Apparent Wheel Wobble

[Audity]

Hi,

HELP.......please.
Audi A4 1.9 tdi sport 2001 - genuine Audi 19" alloys.
Up until a month ago steering solid - no vibration whatsoever - at any speed.
Then had the 2 front tyres changed - coincidence ?
Felt they hadnt been balanced correctly so took them back and got them rebalanced.
Still experiencing wobble.
Have since been balanced a further twice by a different garage.
Still get wobble.
Car had just sailed its mot with nothing required.
Have checked numerous times all suspension joints and there is little if no play anywhere.
Symptoms: Very noticeable vibration anywhere from 60mph upward BUT then intermittent.
Can sit at 70-80, steering wheel wobbling away, take foot off the gas for a second then take it back up and the wobble goes, then appears again.
I can continue doing this and the wobble comes and goes.
Happens more in a straight line.
When steering left or right it tends to lessen.
If it were the wheels would the vibration not be there all the time at these speeds.
Tending to think its not the wheels now, but it feels so much like it.
Any input greatfully appreciated.

Simon.

[mikeybutch]

Seems like it is the wheels if there was nothing wrong before the tyre change.Try changing the fronts with the rears

[Audity]

Hi
Would have tried that but unfortunately the rears have 255/30's and the fronts are 235/35's
Suppose I could still try it briefly to see what happens
Meant to say earlier brand new discs and pads fitted today
They needed done anyway but I initially did it to narrow down the possible cause

[tea boy]

Driveshafts/cv joints?

[Audity]

Driveshafts/cv joints?

Had considered that
Apart from the usual clicking noise on full lock what other signs of wear are evident if they are indeed the cause

[tea boy]

Had considered that
Apart from the usual clicking noise on full lock what other signs of wear are evident if they are indeed the cause

You could jack it up and see if the shaft moves much with the wheel still.
Looking for free play/backlash in the joint.
Mine vibrated like wheel balance but it was the cv.
It did not click on lock, just to confuse the issue

[Audity]

Seems like it is the wheels if there was nothing wrong before the tyre change.Try changing the fronts with the rears

Hi
Well 1st thing this morning swapped the rears and fronts over.
Took it for a wee blast up to 85.
Not a wobble in sight - rock steady with a slight hint of a rumble from the rear.
That narrows that down then - front wheel/s it
Took the rims to a previous balancer who set the machine up differently, now to measure the weighting based on different areas of the inner rim as opposed to just the inner lip.
Took it up to 85 again this time no shimmy in the steering wheel - just a hint of rumble now.
Getting there !!!

[tea boy]

With you having said you had been to different places to have the balance done, I thought we could have discounted that, seems I was wrong.
In my experience, you have to keep your eye on the tyre fitters, a lot of them are not that dedicated to their work.
Any decent wheel balancer will have an alloy wheel program where you can set the machine to calculate the weight for the relavent position on the wheel where the weights are to be stuck.
Sadly a lot of the people who use these machines do not know how to use these programs, and will do a static balance instead because it is easier and quicker.
There is every possibility that a statically balanced wheel can still have a dynamic imbalance which will cause a vibration.

The rumble could be the tyres, what sort did you get, and did the rumble move to the back when you swapped the wheels over?

[vwcabriolet1971]

Some years ago had two front tyres fitted and balanced. Found that wheels had not been balanced correctly - took car back to original tyre shop and had them re-balanced . Took 5 separate visits to get them properly balanced . Then found out that only just prior to the 5th and final successful visit, that the wheel balancing M/Cs had been properly calibrated . Tyre fitters had been using uncalibrated M/Cs !
I was livid ! The first question I now ask is "Have the balancing M/Cs been recently calibrated and could you show me proof ?"

[Audity]

With you having said you had been to different places to have the balance done, I thought we could have discounted that, seems I was wrong.

You and me both.

In my experience, you have to keep your eye on the tyre fitters, a lot of them are not that dedicated to their work.
Any decent wheel balancer will have an alloy wheel program where you can set the machine to calculate the weight for the relavent position on the wheel where the weights are to be stuck.
Sadly a lot of the people who use these machines do not know how to use these programs, and will do a static balance instead because it is easier and quicker.

Most likely what has happened, numerous times !!!

There is every possibility that a statically balanced wheel can still have a dynamic imbalance which will cause a vibration.

The rumble could be the tyres, what sort did you get, and did the rumble move to the back when you swapped the wheels over?

Yes the rumble did move, but that was before the latest balance.