Wheel Tramp Wheel Tramp
| • | Inspect for an unbalanced tire or wheel. |
| • | Inspect for a worn strut dampener or shock absorber. |
Wheel Tramp Tire Waddle
Waddle is the side to side movement at the front and/or rear of the vehicle. It can be caused by the steel belt which is not straight within the tire. Waddle can also be caused by the excessive lateral runout of the tire or the wheel. Waddle is most notable at a low speed, 8-48 km/h (5-30 mph). Waddle may also appear as a ride roughness at 80-113 km/h (50-70 mph).
The vehicle can be road tested to see which end of the vehicle has the faulty tire. If the tire causing the waddle is on the rear, the rear end of the vehicle will waddle. From the drivers seat it will feel as if the side the with waddling tire is being pushed.
If the faulty tire is in the front, the waddle is easier to detect. The front sheet metal appears to be moving back and forth. The drivers seat feels as if it is the pivot point in the vehicle.
Another process for diagnosis of tire waddle is to replace each tire and wheel assembly with a good tire and wheel assembly. Follow these steps:
- Drive the vehicle in order to determine if the waddle is coming from the front or the rear.
- Install tire and wheel assemblies known to be good (from a similar vehicle) in the place of those on the end of the vehicle which is wadding. If it is not possible to isolate the waddle to the front or rear, then start with the rear tires.
- Road test again. If improvement is noted, install the original tire and wheel assemblies one at a time until the faulty tire is found. If improvement is not noted, then install the tires known to be good in the place of all of the four original tires. Install the original tires one by one until the faulty tire is found.
