Dodgy Wheel Balance???

[v8sportwagon]

Hi All,
I have a MY09 VE sportwagon and wondering if anyone can help me out.

Firstly i'd like to apologise to all of you warning against getting a wheel alignment done at a stealership....I didn't listen and got a 4 wheel alignment done with my 30k sevice. :spew:

The car has been dead straight up until I got the car back from the service. As soon as I get to 85kmh I get a steering wheel shake which improved as I got over 105 kmh.
I thought no big deal maybe it would just be a dodgy wheel balance and went back in today to get the wheels rebalanced.

After 1.5 HOURS!!! they come back and say all fixed we have rebalanced all wheels, however one of the mechanics heard a wheel bearing noise and we have ordered a new one.

On the way home this time I get shakes in the steering now from 70kmh and at 95kmh the shakes were 10 times worse then before and car feels difficultish to control and seemed to get even worse the faster I got.

Personally I cant hear any bearing noise....can a wheel bearing fail so suddenly without making any grinding noise??? Could they have broken a bearing ??

Besides a dodgy balance, do you think there is anything else that would cause this that could have been done by the dealer?

Should I just sit tight till they replace the wheel bearing...I don't know

If any one has any suggestions before I go back to the dealer I would appreciate your help.

[LS1-5.7]

Firstly, did they rotate the tyres front to back during the service ?
It's possible that the rear wheels were out of balance and when they've put them on the front. What you're describing does sound like a wheel imbalance but they've had a go at balancing them already :confused: Maybe their wheel balancer is out of calibration.... Hit any potholes lately by chance ?

I'd stop relying on half baked dealership opinions and consult a good tyre shop about it. They certainly know alot more and seem to go the extra mile to make sure you're satisfied.

Oh, and as for the wheel bearing statement, it should be screaming or grinding it's head off for it to be causing this problem.

[Brandonsdad]

Take them for a drive at the speeds that it does it so they can see first hand.

Being under warranty still, I would stick with them to get it fixed, not outlay money and go elsewhere.

[SS Enforcer]

Do you have aftermarket rims on your car ?

If the answer is yes check that they have replaced the hub rings for the rims. If not take your car to a good wheel and tyre place to get fixed properly.

cheers

[v8sportwagon]

Thanks for the replies so far guys!

No havent hit any pot holes, and the problem was only apparent straight after the servicing. Besides the wheels have now been balanced two times...

What makes it worse is the problem is even worse after the second balance was done...WTF!

Yeah the wheels have been rotated in the initial servicing prior to the rebalance today.

Yeah I agree I would expect huge noise from the the bearings before the shakes get this bad.....so ..does that mean the dealership has no idea...yet they know they have stuffed something up ? :bawl:

I was thinking maybe the dealers balancer was out...but being a busy dealer they would be doing 20 cars if not more a day, you would think everyone would be complaining already!!

[UTESRULE]

this is a long shot but u got the correct psi in the tyres

[planetdavo]

There's been quite a few VE wheel bearing failures. Most dealers keep one or two in stock.

[v8sportwagon]

Yes my rims are still stock..either way this only start directly after the service..

havent checked the PSI yet but tyres look ok. besides after the 2nd balance this morning the problem is worse so dont think it is tyre pressure.

[decoupe]

Did they remember to tighten the nuts ? ( Both times ?? )

[LS1-5.7]

this is a long shot but u got the correct psi in the tyres

Good point ! It may even be due to a tyre defect like an egg in the sidewall or lamination separation in the tread somewhere. These faults would not have been as obvious when the tyres were on the rear and don't expect the
2nd year apprentice to pick it up when he's balancing them either. He's too busy thinking about what to do next to his fullysic gemini lol

As far as the warranty side is concerned, you've given them 2 chances FFS so how long do you have to put up with it before they figure it out ???
Yes, it may cost a few dollars to have a tyre shop look at it but I'd much prefer to get it sorted once and for all ! Waranty counts for nothing if it is an accumulation of bad memories and incompetence :flipoff:

[v8sportwagon]

There's been quite a few VE wheel bearing failures. Most dealers keep one or two in stock.

If it was the wheel bearing do you think it could have failed this suddenly with no noise and straight after service?

[planetdavo]

If it was the wheel bearing do you think it could have failed this suddenly with no noise and straight after service?

I honestly don't know the usual cause of failure of these, just that many dealers have had to replace either front or rear bearings a bit.
Anything can fail at any time though, including just after you drive out of a place.
Whilst there is a small chance of an egg or something else with a tyre, it does sound like they are having big issues getting the balance right. Perhaps you should tell them you want premium tyre balance done at a reputable tyre shop, as you don't have the time to keep running back for repeated attempts.

[v8sportwagon]

Thanks again for the replies everyone!

Honestly my gut is telling me that it is the wheel balance. Its just too much of a coincidence that this has happend when they did the balance.
The only things that are confusing me is that 2nd time round it got worse and not better.
And whether or not they have busted something else in my car and need more time to get it right by calling me back in to replace the bearings....

[LS1-5.7]

It sounds like you'd be better off strapping some lead weights to the rim in a pretty pattern rather than rely on their wheel balancer (equipment or operator) :rofl:

Do let us know what the outcome is.

[v8sportwagon]

Can anyone recommend a good tyre place that can have a go at my wheel balance in the Gold coast area?

How much do you think a 4 wheel balance would set me back?

Thanks,

[LS1-5.7]

Can't recommend anyone up there but go with the larger chain stores. Explain the situation to them and get an invoice in case you have a claim against the dealer for "consequential costs"

Most places charge about $15 to $20 per wheel.

Get them to check the front wheel bearings while they're at it :)

[gunrunner]

I have 18' 235s tyres on my ute what PSI should i be running them on with load on and unloaded etc as it seems to bounce a bit at the moment

[vyss2ute]

Go and see Bob Jane T-marts at Mermaid Beach.

Haven't had a problem with them once.

[trity]

what type of wheel weights did they use? clip on to the outer rim or stick on type? personally i would be choosing the stick on type as you can get a better balance from them

i personally wouldn't get a balance and rotation done at a stearlership just go down to any reputable tyre joint and they will actually balance them in front of you. they can show you how much each wheel is out of balance if you so wish

i personally think it is either an out of calibrated machine doing the balancing or an apprentice learning how to put the wheel weights on!!

[LGW]

I also stupidly took my car in for a wheel balance and rotation at a holden dealership last year, same thing...perfect before then after I had steering wheel vibrations at about 100km/h. Took it back the next day and luckily they balanced it properly. The bad thing is I noticed huge gouges/scratches in my wheels where they have attempted to remove the old weights! :vpo: Never again!!!!

Anyhow I hope it all gets sorted out for you v8sportwagon, I feel your pain!

[v8sportwagon]

Hey guys....

Driving to work this morning and noticed some more things about the vibration.

I had the opportunity to drive more at low speed this time and I realised I can actually feel the vibration at low speed also ( 20kmh upwards). Plus I also noticed that the frequency doesnt change as I speed up, but the vibration does still get stronger the faster I go...

I'm also not sure if its my imagination or not but sometimes it does seem to be worse than other times.....yet still always noticable..so maybe that could be the wheel bearing giving a little? Its hard to tell cause it feels so crap to drive.

I will jack the car up on the weekend to see if there is any play in the wheels to prove if it is the wheel bearing... If theres no play in them I will then go to another tyre place I reckon?

I have also checked that there are weights on the wheels and they are the newer flat stick on ones on the inside of the rims.

[v8sportwagon]

i personally think it is either an out of calibrated machine doing the balancing or an apprentice learning how to put the wheel weights on!!


Those were my thoughts too..until I went back the 2nd time and it got worse???

[v8sportwagon]

I also stupidly took my car in for a wheel balance and rotation at a holden dealership last year, same thing...perfect before then after I had steering wheel vibrations at about 100km/h. Took it back the next day and luckily they balanced it properly. The bad thing is I noticed huge gouges/scratches in my wheels where they have attempted to remove the old weights! :vpo: Never again!!!!

Anyhow I hope it all gets sorted out for you v8sportwagon, I feel your pain!

Cheers LGW!

I was hoping 2nd time round it would have got it sorted and it would all be over.....how mistaken I was...:confused:

[GODSMACK]

which improved as I got over 105 kmh.



Well there's your solution right there, drive above 105km/h and shes sweet as...

[sv300 - 75]

i had a similar problem straight after i purchased my VX(second hand). there was a nasty shudder when i hit about 80 to 90. but i didnt notice this when i was looking at the car before i bought it (only hit 60).

this is what happened to me, the tyres were cheapo tyres and because of this the tyre it self was out of balance with the rim, so i took it in to a big chain store and they did a balance on all tyres. there was still the same problem but it was better. so i took it back and they said it might be the tyres so they span the tyre around on the rim and then did a rebalance and it fixed it 100%.

check with the dealer to see how many weights they used.
1st balance i got, 150g was used i think.
2nd balance after tryres were rotated was 20g.

thats what cheapo tyres can be like.

my 2c

[LS1-5.7]

150 grams ???? Crikey, was part of the rim missing :confused: With that much weight you would have to realise not all is good. Lets put 10 bandaids on top of each other ... that'll fix it ;)

[v8sportwagon]

Hey Guys,
The car is all fixed now, I thought I would update you all on what was wrong.

Turns out the wheel bearings are totally fine as we expected. No play in the bearings what so ever, and not really any noticable noise either..

I went to my local Bridgestone dealer, told them what happend and got the wheels rebalanced. We were all shocked when each wheel went on the balancer and found out how much each wheel was out after the stealership has messed with them.

Left front was 45gms now 10gms
Right front was 85gms now 5gms...WTF :flipoff:
left rear was 50gms now 0gms
right rear was 50gms now 20gms


That explains why the car was messed up to drive, I think all 4 of the wheels were causing vibes at different speed ranges so it was absolutely shit house to drive.

Glad its all sorted now and nothing more serious....

I guess just another example not to let the holden stealerships get their hands on our cars....

[TUFFIE]

:hide::hide::director: Oh Planetdavo....where are you???? any comments???

[VYSHSV8]

Sounds like the tool was putting the weights on the opposite side to what was supposed to be then countering the weights that were on there, not uncommon
or could have had incorrect rim dimensions on the machine for calibration etc etc:)

But glad all is ok now :):):goodjob:

[SS Enforcer]

Left front was 45gms now 10gms
Right front was 85gms now 5gms...WTF :flipoff:
left rear was 50gms now 0gms
right rear was 50gms now 20gms


I guess just another example not to let the holden stealerships get their hands on our cars....

I hope your going to take the bill back to holden with the report of what they found at the Bridgestone shop as thats really bad or at the very least get a refund back from Holden for the balance they charged you for.

cheers

[VX2VESS]

I hope your going to take the bill back to holden with the report of what they found at the Bridgestone shop as thats really bad or at the very least get a refund back from Holden for the balance they charged you for.

cheers

yes I would and your own bill for the time you wasted because they don't know what they are doing.

[LS1-5.7]

Glad to see it's all sorted and with the outcome we all thought was the cause.
The dealership has let you down drastically for several reasons. Firstly, your car's problem should have been given much more attention especially considering it kept coming back for the same problem. Someone in the workshop with seniority and experience should have taken ownership of the problem rather than give it to the same pimplyfaced apprentice that obviously had no idea. If the wheel balancer (equipment) was out of calibration, they would have known about it from the many complaints they received and had it fixed. If the equipment was not the problem then it would be reasonable to assume it was operator error and he/she should have been shown how to do the job properly. Is it any wonder we live in a world where we DTA (don't trust anyone) or CAA (can't assume anything) ! Sigh ....... :confused:

[CalaisBoy]

Well after many months of wheel balance issues I have finally had it fixed!

The VE Calais has 20 x 8.5" front and 20 x 10" rears and has been to a couple of the "big name" or "big chain" franchises for balancing on 4 occasions in the last 6 months.

Once again I had the wheels/tyres balanced on Tuesday (at a different place than before) with no success - big vibrations at about 100 - 110kph. Same old story!

On the recommenation of Luke at Wholesale Suspension at Penrith I went to Penrith City Tyres.

Chris at Penrith City tyres spent some time discussing the problem and took care in balancing. He explained the difficulty and the issues with balancing such big wheels and tyres and not placing weights on the outer "visible areas". He also explained that it is important that balancing machines be professionally calibrated and maintained. He did not let me pay until I had test driven the car.

Anyway the balance is now perfect! I wish I had been to see this professional young operator before.

Highly recommended to anyone living in Western Sydney.

And just to clarify - I have had no previous connection with anyone at this business before. Thanks for the recomendation Luke!

[pah]

Hi Guys,

EVERY time I've had this type of wheel shudder, it's been crap tyres that are NOT ROUND!

I bought a set of very good quality Euro brand radials and one was out of round. It was replaced by the retailer.

I bought a set of cheapies (should have known better) and they were chronic. They were so bad, I bought two better quality tyres for the front. That fixed the problem. I wore out the out of round crap rubber on the back axle.

If your car was second hand, maybe the last owner put the wobbly tyres up the back. Maybe a rotation brought them back to the front?



PAH

[DAVESS-V]

Well after many months of wheel balance issues I have finally had it fixed!

The VE Calais has 20 x 8.5" front and 20 x 10" rears and has been to a couple of the "big name" or "big chain" franchises for balancing on 4 occasions in the last 6 months.

Once again I had the wheels/tyres balanced on Tuesday (at a different place than before) with no success - big vibrations at about 100 - 110kph. Same old story!

On the recommenation of Luke at Wholesale Suspension at Penrith I went to Penrith City Tyres.

Chris at Penrith City tyres spent some time discussing the problem and took care in balancing. He explained the difficulty and the issues with balancing such big wheels and tyres and not placing weights on the outer "visible areas". He also explained that it is important that balancing machines be professionally calibrated and maintained. He did not let me pay until I had test driven the car.

Anyway the balance is now perfect! I wish I had been to see this professional young operator before.

Highly recommended to anyone living in Western Sydney.

And just to clarify - I have had no previous connection with anyone at this business before. Thanks for the recomendation Luke!

Mate, i need to find someone up here in Bris that is as professional. I have the same issue, 20 x 8.5 front and 20 x 10 on rear and i have some wicked shudder after 100km and am getting bloody sick of it :vpo:. Will have to go and get the balance done somewhere else as its the only thing it could be. Have been told Tailshaft bolts could play some role in it as well.