem ( since Bell Lexus in Phoenix sucks) and they are still trying to rebalance the wheels. I am taking the car in today after work and I am going to tell them that I want the vibration TSIB done. I told the SA that I have been down this road with this car before and I know rebalances will do jack squat. I am going to demand they do the work. I have been dealing with a vibrating LS460 since November 2010. Its not the wheels its the car. The TSIB states that the car needs to have the GPS antenna bracket beefed up because it vibrates and send the vibration through the entire car.


If anyone is interested the TSIB # is L-SB-0147-08 ( again it is to fix abnormal harmonic type vibration that seems transient depending on road conditions and vehicle speed)

This TSIB involves replacing the driveshaft and adding support to the GPS antenna bracket. This will involve removing the headliner of the car. At this point I dont care what they have to do. I just want my damn car to stop shaking. I am blown away that when I finally get my LS ( one of the most reliable cars sold in the US) its the car that has given me the most issues of all of the cars I ever had in my entire life. I have never had a car that multiple dealers tell me that they cant fix the car. They dont know whats wrong with the car

 

if road force balance machines are required at lexus dealers,,, then i should let them know at Lexus of Rockville Centre that they are required to have one of these because they don't. i asked for road force balance and was told that they don't even have the machine.

 

That's interesting... I had the TSIB that I8ABMR referenced above done (among many, many, many other things), and the first thing the TSIB calls for is a road force check to ensure road force variation on the tires is within 10 lbs before beginning the orgy of disassembly, so ownership of it is assumed (and presumably required).