Road Force Excessive on a New Car

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Feb 28, 2015
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Location
MD
So we bought a new Hyundai. Immediately has vibration on the way home. But we bought on a Saturday night, closed the place down, and the vehicle is brand new so (warranty) right?

Make first available service appointment where I used to work (I handled pretty much all these type issues as a tech). Nobody quite understands road force, matching tires on rims, and regular spin balance there (when I worked there, and possibly still now?!).

They called to tell me 3 tires fail, excessive road force and cannot be improved enough by matching. They give me the print out and suggest returning to the selling dealer because HYUNDAI DOESN’T WARRANTY THIS TYPE OF ISSUE (tires?). Really?

On the way home call Hyundai corporate to open a case. They verify they don’t cover tires. Suggest buying an extended warranty with them that will cover tires. I tell them no way, proceed with opening a case.

Also call the selling dealer (out of my area, but it’s what you gotta do to find a new car lately). They’re more than willing to help, that’s great. They get me a loaner and I drop off.

They don’t even test drive it initially, just trust I have a tire balance issue. They call the day they work on it to say they think it’s fixed, all tires were out of balance. And let me know someone spun all my tires on the wheels. I let them know that was another Hyundai shops attempt to correct the excessive road force measurement. Selling dealer isn’t aware of what the road force currently is now, but insist it’s fixed. I insist they drive it before saying that, as I’m sure it was assembled with matched and balanced tires. Very rare that they are balanced wrong from the manufacturer.

Next day they don’t drive it. Day after (3rd day) they drive it and say it’s good to go. I again dig into the excess road force, and they aren’t giving me exact numbers as they claim they don’t understand it, but they said it’s all good.

I’m not saying it’s not good (haven’t picked up yet). But what would you all do if road force is exceeding what is considered normal? I remember we used 18lbs for passenger cars, 24 lbs for passenger tire SUVs, and so on.

Shop 1 said the road force was at 21 - 39 - 24 - and 23. After they worked on it. Vibration changed from 60-80 mph to only 70-75 mph.

Again I haven’t driven it but since it’s a hike to get it, trying to see anyone with tire knowledge or experience how big a deal is it IF road force is actually excessive? But drives fine.

As a tech you don’t get formal training on this stuff. Little worried of having “marginal” tires on a new car, if they’ll stay in balance over the course of their wear, etc.
 
Any NEW car I ever bought had a pamphlet in the glove box for the tires-and the warranty information for the tires. Maybe somebody else can chime in on if tire manufacturers will warranty tires with excessive road force. If so-then either you or the Hyundai dealer needs to contact the tire manufacturer for tire replacement.

Another thing-does excessive road force make it a marginal tire? Again-maybe somebody else can chime in. Initially I wouldn't think so but its only a guess.
 
Are these Hankook tires? Before the tires are checked for RF, the vehicle should be driven for 10 miles and then immediately put onto jack stands, to prevent flat spotting that can result in high RF numbers.

Drive the car, if it still vibrates open a warranty claim for excessive vibration (not for excessive RF).
 
Are these Hankook tires? Before the tires are checked for RF, the vehicle should be driven for 10 miles and then immediately put onto jack stands, to prevent flat spotting that can result in high RF numbers.
Yes. Hankook. S1 noble something or other. And it was driven and thrown right onto a lift and into tire balance at shop # 1.

Shop # 2 selling dealer just insists it’s good, without an understanding of road force and its effect on ride.

I mean if it’s smooth I guess we’re fine, I just don’t like the fact a new car with new tires and this issue.
 
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I had hoped they were just flat spotted from shipment, but we drove it about 150 miles before it went in for service and has 200 something on it when it went in to the selling dealers shop, so it should’ve worked out a flat spot by then.
 
Your warranty will not cover high RF values, but it should cover high levels of vibration in the chassis. Forget about RF when dealing with them. Let the dealer do the trouble shooting.
Let them replace rotors, axles, etc. Eventually they will replace the tires.
Understood. I think they know it’s in tires. It’s not related to braking, acceleration, coasting, deceleration, etc. and I don’t want anyone poking around on a brand new cars drivetrain.

Only speed related. And since messing with the tires affected the ride and vibration, they know what we’re chasing.

Things like this really get to me as if it were my car and I still worked there, this would’ve never been an argument. I’d bring it right in (not wait a week for appointment) id get to the bottom of it and get it fixed or get tires on the way. Sucks to be on the customer end of it.
 
Here is the Hyundai TSB for RF balancing and troubleshooting


Description: This bulletin provides tire vibration service procedures, including how to optimize vehicle vibration performance. For all wheel/tire balance claims, the “Tire Balance Data Sheet” must be fully completed including imbalance and Road Force Variation (RFV) data. The Data Sheet can be found at the end of this bulletin.
 
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Here's my 2 cent story.
When I got my 2016 4Runner in 2020, it had a bad vibration up front. I specifically told the dealer I got it from that I wanted "road force" or "dynamic" balancing done before purchase.
They did it allegedly, and it was "fixed."
It was better but not fixed.

I got it back home (1.5 hours away) and then took it to a tire shop and asked them to try for me. They immediately said the right front was a bad tire and there was no way anyone could balance it. They told me they tried 3 times to get it to work, to no avail. So, they put it on the back to minimize the vibrations.
I bought new tires for a trip last summer and sure enough, everything has been fine since then. Bad tires happen.

But Hyundai will not warrant them I'd imagine.
 
Our GM dealer got a Hunter Road force machine and mailed out adds. I paid for that service on our CR-V, and when the teen age tech was done I asked him “what were the road force numbers when you finished”…he said, “I have no idea what you mean”!

In That instance, and most….money wasted!
 
unfortunate for sure but most OE tyres are picked from the lowest bidder unless on a high end-sporty ride! girlfriends 18 kia bought in 19 had poor all seasons totally useless in light snow + way back in 72 the firestone deluxe champions i took off a GAVE to my sister lasted only 8 tho!! better tyres are the best money you can spend IMO!! an independent shop is usually best as their talent bring in business or not, although bigger cities with many customers sometimes care less!
 
Here's my 2 cent story.
When I got my 2016 4Runner in 2020, it had a bad vibration up front. I specifically told the dealer I got it from that I wanted "road force" or "dynamic" balancing done before purchase.
They did it allegedly, and it was "fixed."
It was better but not fixed.

I got it back home (1.5 hours away) and then took it to a tire shop and asked them to try for me. They immediately said the right front was a bad tire and there was no way anyone could balance it. They told me they tried 3 times to get it to work, to no avail. So, they put it on the back to minimize the vibrations.
I bought new tires for a trip last summer and sure enough, everything has been fine since then. Bad tires happen.

But Hyundai will not warrant them I'd imagine.
Apparently only the selling dealer will, sort of a “save face” type of deal. They claim they usually get reimbursed but it’s a battle for them.
 
Did you test drive the car?
Not yet. It’s a long ride away from me and very busy with life. I’m going tomorrow to get it and drive it. Just gaining insights to see experience with high road force but properly spin balanced wheels and tires. Just feeling on if I should argue bad numbers if and when they share the reports with me. I get that it could still drive smooth, as they claim it is. Have a hard time believing they were balanced wrong from the factory, especially after seeing the bad road force readings from shop 1, but things happen I guess.
 
I had hoped they were just flat spotted from shipment, but we drove it about 150 miles before it went in for service and has 200 something on it when it went in to the selling dealers shop, so it should’ve worked out a flat spot by then.

Have you asked to have the tires replaced?
 
Have you asked to have the tires replaced?
Mechanics and shops don’t want to hear how to repair a car from their customers. We did discuss the possibility of having to replace them if they can’t fix them, but they don’t think it’s necessary at this point, whereas the first shop told me I needed 3 and if I’d have bought from them, I’d be getting 4 tires since 3 failed.
 
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