Wheel balancing maybe ???

[tropey]

I've recently fitted 37's to my GU and I dont think the wheels are balanced properly.
I get an awful steering wobble from about 60km upwards. It is that bad that it's not really driveable at higher speeds.
I'm thinking it just may be the wheel balancing not done properly as I never had the problem with my 35's.
My questions are... could it be anything else except the wheel balance? Also where is a decent place to get the wheels balanced properly in Sydney's West ?
I spoke with Ace tyres in Wetherill Park and they wanted $70 per tyre plus the cost of the patches if they needed them to balance... thats $280 just to balance them plus the cost of weght patches at around $15 each and he said it would average 2 weights per wheel coming to $400 just to balance them WTF !!!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers.

[hobzees4wdshop]

hey mate big tyres are hard to balance properly and often need a huge amount of weight to get them close. Things like swampers and extreme trekkers require lots of weight and mucking around. We usually charge $20 bucks a rim to fit and balance on anything betweem 31" and 40". Your quote seems excessive, I'd do a ring around, maybe with some truck tyre places as well, they will more likely have the equipment suited to balance that size tyre.

[coxy321]

Check your wheel bearings and swivel-hubs before you do anything else.

Bigger diameter and heavier tyres (especially muddies) will exaggerate any play you have in your front end.

[TURBO60]

i got my 36" super swampers done for $30 for when i was driveing throught golbourn about 6 months ago had same prob

[tropey]

Check your wheel bearings and swivel-hubs before you do anything else.

Bigger diameter and heavier tyres (especially muddies) will exaggerate any play you have in your front end.

I'll have a look at that... just one question... how do I do it ? Am I checking for play or worn parts... where do I start ?
Cheers.

[coxy321]

Check your wheel bearings and swivel-hubs before you do anything else.

Bigger diameter and heavier tyres (especially muddies) will exaggerate any play you have in your front end.

I'll have a look at that... just one question... how do I do it ? Am I checking for play or worn parts... where do I start ?
Cheers.

Checking wheel bearings is easy, just grab the top of the tyre and try to pull it away from the car. There should be very little play, but if you can feel some slop in there, or a nice metel-on-metal knock when you do it, then its time for a repack and adjust - or replacement.

Swivel hubs are a bit trickier, you're probably best off to jack up one of the front corners (under the diff - not off the body), and do the same as you would if you were checking the wheel bearings, except this time you're looking for play between the swivel hub and the diff's end knuckle.

Wet swivel hub seals (either on the slip area or upper/lower bearing plates) usually indicate a leaking axle seal, which means your CV grease is probably nackered as well.

The other thing to look for with swivel hubs (and the most common problem) is notches. Because your wheels are pointing straight ahead 95% of the time, every impact the front diff gets transfers straight through those little swivel hub bearings in the same spot 95% of the time. This will create a "notch" in the bearing race, which creates stress in the steering movement, and can of course bind up the bearings making a great big mess.

How many km's has the car done since either of these were looked at?

[tropey]

Thanks for that... the wheel bearings are fine... I'll jack it up and check the swivel hubs. Thanks for the explanation.
It's been about 7k km's since these were last looked at.

[coxy321]

Thanks for that... the wheel bearings are fine... I'll jack it up and check the swivel hubs. Thanks for the explanation.
It's been about 7k km's since these were last looked at.

Unless they weren't done properly, or you absolutely hammer the car, its not likely to be those two things.

Good luck!!

[tropey]

swivel hubs all seem fine as well.
So... i'm thinking about going down 2 lines... firstly do the ring around for balancing that doesn't require me to take out a second mortgage to pay for them and look at getting a tough dog SV (adjustable) steering dampner to help a bit further. Seems like it would be the next logical thing to try as all the bushes are probably only 7k km's old except the tie rod ends, but they seem to be fine.

[tropey]

so can anyone help with places where to get the wheels balanced around the Hills district / Blacktown / Windsor / Parramatta or anywhere else around the area ?
Thanks again.

[coxy321]

firstly do the ring around for balancing that doesn't require me to take out a second mortgage to pay for them and look at getting a tough dog SV (adjustable) steering dampner to help a bit further.

Now doing that would only be covering the problem up, not fixing it.

Is your castor correct? If so, how have you corrected it?

[AutoBalanceMan]

www.autobalance.com.au

[tropey]

Castor has been corrected with longer aftermarket arms suited for the 4" lift. It has adjustable panhard with new gen bushes. All the other bushes incl those in the arms are max 7k km's old except for the tie rod ends but they seem fine.
The reason I was going for another balance was because it wasn't doing it on the 35's leading me to believe the tyres are out of balance. If it was a problem with the caster or the likes, surely it would have done it with the 35's which were on a wider rim compared to whats the 37's are on now... well thats my thinking anyhow.
The steering dampner would be there as an extra help should the balancing not be able to be 100%
I appreciate your input coxy321, any advice is most welcomed.

[Gwagensteve]

look at getting a tough dog SV (adjustable) steering dampner to help a bit further.[/quote]

Maybe try a hiclone? That might help imbalanced tyres/death wobble about as much.

Tell you what, take your steering damper off. THEN get rid of the wobble, then put it back on if you like.

Steering dampers don't fix anything, they only make you think it's gone away.

Steve.

[coxy321]

Castor has been corrected with longer aftermarket arms suited for the 4" lift. It has adjustable panhard with new gen bushes. All the other bushes incl those in the arms are max 7k km's old except for the tie rod ends but they seem fine.
The reason I was going for another balance was because it wasn't doing it on the 35's leading me to believe the tyres are out of balance. If it was a problem with the caster or the likes, surely it would have done it with the 35's which were on a wider rim compared to whats the 37's are on now... well thats my thinking anyhow.
The steering dampner would be there as an extra help should the balancing not be able to be 100%
I appreciate your input coxy321, any advice is most welcomed.

Sounds like you just need a good balance up then i spose. Post results!

[tropey]

Maybe try a hiclone? That might help imbalanced tyres/death wobble about as much.

Tell you what, take your steering damper off. THEN get rid of the wobble, then put it back on if you like.

Steering dampers don't fix anything, they only make you think it's gone away.

Steve.

Dude... whats the hiclone got to do with it ???
I understand the damper is only masking the problem... however I was saying to get the wheels balanced again to try and correct the problem... however due to the size of tyres it may not be 100%, only time will tell.
I will however ask the place I find if the hiclone will help with the steering wobble... doubt it... but i'll let you know

[tropey]

Sounds like you just need a good balance up then i spose. Post results!

Will do... thanks for the help.

[A.J.]

Hey mate!

I got my 35s fitted and balanced at JAX Tyres in Liverpool.
They charged me $15 a tyre including weights and did a top job!
I don't know how they go with 37s but worth a try!

I took the wheels there in the back of my other car mind you, they might charge you a little more if they have to remove/re-fit the wheels to your vehicle.

[flexytj]

i used magnum balancing compound in my 37s and it drove fine never had
a balance issue ever even after wheeling when the wheels were caked with chunks of mud .

only costs about 10-15 bucks a bag and last for the life of the tyre

[AutoBalanceMan]

i used magnum balancing compound in my 37s and it drove fine never had
a balance issue ever even after wheeling when the wheels were caked with chunks of mud .

only costs about 10-15 bucks a bag and last for the life of the tyre

$110 delivered to your door.
Oh and an unbalanced tyre with death wobbles will very quickly damage all sorts of things in the front end from bearings thru to panhard bushes.
Jonesy