Not an F-Body, but help I need help on an odd wheel tire combo.

I purchased a used set of 24's for my truck. Since they've been installed, I have a bad vibration at low speeds. While I was driving a long at about 35, the steering wheel keeps bouncing around like car with warped rotors. What could cause this? I'm thinking of ditching the wheels. Any opinions?

305/35/24 is the tire size if it matters!

 

low speed vibes around 35 most likely arent balance related. if that is your truck in your avatar, chances are you have large bore wheels that are not hubcentric. if that is the case i would HIGHLY rec getting some hubcentric rings than rebalance the wheels with the rings in them.

also what kinda of tires are they?

 

Wow, thank you. That is not my truck in my avatar, but almost identical. What exactly is a hubcentric ring? Will this fix the problem? I drove it home from school at low speed and noticed my brakes acting funny too. This is not my first set of 24 inch wheels, I know what they feel like just not on this truck. The tires are Kuhmo's. 305/35/24. They are kind of noisey too. Would that have anything to do with the unbalance?

The truck is parked and I'm not driving it untill I figure out the problem. It's a beautiful low mileage Cadillac and I don't want to destroy it over wheels.

 

I work for a tire center and i too recommend getting a sit of hubcentric rings. If you have aftermarket wheels, which i believe you do, make sure they have those rings. What those rings do is absorb most of the vibration that you feel, and they help center the wheel for a better fit. Vibration at low speeds isnt usually an indication of an unbalanced tire. When a tire is unbalanced, you will feel vibration at higher speeds. The noise you are hearing from the tires is just that, noise. The tire size and the type of tread design and compound will all play into account of the noise. When i had 315/70/17's on my lifted truck, you could hear me coming from a mile away, they hummed like a mother. And also, since your sidewall is thin, you will feel more vibration as well.

 

basically your truck has a 6x5.5 bolt circle with a 78.1 mm hub bore. now lots of trucks have the 6x5.5 bolt circle but the hub bores differ from vehicle to vehicle. toyota's 6x5.5 hub bore is generally the largest at 108 mm so what most wheel manufactures do is make the 6x5.5 bolt circle wheels with a 108 mm hub bore so the same wheel fits just about everything rather than having to make a different wheel for every different hub bore. this works to an extent but isnt ideal. so to fix this you get a plastic or metal 108mm x 78.1mm hubcentric ring that makes the wheel fit snug and centered on to the hub up the vehicle. some people balance the wheel and then install the ring and install it on the vehicle. from my experience (i sell aftermarket wheels/tires for a living) i teach all my guys to put the ring in the wheel, then balance it, and then install it on the vehicle. i have better success that way. also i cannot stress enough to find a good wheel/tire shop and dont be hesitant to ask one of the managers who the badass there is, every shop has at least one, and ask him to balance your setup

now for the noise and brakes. the tires you have are not bad tires, they are actually pretty decent for big wheel setups, but increased road noise is part of the game with large diameter wheels. as a result of the increased rotational mass your brakes will also feel a little spongy and like they arent working as effectively. it is just something you have to get used to and adjust for. things like brake pads and rotors, tie rods, etc are going to wear slightly sooner than with the stock wheels/tires but i wouldnt let that deter you from having the wheels. they will still last you roughly 75-80% of their regular life


hopes this helps

 

Guys,

Thanks so much for helping a total stranger that much! That is really nice of both of you. I'm going to look into the hubcentric rings since that seems to be the problem. If not I'll be back. Thanks!!!