aftermarket rim vibration

[rumrunnerx]

i just put on new 18" kmc floss rims on my 2001 pt and i have noticed that i am getting a very noticeable vibration over 60 mph. i talked to a guy at the carlisle custom compact show this weekend and he said there is some sort of ring on one of the lugs, which makes aftermarket rims mount crooked. he said all i had to do is remove this ring and i would be riding smooth again. has anyone else heard of this? im getting ready to sell the car, and i dont want to give the next owner a shakey ride.

[WUWU20]

I have no idea what that guy is talking about and it don't make since to me how one lug could make the wheel itself mount "crooked"...if the wheel is against the rotor or drum then a ring on a lug nut would do nothing to change its mount, none of my lugs had a ring or washer on them when I took mine off,,,,it would seem to me that if the wheel was mounted crooked it would vibrate or shake no matter how fast you were going...sounds like a balance problem or a belt in a tire is bad...more like a balance problem tho....be cool, James

[CREWZIN]

I go for James's theory...balence problem. If there was some sort of ring it would certainly throw off the balance because the rim was balenced off the car and when the lug nuts were put back on, it would throw off the work that was just done. Just put on new tires on the wife's car and asked that the weights be put on the inside only...that's the way they were when I took the car in. Above 55 the steering wheel shook. Took it back and told them to try again...still shaking. Now, either I take it someplace else and pay to try and have it corrected or tell the first place to put weights on both sides.

[Dan Pockrus]

quote:
i just put on new 18" kmc floss rims on my 2001 pt and i have noticed that i am getting a very noticeable vibration over 60 mph. i talked to a guy at the carlisle custom compact show this weekend and he said there is some sort of ring on one of the lugs, which makes aftermarket rims mount crooked. he said all i had to do is remove this ring and i would be riding smooth again. has anyone else heard of this? im getting ready to sell the car, and i dont want to give the next owner a shakey ride.

Let's try this again:

The "ring" he was referring to is the star retainer that is designed to hold the rotor in place when the wheel is removed. Considering that your KMC's are completely flat around the lug holes (i.e. not countersunk) on the side that faces the rotor, the theory is that the retainer will prevent the wheel from seating completely flat against the rotor.

-- Dan --

[rumrunnerx]

what dan says sounds correct. i know its not a balance problem, cause i have had it checked three times. and i know the rims are all torked right, because i use a tork wrench every time. the rim is flat on the inside where the wheel is meeting the brake assembly, which is different from my last set, which is why i am experiencing this for the first time.

any idea where i can find the star retainer, and if it is safe for me to remove it?

[Sci-Fi]

There should be a retainer on one stud for each wheel. As long as you torque the lug nuts evenly and not torque the nuts to full spec on the 1st try (go maybe 50 ft-lbs, then 100 ft lbs), you should be ok.

2002 Almond Pearl Limited Edition 27K

[CRUZIN NW]

Sometimes it doesn't matter how many times you've had your wheels balanced..I'm a perfect example. I had a set of 16" smoothies mounted on mine..and I took it back four times, to three different tire stores (all the same chain) until I finally got them balanced correctly. They too, shook at 60-75mph..after the fourth attempt, they're finally smooth. That final tire shop is the one I'll go to from now on..they know what they're doing.

[bstockum]

quote:
Sometimes it doesn't matter how many times you've had your wheels balanced..I'm a perfect example. I had a set of 16" smoothies mounted on mine..and I took it back four times, to three different tire stores (all the same chain) until I finally got them balanced correctly. They too, shook at 60-75mph..after the fourth attempt, they're finally smooth. That final tire shop is the one I'll go to from now on..they know what they're doing.

The final shop probably took the retainer rings off and just didn't tell you about it!

[aPT1]

I had exactly the same problem, after installing Mille Miglia 11-2 wheels. See my long description at http://www.ptdoityourself.net/pttechlib8.html#183 .

Alan

2002 Inferno Red LE, plus Mille Miglia 11-2 chrome 17x8, Bridgestone RE730, Airaid intake, Bassani dual exhaust, Hedmann 4-2-1 header.

[Stephen R.]

I have followed this thread with much interest since I was in the market for 18's myself. Well yesterday I installed Konigs w/ 235/40/18 Falken ST115's (rain/silent tire design designed for real world driving) and took her for a high speed test. Smooth as a baby's butt yet quieter than a baby all together!

On a more technical note, here are some wheel details to be aware of:

1. Be sure the wheel is 'hubcentric' by having a 57.1mm hub rings installed in the aftermarket wheels.

2. If using wheel locks, buy a kit (ex: Gorilla wheel locks) to be sure the nuts are all the same weight.

3. Use new balancing technology: http://www.gsp9700.com/

4. As previously mentioned, the star retainer must be removed. Compare the mounting surfaced lug holes of the aftermarket wheel vs. PT and note the OEM has a recess to accommodate this nut (this is a cheap way to keep the disc on the car when the calipers are removed). If you don't get it out of there, you CANNOT get a vibration-free ride <img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle>

BTW, My rims are 18x7.5 with a 35mm offset with Eibach drop. It looks SAHHHWEEETAHHH... Typically you will find most rims are about 45mm offset. The 35 brings the wheels outward so they align closer to the fender lines thereby giving the vehicle a broader stance.

See you out there.