[nikibusa]

Mod Note : Please continue the discussion in Our Article on Car Vibration. Thanks

Hi Guys..


There has been a new problem that i am facing. I had been to Nashik for the weekend and was driving at around 120-140 kmph on the lovely stretch. All of a sudden i realized that there were sudden vibrations and i had to hold the steering firmly to keep the car moving at that speed.

Never before such a thing has ever happened. If i drive at 100, she is absolutely fine. But the moment i go beyond the mentioned speed, it feels weird.

Experts please help. Also i have noticed that the car is pulling strongly towards the left (i am assuming alignment issues). But can the possible causes be listed and the remedies.

Niki

[ajayr]

For steering vibration, please check your wheel balancing.
For car pulling towards left, as you suspect rightly, please check your alignment.

[psp62in]

Steering vibration at higher speeds = Wheel Balancing!!

[laxmanrk]

Hello

You have not mentioned if you have changed your stock wheels to alloys!

If you have then, there could also be the issue of hub-centric rings.

Check this thread http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-a...oy-wheels.html

If you have not changed your wheels/ alloys then the vibration at 120kmph is definitely down to wheel balancing. Get it checked at a reputed Wheel alignment and balancing centre.

Also you mention the vehicle pulling to the left. This is an alignment issue. The alignment needs to be checked and rectified.

Hope this helps.

Laxman

[nikibusa]

Thank you all for the help. I will get the issue sorted soon.

@Laxmanrk: I am running stock rims, so hub centric rims definitely is out of question.

Niki

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by nikibusa

Thank you all for the help. I will get the issue sorted soon.

Hi,

Just like every one mentioned, get the wheels balanced. One additional point to note. While getting the wheel balanced, insist on putting new weights. Most times service center guys use old wights, which do the job, but then you lose them at speeds, which will bring you back to where you started.

- Dhanush.

[SirAlec]

Always please mention your oddo reading and how old the car is while posting these sort of issue.

You said you are on stock steel rims. Also check for bend rims and holes of the rims.

[nikibusa]

@SirAlec: My car is a year old and she has done 15700kms. Its a Asta version which comes standard with alloys. My bad about creating the confusion (steelies and alloys).

@dhanushs: I will definitely make a note about the usage of new weights while balancing. More so i will be getting it done at my friends tyre shop.

Niki

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by psp62in

Steering vibration at higher speeds = Wheel Balancing!!

Not always, it can be unevenly worn tire(either side or some patches) or a bent rim.

[wild child]

Originally Posted by nikibusa

Hi Guys..

There has been a new problem that i am facing. I had been to Nashik for the weekend and was driving at around 120-140 kmph on the lovely stretch. All of a sudden i realized that there were sudden vibrations and i had to hold the steering firmly to keep the car moving at that speed.

Never before such a thing has ever happened. If i drive at 100, she is absolutely fine. But the moment i go beyond the mentioned speed, it feels weird.

Experts please help. Also i have noticed that the car is pulling strongly towards the left (i am assuming alignment issues). But can the possible causes be listed and the remedies.

Niki

hi niki

i own an i20 crdi magna. clocked 4600km. no such issues cropped up. I went through the replies of other members. I don't think balancing or alignment issues will crop up all of a sudden out of the blue - as u are saying that u were cruising fine but all of a sudden she went all vibrating and pulling.

I suggest you take a look at the front wheels and see whether the tire pressures are same on both sides ( FL and FR ) .

While cruising, did u ever hit a speed bump or run into a pot hole at high speed? This could damage the suspension of your car as i20s are fitted with soft suspesions. This will also result in steering vibration and pulling. Even as somebody pointed out, a bent alloy / steelie wheel could also be the culprit.

Also, when u find free time, try swapping the FL and FR tyres and see if the problem gets shifted to the other side. Check for the following

- if problem shifts = problem is either with the wheel or the tyre. ( probably a puncture / bent or broken wheel rim )

- if problem persists = problem related to corner module / suspension ( other than wheel )

In addition to the above exercise, pls check whether the tilt and reach adjustment of your steering column has been locked and stowed properly in position. Loose steering column definitely results in awkward vibrations.

Like the others say, you can also check the balancing as well.

Cheers and good luck for a speedy and complete recovery .

[mayankk]

pulling too?
get a check done for wheel balancing as mentioned.

add tie-rods, cv joints(not probable, but no harm getting it done.throw in bearing check for good measure).

[SPARKled]

Is the i20 not known to have steering vibration issues as a common problem? Could this not be the case?

[nikibusa]

@wild child: When i am driving at speeds till 100kmph the car does fine. The moment I cross the said speed, the steering starts vibrating. I have checked for bent rims and also for worn out tyres. But everything seems to be fine. Going into a pot hole or uneven roads is common in mumbai, but i havent have had a heavy hit ever.

But let me have the balancing and alignment done and see if the problem fades. Then i will proceed for the next set of checks to be done. Will have the check dont on the steering column again.

@mayankk: My dad had once got an alignment done from some place 90kms off mumbai when he was visiting our vacation home, and that guy spoke to him about checking the wheel bearing. But i never paid a heed to this request. As i fail to understand about any damage being caused to the same. She has barely done 15700kms. I am not saying that the said distance is anything less, but still.

@.anshuman: I have checked for the worn out tyres or a bent rim, but havent seen any damage so far.

@SPARKled: The steering vibration you are talking about is a different issue which has been sorted by the Hyundai A.S.S. much before.


Niki

[mayankk]

short stop check for wheel bearing.
after a long drive, compare the heat coming from the wheel, near the hubs.
if one is noticeably hotter than the others, then that would point to a wheel bearing.

but before the bearing causes wobbling at high speed, it would start to cause noise.
there would be a drone, a literal hellish "hummmmmmm" filtering inside the car at any kind of speeds, ideally post 50kmph.
could be more or less, 50kmph is not written in stone, but would continue till wherever you max out.

but 15k is hardly any kind of mileage to mar a bearing, unless it was a inadequate from the factory itself.

[vnabhi]

I guess you might not have driven at speeds over 120 so far, and was perhaps not aware of the wheel-balancing issue. I am saying this because even my Fiesta exhibited some vibrations at a speed of 120 when the car was just 2 months old. I had not driven at that speed earlier.

But at speeds over 120, the vibration used to vanish. I got my wheels balanced after that, and the problem did not recur from then. My car is over 4 years old now.