F53/Goodyear 19.5 tire vibrations

[Invent1]

My new 08 Itasca 30B had pretty severe vibrations at 35 and 65 mph. Dealer and the big W said "Not our problem - go to Ford" Fortunately, after many hours of research we found a great Ford dealership, Gator Ford on Rt. 4 in Seffner FL.

It took 3 trips but they didn't give up and eventually brought down the worst, the 65-mph vibration.

First go-round, they used an EVM to help diagnose the vibration source. Then removed all 6 tires, checked balance/run-out on a Hunter GSP 9700 machine, match-mounted each tire to bring within Ford specs, and put the best on the front. Vibrations were perhaps somewhat better but still not good.

Second try: rechecked all 6 tires, replaced two worst (on rear), and checked driveshaft alignment (it was OK). Vibrations were better but still not good.

Third try: Replaced two front tires, check driveshaft balance (it was OK). 65-mph vibration feels much better (will know more when I take a trip on some smooth roads).

Things learned:
A tire can cause vibrations even though the road force measurements are within Ford specs.
Gator Ford did not give up, in spite of above.
Goodyear G670 19.5 tires MAY have an issue (4 of 6 were replaced and the low speed shake is still there).
EVM is a good tool for a repairer to have; it gives objective confirmation instead of subjective opinions.
These tires definitely flat-spot after siting so any tire r/o needs to be done only right after driving.
FYI: the final tire axial r/o's were one at .070, two at .040 and the rest less. The wheel r/o's were .035 max, which should be OK especially if match-mounted.

[Invent1]

My new 08 Itasca 30B had pretty severe vibrations at 35 and 65 mph. Dealer and the big W said "Not our problem - go to Ford" Fortunately, after many hours of research we found a great Ford dealership, Gator Ford on Rt. 4 in Seffner FL.

It took 3 trips but they didn't give up and eventually brought down the worst, the 65-mph vibration.

First go-round, they used an EVM to help diagnose the vibration source. Then removed all 6 tires, checked balance/run-out on a Hunter GSP 9700 machine, match-mounted each tire to bring within Ford specs, and put the best on the front. Vibrations were perhaps somewhat better but still not good.

Second try: rechecked all 6 tires, replaced two worst (on rear), and checked driveshaft alignment (it was OK). Vibrations were better but still not good.

Third try: Replaced two front tires, check driveshaft balance (it was OK). 65-mph vibration feels much better (will know more when I take a trip on some smooth roads).

Things learned:
A tire can cause vibrations even though the road force measurements are within Ford specs.
Gator Ford did not give up, in spite of above.
Goodyear G670 19.5 tires MAY have an issue (4 of 6 were replaced and the low speed shake is still there).
EVM is a good tool for a repairer to have; it gives objective confirmation instead of subjective opinions.
These tires definitely flat-spot after siting so any tire r/o needs to be done only right after driving.
FYI: the final tire axial r/o's were one at .070, two at .040 and the rest less. The wheel r/o's were .035 max, which should be OK especially if match-mounted.

[ISLAPP]

Thanks for the info. So you still have to work on the 35MPH vibration though?
Mike

[george henry]

[oleo]

I had the same problem on my 2002 chassis with Goodyears.
I took it to a truck tire shop and had the front tires trued. They were very out of round and the machine seemed to have removed a lot of rubber, but the ride is 100% better and the rubber they cut off is probably less than I would have lost due to wear because of the out of round condition.

[NeilV]

I have been talking to a lot of tire techs on this one after having a 670RV blowout last week and the consensus is that the 19.5 tires from GoodYear are problematic especially the load range F being known for durability problems. The G's have been better however GoodYear is one of the most difficult to get an RMA from for out of round tires/out of spec tires. What Michelin and Bridgstone will quickly concede are defective GoodYear will still present as acceptable. Some dealers will install them but tell you up front that if you have harmonics with GoodYear you can be in for a long drawn out affair in trying to get them exchanged and may be left on your own by GoodYear. This was repeated by multiple dealers to varying degrees some of them WingFoot dealers. I now have serious reservations on getting another set of 670RVs for my F53 and will go with another brand. I was cautioned that the sidewalls on the Michelins are a bit soft and can amplify the side sway on an F53 so the Bridgstones may be a better choice or a store brand load range H for the stiffer side wall and potential for better fuel economy with a set of Konis to soften the ride.

Still learning and gathering data on this one.

[becks]

I have had two 19.5, G670 Goodyear tires fail also. One was a sidewall failure and the other a tread separation. Both were replaced by Wingfoot dealer at no charge,one F range and second one G range. I asked dealer both times if there were any problems with these tires. Each time they stated they have heard nothing bad about them. I suspect I am not getting the whole truth. I check air and inspect often and was lucky to catch them both before having a blowout. Problem is I'm now nervous every time I get behind the wheel. I decided after the second failure I will not replace with Goodyears. Had good luck with Michlins on prevous MH, may go back to them.

[JoeH]

When we got our 1999 MH on an F-53 the ride was terrible. Dealer had me takee it to Gator also and after 2 or 3 tries,( diffferent tires, replacing out of spec wheels,etc. ) they had it ironed out -- they seem to know what they are doing