Wheel Balancing & Tire issue

[Ed Raabe]

Hi All I have a 1955 with pronounced shaking at 65 MPH
I have had the wheels road force balanced, the suspension tightened and front wheels aligned with no improvement. The shaking seems to be coming from the wheels not the drivetrain (its not vibration)
I have stock wheels and Firestone replica bias ply tires
The tires' sidewalls seem to be misshaped in and out by about 1/4 in. as the rotate them so they appear to wobble as observed driving down the road. NOT the wheels as they are fine. I hope I have described the issue properly. Ed R

 

[paul2748]

To make sure that it s not a part of the drive train, can you borrow a set of wheels and tires just to try?

If it's ok with the borrowed set, have your current rims and tires checked for run out. A front end or tire shop should be able to do this.

If the run out is ok, the next step would be to try another set of tires with your rims. If ok, then it's the tires.

If you plan to drive the car a lot, then I suggest radials.

 

[paul2748]

Did the vibrations just start with the addition of new tires?

 

[Ed Raabe]

Here is the latest
I switched the wheels from my Edsel (14" vs 15" ) also replica bias ply tires by Universal, so there is about a 1 inch difference in diameter
The same shaking occurs, but at 55 rather than 65 mph. (measured with a Speedo App not the Speedo in the car. By the way, if I let off the gas as this occurs the shaking becomes more intense and fades gradually as the speed naturally decreases. there is difference in that speeds over 62 with these wheels & Tires it rides much smoother. So that is where we are now. Suggestions?

 

[paul2748]

I assume you did not have any issues when the trial wheels were on the Edsel?

If the shaking is felt in the steering wheel, I think you need to go over the front end components again and the alignment. Include the front wheel bearings to make sure they are tightened to spec.

Ball joints in these cars where heavy duty but they can go bad.

Also have the drums checked for balance. Not up on what "Road Force Balance" is, maybe this is with the wheels on the car?

 

[Ed Raabe]

Front end just tightened up and an aligned by the best shops in the area! And yes I feel it and see it in the wheel No issue on the Edsel with these wheels & tires.
Road force balancing exerts pressure against the tire as it is balanced.
The drums have balance weights in place. Even my mechanic thought torquing up the front end would solve the issue. Everything was loose when he started to work on it and I had a lot of play in the steering

 

[HeadacheGuy]

Ed, if you are sure the shaking gets worse the second you lay off the gas you are out of the wheel and tire area and back into drivetrain. (It also sounds like you have beat the idea to death with what you have tried. You really need to check the ujoints and driveshaft. Especially the rear joint where it bolts to the differential yoke. Some ujoints are a bad fit here so it is imperative the is no side to side runout. Equally imperative there isn't a joint that is too tight in it's plane. Shops around here charge about $125 or so to balance a shaft so it may be worth looking into. Remember that changing the load has a big effect on the shaft, NOT the wheels and tires. Just a thought.

 

[Ed Raabe]

Replacing the wheels I noticed the front wheel bearings do have play!
Bought a set & will report on that when I get them installed.

 

[Ed Raabe]

Thanks Guy it defiantly gets worse the second I let off the gas. The shop it it took it to insists the u joint is tight etc. Time for a different set of eyes on it?

 

[Ed Raabe]

FYI I drove a friends 55 equipped with radial tires mounted to wire wheels. His car has the same issue at almost the same speed. So a question To those owners who drive their cars at highway speeds of 65-70 discribe the ride.
Smooth as driving at 45? 55?
Rough ride over 55 with Increasing shaking approaching 65?
Most owners tell me they don't drive over 55 so they don't know.
I can't believe these cars can't be driven comfortably at 65
Thanks to Paul and Headache Guy for their responses, I would like to hear from some others on this forum too about how their cars ride

 

[paul2748]

I have no issues with driving 65 -70 mph in my 56. Radials with stock wheels and hubcaps.

Drove twice across country with the same tires/wheels and did not experience any problems.

 

[Ed Raabe]

Thanks Paul!

 

[paul2748]

Ed - A question Did this problem come up all of a sudden while previously there was not a problem?

Or did you just get the car on the road and the problem came up?

 

[Ed Raabe]

Well I had the issue ever since I bought the car but figured it was wheel balancing and just didn't drive the car over 55. Then I got new tires and still had the same issue. Today I was able to tighten the right wheel bearing 1/8 turn and eliminated the "play" but the LEFT wheel could not with out binding so I left it alone therefore the left wheel still has slight play. I adjusted the tire pressure to 25lbs and tightened the engine stabilizer bar nuts a few turns.( I can't find anywhere how tight they should be) Drove it and eliminated 95% of the issue! How about that! I will have a new set of bearings in both wheels ASAP and then see what gives, Ed

 

[paul2748]

Glad you found the answer to your problem