What Causes High-Speed Vibration After Replacing 4 Tires?
2 Answers
Reasons for high-speed vibration after replacing 4 tires: wheel rim out-of-roundness, driveshaft deformation. Wheel rim out-of-roundness: Usually, if the tire suffers a strong impact, it can cause the wheel rim to become out-of-round. This issue is more common with flatter tires. If the wheel rim is out-of-round, it is almost impossible to restore it to its original shape. For safety reasons, it is better to replace the wheel hub. Driveshaft deformation: For rear-wheel-drive vehicles, if the car has been involved in a collision or scraped against hard objects such as curbs or rocks, the driveshaft bolts may become loose or even fall off. If there is an issue with the driveshaft, the vibration sensation during acceleration will be more noticeable.
I remember last year after I just replaced all four new tires, I noticed the steering wheel would shake a bit when driving on the highway, especially at speeds above 100 km/h. This is actually a pretty common issue, most likely caused by improper tire balancing. The workers might not have carefully calibrated the wheel weights during the tire change, leading to amplified imbalance forces at high speeds that cause vibrations. Sometimes, new tires themselves might have slight deformations or the rims could be slightly out of round, which can also trigger this problem. Additionally, if the wheel alignment is off and wasn't properly adjusted with the new tires, it could make the car shake. I'd recommend going back to the shop for a free balance check as soon as possible—don't delay, as it might damage the suspension system if left untreated. You can do a quick check yourself to ensure all tire pressures are equal, avoiding pressure differences that might worsen the shaking. In short, timely action is crucial.
