HOW is this possible..
So I put this issue aside for a bit because I've been too busy to worry about it. Tonight I pulled the receipt out from Tire Place #2..the one that was supposed to have done a road force balance on a Hunter GSP9700 machine. The receipt lists "spin balance" as the work that was done, and they charged me only $40. Should I assume that they did not do a road force balance considering the low price I was charged? I'd also assume they'd list "road force balance" rather than "spin balance" on the receipt, but I could be wrong.
Anyway, I'm gonna take it back and see what they say. If they didn't do the road force balancing I'm gonna ask them to do it and only charge me whatever it cost over and above the $40 they charged me already, since I specifically asked for it from the beginning. I'm thinking it was somehow lost in translation however.
Last edited by C300Kid; Nov 30, 2009 at 02:16 AM.
Are you hearing any noise from the front end that might be a front wheel bearing? Any changes in brakes? Checked shocks/springs/engine mounts.

Finish balance the wheels on the car. Most aftermarket wheels have a 66.6mm bore. This can cause trouble. Also remember you have increased the scrub radius on the front of that car which will amplify these problems.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; Nov 30, 2009 at 04:28 AM.
Finish balance the wheels on the car. Most aftermarket wheels have a 66.6mm bore. This can cause trouble. Also remember you have increased the scrub radius on the front of that car which will amplify these problems.

There is no bad tire though, The only reason I thought so was because one wheel had 14 weights on it. I looked again and they're only 1/4 ounce per weight so 14 weights is only 3.5 ounces. That's pretty normal.
Last edited by C300Kid; Nov 30, 2009 at 09:47 AM.
Are you hearing any noise from the front end that might be a front wheel bearing? Any changes in brakes? Checked shocks/springs/engine mounts.
Sometimes it'll vibrate for 35 seconds and get smooth again, other times it'll vibrate the remainder of my trip.
I'm not hearing any noises but I also haven't had any of the above checked. I just assumed since it started the day I got new wheels/tires it has to be that.
I mean, I guess it's possible im just feeling amplified road feel as a result of my new tires being high performance..I can't imagine it's normal for the steering wheel to shimmy though like it does. I still think it's a balance problem.
Last edited by C300Kid; Nov 30, 2009 at 09:50 AM.
The Best of Mercedes & AMG

You need to go through this methodically. I would start with front wheels off on a balancer & check for horizontal & radial runout on the tyres AND rims & work from there.
Try putting your 17" wheels back on the front & make sure the problem goes away. I'm pretty sure it will but check. One thing ticked off the list.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; Nov 30, 2009 at 10:25 AM.
You need to go through this methodically. I would start with front wheels off on a balancer & check for horizontal & radial runout on the tyres AND rims & work from there.
Try putting your 17" wheels back on the front & make sure the problem goes away. I'm pretty sure it will but check. One thing ticked off the list.
I think my best bet is to bring it back to tire shop 2 and have them do a road force balance. If this doesn't solve it..bring it to my MB dealer and let them figure it out.

I think my best bet is to bring it back to tire shop 2 and have them do a road force balance. If this doesn't solve it..bring it to my MB dealer and let them figure it out.
Benz is likely to tell you to return the car to standard.

I'm definately not an expert in this area but it seems to me that if he held the car at 75mph via cruse control and it would on its own start shaking, then maybe its not the tires at all. Therefore, the code checker.
I'm definately not an expert in this area but it seems to me that if he held the car at 75mph via cruse control and it would on its own start shaking, then maybe its not the tires at all. Therefore, the code checker.
Also, thinking back..when I got the wheels balanced at the second shop, the car drove flawlessly for almost a week..then the vibrations started.
Maybe it IS engine related and it's just a fluke that it happened when I got new wheels.
There's so many things this could be..
ps You've checked all the bolts to make sure they're torqued down, right?
The spare tire (or borrow someone else's MB wheel/tire) is a sure way to narrow down which corner is causing you your problems. The rest is just leaving you with more questions and possible culprits. Start with a baseline and check things off one by one. Your dealer isn't going to give you the time of day unless you're going to pay for every second of labor they spend trying to diagnose the problem. First thing they'll say is: "You're running an aftermarket wheel, one that we didn't install."

While rotating slowly first check against the side of the rim at the tyre bead if the rim deflects from side to side (bent) or up & down (out of round) Then do the same thing with the sidewall of the tyre - does it deflect from side to side & finally the tread - does it deflect up & down while rotating which means it's out of round & needs to be ground round or replaced.
This is really very simple - In racing I've done it 1000s of times.
Checking for delamination in the tyre is a little more difficult. You need to look for a bump in the sidewall or tread where air has entered between the construction layers of the tyre.
Good luck
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; Dec 1, 2009 at 07:35 AM.
Anyone else interested, go here http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/features/how.cfm




