Could this be a bad tire?

[STONEDADDY]

I had a full alignment done to the 04 Challenger this week since we recently purchased it and wanted to ensure everything was good. About 65mph I felt a pretty bad vibration and thought it may be a balance issue, so I asked to have this checked also. I took it to a shop that specializes in big rig/MH engine & chassis repairs and tires. They said the alignment was off slightly and that they removed the old wheel weights and started from scratch. I was really looking forward to a pleasant ride when I picked it up last night. The campground we are staying at is about 10 miles from the repair facility and the route put me on the interstate for about 8 miles. To my surprise @ 65 - 70mph I again felt the shaking. Could this be a broken belt? I called the repair place and he said the 19.5 tires do not ride as good as the 16" I was accustomed to on the old Winny. He said the heavier side walls are partly to blame. I'm thinking I should rotate the front tires to the back or put the new spare on the front, trying it on one side at a time. We live within 2 miles of the expressway so test driving is no problem. Am I wasting time and this is as good as it gets?..... I hope not.

[STONEDADDY]

I had a full alignment done to the 04 Challenger this week since we recently purchased it and wanted to ensure everything was good. About 65mph I felt a pretty bad vibration and thought it may be a balance issue, so I asked to have this checked also. I took it to a shop that specializes in big rig/MH engine & chassis repairs and tires. They said the alignment was off slightly and that they removed the old wheel weights and started from scratch. I was really looking forward to a pleasant ride when I picked it up last night. The campground we are staying at is about 10 miles from the repair facility and the route put me on the interstate for about 8 miles. To my surprise @ 65 - 70mph I again felt the shaking. Could this be a broken belt? I called the repair place and he said the 19.5 tires do not ride as good as the 16" I was accustomed to on the old Winny. He said the heavier side walls are partly to blame. I'm thinking I should rotate the front tires to the back or put the new spare on the front, trying it on one side at a time. We live within 2 miles of the expressway so test driving is no problem. Am I wasting time and this is as good as it gets?..... I hope not.

[TXiceman]

Have the tires and wheels checked for roundness first. Is this on a Ford chassis or which one? Ford had centering problems with the wheels to the hubs a few years back.

The 19.5" wheel should balance out as well a smaller wheel if they do it properly.

Also, can you tell if the shake is coming from the front (feel in the steering wheel) or through the chassis?

Just a few thoughts.

Ken

[STONEDADDY]

Yes... Ford chassis. So how would you check for centering? I assume a dial indicator reading the O.D. of an empty rim.

I did not hear about the centering problem.... that's why these forums are GREAT!

[TXiceman]

it is easy to jack up one corner and spin the tire. You do not have to be within .001", but you can use a simple clamp and pointer on the lip of the rim. check for radial run out as well as lateral or side to side. Also check the OD of the tire. I don;t remember what the specs are, but yo u should not see a visible run out.

If it is off center on the hub, you will need to shim between the hub and wheel bore to recenter it and tighten it in place.

Ken

[Hurricaner]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Ford had centering problems with the wheels to the hubs a few years back. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I'm pretty sure that was on 1999 models only but it was not an issue in 2004.

Sam

[Chandler]

Stonedaddy, the easiest way to eliminate a paticular tire is to rotate them. If you think it's say, the left front, move it to the left outer rear. You could use your spare if you want but you really don't know if it's good or not. Either way, it's the easiest and cheapest way to check. Can you do it yourself? Then it would be free! I would lean towards a bad tire..

Chandler

[Hurricaner]

I did some more research on the F53 rim off center problem and it looks like it affected 1999-2001 models, there is a Ford TSB on it, TSB 00-21-09.

Sam

[STONEDADDY]

Thanks for the research Hurricaner....I'm leaning towards a defective tire. I will check the centering when we return off the road next week. I have a feeling this is going to be costly...!

[4gone]

I sure hope you find a solution, because I seem to have the same problem with mu '07 Daybreak. I have had the tires balanced twice and replaced one front tire that was visibly out of round. Still have the issue. Read my previous post for more info.

We just returned from the Cape today, first trip since I purchased the new tire. On the test ride home from the tire store it seemed better, but on the trip it was to the point of being maddening. I think I will move the other front tire now and see if it makes a difference.

[Chandler]

4Gone, this will be interesting. Keep us informed. The solution to this will help a lot of people...

Chandler

[angelman]

I had this same issue 3 years ago on my challenger. I had the alignment checked first and all was perfect. I knew it would be! I then went to a goodyear truck tire dealer. He removed all the wheels and started to rebalance them. When he got to the front tires the right front didn't seem right when it was spinning, so I told him to swap that one out with the brand new spare I had. Problem solved! Just 62.00 for the job. The tires only had 8000 miles on them and I lifted the coach with my jacks(made the job a little easier). I have the goodyear RV670 19.5's and they ride as smooth as glass. If your alignment was far enough out, you would see massive wear on the tires and depending on what was out, a pulling to on side. I drove mack trucks for 26 years with worn king pins, tie rods, broken springs, and not one ever gave the shaking feeling like a bad tire does! Take the fronts off and watch when they balance them. A bad tire will be harder to balance and have a notable shimmy while on the machine. Once you have the problem solved dont rotate them, as you will likely not wear them out before they need to be replaced. Good luck!