Steering wheel vibration

[Mbai2]

I just noticed today that my steering wheel has a slight vibration that's most noticeable around 40-50 mph. It's a very slight vibration with a total oscillation range of about 3 degrees (plus or minus 1.5 degrees from the average position) when I let go of the steering wheel. It is not noticeable when your hand is actually holding the steering wheel. I have not changed anything (or hit anything) to have caused this so I'm thinking it's always been there but I have just not noticed. Does anyone else see this in their CTS?

[smuook]

Currently... no.

I did replace my wheels with aftermarket wheels and got vibration at 70mph. It had to do with the lug pattern... you can read that post if you want the details... it's currently active.

If it was in the steering... you would probably get the vibration at lower speeds too. Since it seems to be tied to speed... I would look at the wheels since they created more centrifugal force as speed increases.

I would check the tire pressure and look for any abnormalities in the tire. Then have the wheels rebalanced. Then make sure the lug nuts are tightened in an alternating criss-cross pattern. Then torque them down to spec.

After that... you are probably dealing with a more involved issue. I would take it to the dealer and pray to the warranty Gods.

[Mbai2]

I actually just put on new wheels with hub centric rings a week ago but did not notice the vibration until today. At first, I thought it was the wheels causing the vibration but that woulnd't explain why the vibration was non-existent at higher speeds. Tire pressure is up to tire specs (50psi). Any more suggestions? Anyone else experiencing vibration? Maybe it's supposed to give the car a "more sporty feel" like the vibrating shifter

[miscreant]

Originally Posted by Mbai2

I actually just put on new wheels with hub centric rings a week ago but did not notice the vibration until today. At first, I thought it was the wheels causing the vibration but that woulnd't explain why the vibration was non-existent at higher speeds. Tire pressure is up to tire specs (50psi). Any more suggestions? Anyone else experiencing vibration? Maybe it's supposed to give the car a "more sporty feel" like the vibrating shifter

50 psi! Did you say 50psi? Did you mean 30psi? Hope so. 50 psi is WAY(!!!!!) to much!

What tires? They could be flat spotting since they are new.

[Mbai2]

Originally Posted by miscreant

50 psi! Did you say 50psi? Did you mean 30psi? Hope so. 50 psi is WAY(!!!!!) to much!

What tires? They could be flat spotting since they are new.

The tires are Toyo Proxes FZ4 225/40. As far as the tire pressure goes...what should I inflate them to? I asked about this in another thread and was told that I should follow the markings on the tire (which says 50). CTS says 30psi. Not really sure what to do. Good thing it was in the shop for a week in a half after putting on the new tires so I didn't get many miles on them at a high pressure.

[miscreant]

Originally Posted by Mbai2

The tires are Toyo Proxes FZ4 225/40. As far as the tire pressure goes...what should I inflate them to? I asked about this in another thread and was told that I should follow the markings on the tire (which says 50). CTS says 30psi. Not really sure what to do. Good thing it was in the shop for a week in a half after putting on the new tires so I didn't get many miles on them at a high pressure.

OWWWW!!!!! NO! The tire pressure listed on the tire is the MAX pressure! You should run about 30-34psi. Get that pressure down before you ruin your tires.

Tires gain pressure as they heat up. If you are running 50psi, that means they are heating up and going over 50psi!

225/40 tires? on what size rims? They sound awfully small.

[CTSV OWNER]

What kind of tire machine did they use? Did the person performing the work have difficulty working the tire onto the rim and pull a cord in a tire? With the wheels off the ground spin the tire and look straight at the tread and see if there are any variations side to side, or up and down. You could have a bad tire even if they balance perfectly. Its a condition known as "radial force variation" The best tire shops have machines that can measure this.

As for tire pressure I would not set them to the max rated on the tire itself. Even though they can handle that much the ride quality may suffer. I would set them to the specs on the door jamb and drive the car. If it does not feel right handleing or ride wise adjust a pound or two to dial them in. I would start at 30 psi all the way around and watch the tpm and see what they go up to when warm.

[Mbai2]

Originally Posted by miscreant

OWWWW!!!!! NO! The tire pressure listed on the tire is the MAX pressure! You should run about 30-34psi. Get that pressure down before you ruin your tires.

Tires gain pressure as they heat up. If you are running 50psi, that means they are heating up and going over 50psi!

225/40 tires? on what size rims? They sound awfully small.

The wheels that I liked only came with a 7" width with 18" diameter so I had to go for the 225's. I didn't realize how short the sidewall was when I ordered the tires. I'm definately going to have to go taller on my next set of tires. I'll lower the tire pressure tmw morning. Thanks for the heads up .

[miscreant]

Originally Posted by Mbai2

The wheels that I liked only came with a 7" width with 18" diameter so I had to go for the 225's. I didn't realize how short the sidewall was when I ordered the tires. I'm definately going to have to go taller on my next set of tires. I'll lower the tire pressure tmw morning. Thanks for the heads up .

Yes, though it's a moot point and I wont rub it in , but 225/45 would have been much better.

But I think you'll notice alot better ride with the lower tire pressure, and your vibration may go away.

[smuook]

Mbai2,

You are also running .6 inches smaller diameter on these tires. This affects your speedometer and odometer. You are going slower than you think you are and your miles are going to rack up faster.

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html