spaniola

Hello everyone.

I have a 2004 Lexus Rx330 AWD and am having steering wheel vibrations at around 65-80mph.

I just installed 4 brand new Bridgestone Duehler Alenza tires and had the balance re-checked by the installer.

My Steering wheel shaked before just as bad and Lexus of Southfield said it was because my tires are worn. Now i have brand new tires and still have the problem.

Does anyone know what this could be?? It is driving me nuts!

tfischer

That should not happen. My '04 has 40,000 miles and new tires, and there is no shaking going on at 95.

I'm no expert, but it sounds like the problem is with the wheels or tires.

And worn tires don't cause shake, unless there is very uneven wear, which is a symptom of other problems.

Maybe you should should get a second opinion and have the balance checked by someone other than the original installer.

salimshah

Stearing wheel vibration specially at certain speed is due to dynamic imbalance of the rotating wheel(s) .. specailly the front one due to direct coupling.

In simple terms the wheel need balancing at speed ...

I would go back to the tire installer to have them dynamically rebalanced.

You can do some of the confirmation work yourself by swapping front with back tires to see if there is a difference. But I think it is not worth the troubles since you paid for this service.

There is an outside chance that the front supension is messed up, The tire installer should be able to tell you once they have your vehicle on the rack ... they should perform that as a courtesey/safety check.

One more possiblity exists if you have soft (usually performance) tires. They need to warmed up and then balanced as the density changes with temprature.

Salim

jfelbab

It could also be caused by the drivetrain. Take it to yur Lex dealer and have them test drive it. Show them that you replaced the tires and had them balanced at their suggestion since they told you the problem was the tires and the problem remained. Most Lex delerships have good mechanics and should track down your issue.

Gibster

Also make sure that the installer is not using an impact wrench to tighten the lugnuts. They should be torqued to the proper specs.

DakotaRX

I would really suggest having another shop check the dynamic balance. My Ford Sport Trac came with the Firestones installed on it and Ford recalled them and replaced with Goodyear Wrangler RS. The Ford dealer here in town did the switch over and I noticed that at highway speeds I had vibration in the steering wheel. Went back to them and complained. They supposedly rechecked the balance and mounting and said they fixed it. Still had the vibration. Finally went to a tire dealer and had them check them. They had to rebalance two of the 5 tires. One of the front tires was out of balance. So you may want to have another shop check them.

spaniola

Thanks, They are picking my car up on Thursday, will let you know what they find. I really think its the drivetrain, because why would the old tires do the same thing as the new tires? seems even if the balance was off it would change somewhat?

Tammy

How are the struts and their mounts? Steering rack and it's bushings?

Agreed, since you've had Lexus involved and they have suggested tire replacement, have them recheck their diagnosis. This is warranty work?

Lil4X

I'd suspect a slight toe misalignment. Get alignment checked on all 4 wheels.by a good shop.

Arnie72

I installed 4 brand new Bridgestone Duehler Alenza tires 5 months ago on my wife's RX330. Took it back twice for rebalancing and still had the same vibration that you mention. Took it to the Lexus dealer for them to check it out. THey did what they call a Road Force Balance. $65 later the car is vibration free at any speed. It made a world of difference. Service manager claimed they preformed this balance on 18" wheels all the time.

Grumpa72

In my discussions with National TIre & Battery, the tech there said the 75% of aluminum wheels have minor dents in the wheel rim, from potholes, etc. He suggested that I have the wheel checked for this. On my wife's Acura, we found a sizable dent in one wheel causing a minor vibration at speed. It was not enough to warrant replacing the wheels though.

spaniola

Arnie72, you hit it right on the head!

Meade Lexus said needed Road Force balanced. They wanted 100 dollars so I had a local shop do it, and its vibration free now! Had to argue with Belle Tire of Howell Michigan to get my money back but they finally did. They would not admit that the tires needed road force balancing. I think they would not admit to it because they did not have a Hunter road force machine. Anyway if anyone in the Livingston county area with a Lexus needs tires balaced, do not go to Belle Tire. They do not have the proper equipment to do a correct balance on our lexus wheels. Spartan Tire in Brighton Mi has a Hunter GSP9700.

Thanks again!

Also I just recieved the brand new TSB firmware update for the transmission, will let you know how it works!

tfischer

What is Road Force Balancing?

I have not heard of that before, but it sounds like I want it done.

HarrierAWD

It's most likely tire balancing. Some shops use old balancing machine that only goes up to 60 mph. Go to a shop with better equipment. CostCo's can go up to 80 mph.

On rare occasion, it could be a tire being out of round. Try rotating the tires front and back.

spaniola

www.gsp9700.com

Hunter Road Force, best way to get tires balanced.