OK, I got my brand new 06 xB on Saturday. Drove it straight home on backroad streets never going over 45 or so. Got home and put on my sitting there waiting 5Zigen wheels and tires. 17" 215/40 toyo proxy4s.

Now, I have a problem I think. I am getting a nice little steering wheel vibration at about 65-70 and also when I let of the gas totally and the car coast. The hub centric rings are in the wheels btw.

My questions is, I of course think this could not be normal or I would read this all the time. I think the brand new wheels are out of balance. What do you guys think? The weights are on them but im thinking at least one of them in just not in balance.

Its driving me nuts for a brand new car to have vibration but wanted some opinions before I went to spend money having the wheels checked. I got them from wheelmax so not like I can have them rebalance them.


Thanks for any opinions! Car has 212 miles on it now, just not right.

 

Get them rebalanced.Call wheelmax and tell them whats going on.They may credit you back some money for your cost of rebalancing.

 

Rebalance and maybe a wheel alignment also.

When I went to my current set-up from the 17x7.5 inch Buddy Clubs, I had a slight shimmy also at freeway speed.

An alignment solved it.

Sometimes, the smallest change in offset will cause it also.

It did in my case.

 

i know this may sound stupid.. but did you double check all the lug nuts? hey.. it could happen.. i couldve sworn that i did and i felt a vibration.. pulled over and boom.. two of the nuts were loose.. but i tightened them and all is well, if not that then your wheels have to be balanced

 

^^^Yup, that's another area to check. Make sure all of the lug nuts are properly torqued.

 

yeah that was my first hope that I didnt get them tight and or one was messed up, they are all on good.

My guess was same as yours that something got thrown out of wack, going to do exactly what you suggested and call wheelmax then take it to a alignment shop and have them alligned and balanced. Just stinks to pay for it on a 5 day old car hahah but ohwell.


Thanks a ton, wanted to make sure I was not being picky over something that was a normal issue since I never drove mine or another xB over 45 before I changed the wheels.

Thanks much!

 

steering wheel vibration is always going to be the balance. alignment will not cause it.

 

Agree! Another Wheelmax problem. Rebalance.

My husband put my Hotchkis springs on and found that my alignment was off from the specs from Scion so he made it dead on. I'm lucky though it costs me nothing!

 

Did you rims come with hub centric rings? If not, that too could be the source of your vibration. The rims I got from The Tire Rack came with them already installed. I found during my wheel search that many mail order rim dealers do not sell hub centric rings with their rims.

 

Find a local shop with a Hunter 9700 balancer and have RFV measured. The problem will show itself easily.

 

Well.... Took it to firestone and guess what... ALL 4 wheels were not even close to being balanced. The guy actually laughed at how bad they were out of balance.

Also had him check the alignment and it was out of alignment from the factory, kinda lame but had them do it rather than go mess with toyota about it.

WOW does it drive better now, hehe now it's driving like the car I was supposed to of bought ;)


Thanks guys. Oh and wheelmax says they will refund the cost of balancing once I fax them a reciept.