I have a 2008 Infiniti G37. Recently, I had new tires (Goodyear Eagle LS) put on my car. The very next day and everyday since then I have been feeling shaking in the gas pedal and it gradually starts shaking the steering wheel the longer I drive. This all usually happens at highway speed (50mph and higher). Sometimes, I feel it in the seat. The tires have been re-balanced multiple times since the tires were put on (I say 7 times) by two different people and the shaking doesn’t go away. They replaced the new tires with another set of new tires, thinking maybe the tires were defective but it’s still shaking.
Has anyone had this problem before with this car or any car? This is extremely frustrating. My car ran so smooth before this. Any help would be appreciated.
Why on earth did you put another set of the same tires back on? I have the same car and got another brand(anything but GY) and my ride is super smooth.
The next step is to try Road Force Balancing.
Some shops have this more-sophisticated equipment, and others do not, so you may have to call around to find a shop with this more-advanced approach to balancing.
If that does not work, then I would have to conclude that there is some kind of defect in one or more of those tires.
Tires can occasionally be defective, but it would be unusual to have this problem with two different sets.
Regardless, as VDCdriver says, you should try a road-force balance if that hasn’t been done already. You can find a listing of places with the equipment for this at http://www.gsp9700.com.
When I had new tires put on my car the same thing happened. One of the wheels had a ding on the inner part of the rim and couldn’t be properly balanced. After I brought the car back they pointed out the ding (probably should’ve mentioned the inability to balance it before I left the first time). The car only shook at 75 mph, anything under or over that it would be okay.
The tech also told me that once the tires were worn in a bit the issue would decrease or go away, which it did. When it comes time for a new set of tires, I’ll probably buy a new wheel to replace the bent one.
Yes, I have had exactly this problem before after buying four Continental tiires. And after repeatedly being given excuses by the tire store guy, none of which he was able to show me, I made them change the tires to BF Goodrich. My vehicle was smooth as a baby’s bottom thereafter.
Try VDC’s suggestion. But if it turns out to be bad tires, you’re not the first.
Next time replace with a different brand of tire. Perhaps the whole batch was defective when made.
You didn’t mention whether the wheels are “aftermarket” wheels or OEM wheels. Aftermarket wheels have “centering rings” on each wheel. These rings can fall out and go unnoticed by the tech doing the work. The result is the wheel(s) are not centered on the hub when mounted back on the car. This basically puts that wheel out of balance and can cause the shake you describe. I don’t think many OEM wheels have centering rings, but perhaps some do.
If the tires are OK, and centering rings are not missing, then you have a wheel(s) that were bend and/or damaged during the mounting of the new tires. Some wheels are not that strong (to save weight) and can be damaged pretty easily by a careless worker.
Continental extreme contact dws. A little leery about snow performance but they are ok. Son bought 08 Denali with new bf Goodrich at tires. 65/18 size and load range E. hated ride. Got new Michelin tires also in E range and ride was still harsh. He replaced with another model Michelin and no change. So he put new front struts on. Still no change. Sold truck.
I agree with Uncle Turbo with one minor exception, the wheel most likely would get bent when the old tire was dismounted, that is when the arm that unseats the bead comes up on the blind side, and if it hits the rim instead of the tire and the tire tech doesn’t catch it in time, it can bend the wheel.
While the problem started when new tires were applied, the problem is described as getting worse as the car is driven - something that just doesn’t make sense for a tire vibration, which will either stay the same or get better (temporary flat spots) as the car is driven. Besides, the second set of tires should have changed something - and that isn’t what was reported.
Also, feeling the problem in the gas pedal is unusual for a tire related issue - and that might mean there is an engine issue.
And lastly. Tire related vibrations aren’t so much batch related. They are usually individual tires with high - oh, let’s call it “Run Out”. In a “batch”, there will be tires with low amounts of “Run Out”, and tires with high amounts of “Run Out”. The correct way to deal with a tire vibration is to isolate individual tires by either using a “Road Force” machine (Hunter GSP9700) or by noting if the vibration is in the steering wheel (Front) or in the seat (Rear). Replacing those tires improves the odds of getting all low “Run Out” tires. Replacing an entire set of 4 is not the way to do this.
Thank you for your comments. The rims are original. They can’t find anything wrong/damaged on the car. They suggested the road force balance. I’m hoping this will lead to a solution but very skeptical.
I’m also inclined to think this may not be a tire balance issue. It’s difficult to fathom that after 2 sets of tires and half a dozen or more tire balancings.
Does this shaking disappear at highway speeds if you let off of the accelerator pedal suddenly? If so, that could point to an engine performance problem or driveline fault.
Another possibiity is that raising the vehicle on a service lift could have caused a 5+ year old strut to fail due to being near fully extended and what you’re feeling is wheel hop due to a dead strut.
Is the tire size exactly the same that came with the car originally? Before it started to shake I mean? If not, that change should be considered a suspect. Car suspensions are designed and tested for certain tire sizes, and if you replace with a different size, it is hard to tell what the effect will be. They may be alignable in a static (shop) alignment, but the dynamic alignment might be off. And dynamic alignment is build into the suspension geomety, in part based on the tire size. Take a look at your owners manual and see if the tire size of these new tires is one recommended for your car.
With the shaking remaining after letting off the gas that probably rules out an engine or axle problem.
Without car in hand, I’m afraid that I don’t have a definitive answer. It’s very difficult to envision 2 sets of tires and that many balancings not curing a tire balance problem.
Seeing as how the problem was not present before the tire replacement came around the only thing I can come up with is a strut that has gone bad due to being extended when the car was raised on the rack.
This happened to one of my cars a few years back after I changed the oil. The first time driven, I discovered that the left front strut had failed on the spot due to being extended. This does not happen with every car every time but it’s a possibility.
@ok4450 why has that deal with the strut never happened to me? I’ve probably racked thousands of vehicles.
I think if this was a common occurrence some car manufacturer would have issued TSBs by now.
Vehicles are designed to be racked. The manufacturers know that the suspension will hang down when the vehicle’s in the air.
Is it possible your strut was old or maybe in marginal condition before the oil change?