At this point in the diagnosis, the vibration has gone through the following analysis:
If the vibration is sensitive to vehicle speed, determine the rotational speed of the tires. As long as you operate the vehicle at a constant speed, the tires will operate at a constant speed. This speed is measured in rotations, or cycles per second. The reading is then compared to the frequency of the vibration, which is also measured in cycles per second.
Determine the rotational speed of the tires in revolutions per second, or Hertz (Hz), based on the vehicle speed at which the vibration occurs. In order to determine the rotational speed, follow this procedure:
• | Divide the complaint speed by 8 when using km/h. |
• | Divide the complaint speed by 5 when using mph. |
For example, if the complaint speed is 60 mph, the number of increments is 12. According to the following table, a tire with size of P235/75R15 has a value of 1.00 Hz. Therefore the rotational speed at 60 mph is:
12 increments x 1 Hz = 12 Hz
Tire Size | Tread | Revs/Sec (Hz) at 5 MPH |
---|---|---|
P205/75R15 | OOR | 1.06 |
P215/75R15 | ALS | 1.05 |
P235/65R15 | AL2 | 1.07 |
P235/70R15 | ALS OOR | 1.00 0.99 |
P235/75R15 | ALS | 1.00 |
31X10.5R15/B | OOR | 0.95 |
LT225/75R16 | ALS OOR | 0.99 0.98 |
LT245/75R16 | ALS OOR | 0.95 0.94 |
LT265/75R16 | OOR | 0.90 |
LT215/85R16 | HWY OOR | 0.95 0.94 |
LT235/85R16 | HWY OOR | 0.91 0.90 |
7.50R16 | HWY OOR | 0.90 0.90 |
8.75R16.5 | HWY | 0.98 |
225/70R19.5 | HWY | 0.89 |
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Sometimes, the tire/wheel vibration may be of a higher-order. In order to compute possible higher-order vibrations, multiply the rotational speed of the tires in Hertz at the complaint speed by the order number. If any of these matches the vibration frequency, then a vibration of that particular order is present in one of the tire/wheel assemblies.
Steering and suspension assembly vibrations are the first level of testing for low-frequency vibrations that are sensitive to vehicle speed. The symptoms of a steering/suspension first-order vibration are a shimmy or a shake. This is usually felt in the steering wheel or in the seat. Inspect the following components for wear or damage:
• | The steering tie rod ends |
• | The suspension ball joints |