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Had a overall vibration, rotated tires, went away

A

alexhatcher

New member
I have a 2011 Golf 2.5L, bought recently used.

it had a vibration and a slightly offset steering wheel from i imagine an alignment that wasn't done right.

Had tires checked and aligned re-done. vibration did not go away. So.. I have to go back.

but.. car still tracks great and steering wheel no longer offset.

and vibration did NOT change at all. Before I return to the shop, I swapped the front and back tires.

i peeked at the brakes and rotors but did not do anything except remove and move the wheels.

vibration is totally gone. I'm at a loss. any thoughts?
 
Last edited:
Blakcard

Blakcard

Autocross Newbie
OEM wheels or Aftermarket? Steel with hub caps?
It's possible the wheels you moved to the front are balanced and have either tap in weights or stick on weights.
The tires you moved to the back, was the rim bent in any way? Worn tires excessively on outside or inside?
Do the rims have balance weights on them? Are all the tires matching brand/tread?
 
snobrdrdan

snobrdrdan

former GTI owner
The wheels/tires that WERE on the front (but now on the back) might not be balanced or may be bent/damaged.

You'll notice/feel the vibrations in the front more, thru the steering wheel, versus the rears.
 
A

alexhatcher

New member
Hi, Life got busy, sorry about slow delay.

Vibration was consistant through car at high way speeds. swapped fronts and rears. vibration completely gone.

The only thing that was odd (and annoying) was getting the bolts free off the wheels, apparantly, someone really powered them on.

these are 15" steelies with plastic covers. I did make sure they were on properly AFTER I was done. could a cover vibrate an entire car at highway speed?

tires are not same brand, but are new and mostly new.
 
Blakcard

Blakcard

Autocross Newbie
then I would start with inspecting the tires for flat spots. Get the older tires in the air and spin slowly looking for the flatness in areas.
If the tires are not the same brand BUT are the same on the same axle it's nothing to worry about I don't think. Wheel covers shouldn't make the steering wheel vibrate. You would have heard the noise if they were loose.
While the tires are in the air check for balance weights. Those might be behind the wheel covers or on the back of the rim. If you can't locate any that could potentially be the problem.. tire isn't balanced. Check for dents while you're at it on the rim.
 
A

alexhatcher

New member
Its been a full week now, and I have NO vibrations now. not that i'm complaining.

I'm going to play scientist and swap them back and hopefully it will return.

I may have written it poorly: summary.

1. brought car to shop, got alignment and balance. The balance did not fix existing entire car vibration.
2. I swapped front to back, back to front. vibration gone.
3. I am going to swap them again, to see if vibration returns.
 
Last edited:
Blakcard

Blakcard

Autocross Newbie
if you already had the tires that you moved to the back balanced, when you swap them out again make sure the hub is clear of any debris, the wheel backing is smooth. Torque the lugs properly to make sure a flush fit before you take it for a drive again.
If the vibration comes back I'm gonna assume the rim or the tire is out of round on one of the axles.
 
D

dub*man

Ready to race!
Ive noticed on my car that the wheels don't sit flush sometimes - techs look at me like I'm crazy but the vibrations go away after removing and re-torquing the wheels.
 
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