New tires, car seems unstable

chemgeek · 08-17-2009, 03:49 PM

Hi,

Sorry if someone has posted a question like this before, but I did a search and I could not find an answer. I have an 08 335i sedan auto. About 2 weeks ago, had new tires installed at my local Costco. The tires are BMW OEM runflats, Michelin Pilot Sport 2 ZP W rated tires. The problem is that when I go about 50-70 mph on the freeway, I get a sensation that the car is "wobbling" left and right. It is sort of a wierd lateral movement sensation. Can anyone help me out with this? What might the problem be?

VMRWheels · 08-17-2009, 06:11 PM

By lateral movement, do you mean tramlining? or does it have a vibration?

The wobbling could be from an unbalanced wheel/tire or a lug bolt not being tight.

The weird lateral movement you are describing sounds to be some tramlining issues with the new tire.

-Charles@VMRWheels

pruettfan · 08-17-2009, 06:20 PM

I agree. The first few miles with new tires will always be a little weird. The tires are coated with agents that help them to be removed from a mold so that stuff has to be worn off. Check the lug nuts and make sure they are fine. Drive careful for about 50 miles then it will be fine.

chemgeek · 08-18-2009, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VMRWheels

By lateral movement, do you mean tramlining? or does it have a vibration?

The wobbling could be from an unbalanced wheel/tire or a lug bolt not being tight.

The weird lateral movement you are describing sounds to be some tramlining issues with the new tire.

-Charles@VMRWheels

Well, there is no vibration, it is not a feeling of worn rotors or anything like that (although my brakes squeel like crazy when I back up, but that is a different issue). It is more of a feeling or sensation that the car will vear ever so slightly left or right and instantly correct itself. It gives me an uneasy feeling.

So, I took the car back to Costco last night and told them the car was not driving correctly. The guy at Costco proceeded to tell me that they have people coming back complaining of wobbling all the time. Seemed odd to me, but I don't work in the tire business so I have no idea. They took off all four tires and re-balanced them. A couple of the weights were moved quite a bit (you could tell becuase they left the stickers there from the ones they had previously put on). Just driving in the parking lot, the car felt smoother (there was vibration that I just thought was the stiff suspension). Unfortunately, the traffic this morning prevented me from even getting up the 60mph to see if the wobble went away. Hopefully, I can assess the situation on the drive home this afternoon.

VMRWheels · 08-18-2009, 02:49 PM

Hopefully the re-balancing will cure the issue. They could have initially balanced the wheels using the improper balancing cone not for a BMW, causing the balancing to be throw off the first time. Let us know how it goes!

-Charles@VMRWheels

eclipsor · 08-18-2009, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chemgeek

Well, there is no vibration, it is not a feeling of worn rotors or anything like that (although my brakes squeel like crazy when I back up, but that is a different issue). It is more of a feeling or sensation that the car will vear ever so slightly left or right and instantly correct itself. It gives me an uneasy feeling.

Does this left/right correction seem to relate, in any way, to you letting off or applying the throttle? i.e. similar to torque steer on a FWD car.

Jonny550 · 08-18-2009, 10:56 PM

dude i swear i have the same problem when i got new tires on my sedan 335i

i went to replace the rear tires with nankang ns-2 and left the oem runfats in front

and the car feels like its floating (in a way) when i hit anout 70-75 mph anything above that its fine though ....i thing it is the tires being unbalanced though .

chemgeek · 08-19-2009, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eclipsor

Does this left/right correction seem to relate, in any way, to you letting off or applying the throttle? i.e. similar to torque steer on a FWD car.

Strangely, now that you mention it, it does at times.

chemgeek · 08-19-2009, 02:17 PM

Update, after re-balancing, the ride is a bit smoother, but there is still a wobble to it. I think I am going to call Costco and even Michelin and complain. Let's see if I can't get a different set of tires becuase it has to be the tires as the car was fine before I had them installed

.

335ier · 08-19-2009, 03:30 PM

same thing happened to mine when i got new tyres, check your front tyres for scrubbing on the inner edge i dont know how this works but the problem was one of the rears were out which somehow messed with whe settings on the front a quick adjustment sorted the problem out with immediate effect.

nukezero · 09-09-2009, 02:55 PM

you are not alone. i have only 2300 miles on the clock and factory michelin ps2 rft's from the factory.

they give that left-right wobble feeling at highway speeds greater than 70mph.. it is not always there but it is annoying.

08-17-2009, 03:49 PM	#1
chemgeek First Lieutenant 8 Rep 315 Posts Drives: '10 335/white-saddle/msport Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Laguna, CA iTrader: (0)	New tires, car seems unstable Hi, Sorry if someone has posted a question like this before, but I did a search and I could not find an answer. I have an 08 335i sedan auto. About 2 weeks ago, had new tires installed at my local Costco. The tires are BMW OEM runflats, Michelin Pilot Sport 2 ZP W rated tires. The problem is that when I go about 50-70 mph on the freeway, I get a sensation that the car is "wobbling" left and right. It is sort of a wierd lateral movement sensation. Can anyone help me out with this? What might the problem be?
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08-17-2009, 06:11 PM	#2
VMRWheels BimmerPost Supporting Vendor 2045 Rep 25,989 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Anaheim, CA iTrader: (4) Garage List 2013 BMW M3 [10.00] 2015 BMW M4 [0.00] 2013 BMW F30 [0.00] 2014 BMW F22 [0.00] 2013 BMW F06 [0.00]	By lateral movement, do you mean tramlining? or does it have a vibration? The wobbling could be from an unbalanced wheel/tire or a lug bolt not being tight. The weird lateral movement you are describing sounds to be some tramlining issues with the new tire. -Charles@VMRWheels __________________ VMR\|Wheels \| 714.442.7916 \| sales@velocitymotoring.com \| www.velocitymotoring.com \| facebook \| flickr \| Instagram
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08-17-2009, 06:20 PM	#3
pruettfan Brigadier General 1622 Rep 3,402 Posts Drives: 2017 M2, LBB, DCT, Exec Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chandler, AZ iTrader: (0)	I agree. The first few miles with new tires will always be a little weird. The tires are coated with agents that help them to be removed from a mold so that stuff has to be worn off. Check the lug nuts and make sure they are fine. Drive careful for about 50 miles then it will be fine.
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08-18-2009, 02:49 PM	#5
VMRWheels BimmerPost Supporting Vendor 2045 Rep 25,989 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Anaheim, CA iTrader: (4) Garage List 2013 BMW M3 [10.00] 2015 BMW M4 [0.00] 2013 BMW F30 [0.00] 2014 BMW F22 [0.00] 2013 BMW F06 [0.00]	Hopefully the re-balancing will cure the issue. They could have initially balanced the wheels using the improper balancing cone not for a BMW, causing the balancing to be throw off the first time. Let us know how it goes! -Charles@VMRWheels __________________ VMR\|Wheels \| 714.442.7916 \| sales@velocitymotoring.com \| www.velocitymotoring.com \| facebook \| flickr \| Instagram
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08-18-2009, 10:56 PM	#7
Jonny550 Brigadier General 241 Rep 4,936 Posts Drives: 2012 550i Xdrive Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Jersey Shore iTrader: (14)	dude i swear i have the same problem when i got new tires on my sedan 335i i went to replace the rear tires with nankang ns-2 and left the oem runfats in front and the car feels like its floating (in a way) when i hit anout 70-75 mph anything above that its fine though ....i thing it is the tires being unbalanced though . __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] .
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08-19-2009, 02:17 PM	#9
chemgeek First Lieutenant 8 Rep 315 Posts Drives: '10 335/white-saddle/msport Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Laguna, CA iTrader: (0)	Update, after re-balancing, the ride is a bit smoother, but there is still a wobble to it. I think I am going to call Costco and even Michelin and complain. Let's see if I can't get a different set of tires becuase it has to be the tires as the car was fine before I had them installed.
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08-19-2009, 03:30 PM	#10
335ier Lieutenant 37 Rep 408 Posts Drives: F31 335d Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: england iTrader: (1)	same thing happened to mine when i got new tyres, check your front tyres for scrubbing on the inner edge i dont know how this works but the problem was one of the rears were out which somehow messed with whe settings on the front a quick adjustment sorted the problem out with immediate effect.
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09-09-2009, 02:55 PM	#11
nukezero Major 345 Rep 1,465 Posts Drives: BMW 3 series Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Irvine iTrader: (8)	you are not alone. i have only 2300 miles on the clock and factory michelin ps2 rft's from the factory. they give that left-right wobble feeling at highway speeds greater than 70mph.. it is not always there but it is annoying.
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