Elusive Vibration - Wheel Centering

[JDOnTheGo]

Howdy all,

I learned something this week and I hope it will save someone from spending the money I have spent to learn about it. It may be common knowledge which makes me an idiot - but no big surprise there.

I have been fighting a vibration at cruise speed. It has been VERY hard for me to determine where it is coming from. I have replaced all tires, had all tires balanced a second time (after installation), replaced steering and suspension parts, and even replaced the front wheels. It was at the shop that was installing the new wheels that I made serious progress. A smart fellow in the back of the shop heard me talking to the others about the vibration. He knew the problem and had the answer.

My bus has 'hub centered' wheels. These wheels fit over a flange/lip on the hub. This flange on the hub is supposed to center the wheel on the axle. Apparently, with enough miles, these flanges wear and the wheel is no longer centered. That was my problem.

The smart fellow pulled out a tool called "TRU-BALANCE." This is basically three alignment 'rods' that screw onto three studs. The wheel is then installed over these 'rods' which centers the wheel on the studs. Then all wheel nuts are installed/tightened and the three rods removed (and nuts installed on those studs).

Ridiculously simple but IT WORKED!! The vibration in the front end was gone. Now, I can clearly feel that there is some vibration coming from the back. I intend to return to the same shop and have them do the same thing on rear wheels.

Hope that helps someone, someday...

[Njsurf73]

It was not common knowledge to me. Thanks for sharing that. You may have saved a few people the same struggle.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[Booyah45828]

I've heard of it. Have never seen it personally though. Do you have alloy wheels or are they steel?

[JDOnTheGo]

Originally Posted by Booyah45828

I've heard of it. Have never seen it personally though. Do you have alloy wheels or are they steel?

All eight were steel. Now the two fronts are alloy.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by JDOnTheGo

All eight were steel. Now the two fronts are alloy.

GREAT info.

Here is manufacturer link

[Tango]

When reinstalling "hub-centric" wheels, be sure to apply a small amount of anti-sieze to the hub where they fit together with the rim. Steel, hub-centric rims can be a monster to work with when they rust weld onto the hub.

SIDE NOTE...

Never put anti-sieze on lug bolts.

[Twigg]

Originally Posted by Tango

SIDE NOTE...

Never put anti-sieze on lug bolts.

Good advice, but remember that threads should be clean and dry.

If you do use anti-sieze, torque values increase by 30% in all instances except where anti-sieze is specified .... or threadlock, for that matter.

It's useful to add anti-seize to steel sparkplugs in aluminum heads, but again the torque value goes up.

[cadillackid]

super cool news!!!
I had seen this once before a few years back when I rented a freightliner budget miving van.. I had a horrid shake.. and called truck rental, they sent me to a freightliner garage where the tech jacked up the front wheels and spun both.. the left front was way off center.. part of the hub flange was actually bent.. he took a few tapered lug nuts.. and center the wheel by loosening all 10 lugs, then putting those tapered ones and tightened just enough to pull the wheel true.. then ran in the rest of the nuts (regular with his gun.. removed the tpered, put on the regular ran them in.. and good to go.. (im sure he was suppose to torque them wit ha wrench but he used his gun.. I took off down the road and it was pretty smooth!
-Christopher

[Twigg]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

super cool news!!!
I had seen this once before a few years back when I rented a freightliner budget miving van.. I had a horrid shake.. and called truck rental, they sent me to a freightliner garage where the tech jacked up the front wheels and spun both.. the left front was way off center.. part of the hub flange was actually bent.. he took a few tapered lug nuts.. and center the wheel by loosening all 10 lugs, then putting those tapered ones and tightened just enough to pull the wheel true.. then ran in the rest of the nuts (regular with his gun.. removed the tpered, put on the regular ran them in.. and good to go.. (im sure he was suppose to torque them wit ha wrench but he used his gun.. I took off down the road and it was pretty smooth!
-Christopher

The air-wrenches in tire shops are preset for the correct torque.

Whether they are set correctly is another story