New Tyres - A Cautionary Tale

[buzlby]

Front tyres had done 30k, and I had a speed wobble around 65-70mph. Tracking fine, but tyres just about on the tie marks

Tue - went into my local tyre depot (Headley). £150.40 for 2 new Michelin energys, and all 4 wheels tracking. I had watched the chaps balancing the wheels, and they did it properley. Pressures spot on

Wed - Up to 65mph for the first time. Start of speed wobble, worse by 75, unsafe by 85 (on private airfied officer.........)

Thur - Back to Headley tyres. Both tyres off, and when on balancing machine (keeping the original weights on) both out - how ? - I had watched them get it right first time.

So again they balanced the tyres, again spot on. Out on the road now, steering rock solid, not even a hint of a wobble even up to 100mph (again on East Ilsley Hill, sorry airfield....)

I can only conclude to a degree of "setling in" by new tyres, but its never happened to me before

Any suggestions ?

Cheers

:o

Bazzer

[Starensis]

Front tyres had done 30k, and I had a speed wobble around 65-70mph. Tracking fine, but tyres just about on the tie marks

Tue - went into my local tyre depot (Headley). £150.40 for 2 new Michelin energys, and all 4 wheels tracking. I had watched the chaps balancing the wheels, and they did it properley. Pressures spot on

Wed - Up to 65mph for the first time. Start of speed wobble, worse by 75, unsafe by 85 (on private airfied officer.........)

Thur - Back to Headley tyres. Both tyres off, and when on balancing machine (keeping the original weights on) both out - how ? - I had watched them get it right first time.

So again they balanced the tyres, again spot on. Out on the road now, steering rock solid, not even a hint of a wobble even up to 100mph (again on East Ilsley Hill, sorry airfield....)

I can only conclude to a degree of "setling in" by new tyres, but its never happened to me before

Any suggestions ?

Cheers

:o

Bazzer

Did they re-check the balance after fitting weights?? If they do not fit them in correct area on rim balance will be out.

The only other possible cause is a weight has come off when driving. They can be difficult to fit properly.

[MadVlad]

I always wondered if the direction of rotation makes any difference - if they're spun in one direction when balancing and fitted to rotate in the opposite will they still be properly balanced? I know that in theory they should be but I've driven a few cars (crocks) in my younger days where a steering wobble was fixed by swapping the two fronts so that they rotated in the opposite direction...