Vibration over 60 mph...shop says alignment off?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
May 25, 2005
Messages
772
Location
Northern Michigan
I brought my minivan in to have the tires balanced to correct a vibration I've been noticing over 60 mph. The guy at the shop said the alignment must be off because the tires appear "feathered" and the feathered tires are causing the vibration. I've had the tires rotated AND balanced every 5-6,000 miles since I had them installed (about 15,000 miles on the tires...Bridgestone Serenity Plus which have been great so far)
. I can't see the feathering...tires look good to me. The van steers straight...no pulling, etc. and the steering wheel is straight. The guy at the shop "shook out" the front end and said everything was tight (lower ball joints have been replaced and everything else is original from what I can tell).


I'm tempted to call the local shop that did the last alignment and confirm that they're setting to factory specs...and not their own.

In any case, I know that a alignment issue doesn't typically cause a vibration...but a tire wearing unevenly might (due to alignment issues). My other alternative is to have the tires balanced and see if that makes any difference (rotation/balance was just done 2,500 miles ago) and get another opinion on the "feathering" issue.
 
How many miles ago was the last alignment?? Worn suspension components can cause the alignment to be off.
 
Originally Posted By: oilmaven
The guy at the shop said the alignment must be off because the tires appear "feathered" and the feathered tires are causing the vibration.
I can't see the feathering...tires look good to me.


Photos?
 
Alignment can definitely cause vibration. In Illinois the highest speed limit is 65 so at most I'll go 75, on a trip down south with posted limits of 75 so I was doing 85 and noticed some vibration through the steering wheel. When I arrived in Florida the first thing I did was get an alignment. On the return trip, no vibration. Suspension and tires were fine, it was just slightly out of alignment but was unnoticeable until I traveled at higher speeds.
 
If you're rotating tires while your alignment is off, that means instead of wearing
out two tires, you're gonna wear out all four. I never rotate tires for that reason.
 
The van has 91,000 miles on it. Despite these vehicles being noted for bad tie rod ends, mine are still tight (I have them checked pretty regularly)...everything else on the front end is solid. I had the struts (including mounts) and shocks replaced at 70,000 miles or so. I use the van a LOT and originally had a problem with similar vibration. It turned out to be the Defender tires (another story). Replacement with the Bridgestones eliminated the vibration (it was much worse previously). I'm going to have the alignment checked and have the tires rotated and balanced and hopefully that takes care of the issue.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top