Tire Issue

[weebl]

So I have a tire issue, which I suspect is a minor one and can probably live with, especially since my wife doesn't notice it (hence no nagging).

I highly suspect it is the right front tire, but have not had time to do an isolation test - that is taking one tire off at a time starting with the most likely suspect, and substituting one of my winter tire/rims for the duration of a test drive to see if the problem diasappears (the winter tire set had no issues).

The problem: one tire makes a sound, almost like what you would hear with a bad wheel bearing, but much more muted, almost imperceptible (and with the radio on at normal volumes, you can't even hear it). Very minor vibrations can be felt through the steering wheel, and a very slight pull to the right (not noticeable at city speeds), so that helps to reinforce my suspicions it is the right front tire. I have heard belt separation noise before from Goodyear Viva 2 tires, and this is nothing like that at all, so suspect it's not. My suspicion is this is an out of balance tire.

The tire and vehicle: OEM Michelin Energy LX4 in P215/65R16 on a 2006 Toyota Sienna. Confirmed no issues with the vehicle with regards to suspension and steering, as these tires developed a noise just before winter tire changeover last fall, and disappeared with the installation of the winters. Reappeared again in the spring once I got them back on the vehicle.

I don't want to be replacing this set yet, wife won't be happy with the cost, and to be honest, there is still plenty of tread left. If this is in fact just balancing and can live with it until the whole set is replaced in about 2 years, will the minor imbalance cause issues? Is it worth trying to get it rebalanced once I confirm which tire is the problem? If I am forced to do a replacement due to other issues, I am looking at a single (perhaps pair) of used tires, similar type to tide me over until the whole set is replaced.

 

[suspiciousmind]

If I were you, I'd rotate the set front to back and see how that feels. If the issue disappears, leave it and forget about it.

Sometmes the front tires will develop uneven wear on the inside edges and, when moved to the back, the vibration problem becomes un-noticeable. The tires on the rear often wear nice and even and the unevenly worn tires, that were previously on the front, will repair themselves.

rinse and repeat everry 5K miles or so.

 

[WMSmotorhead]

Some tread patterns make noise... especially when they get some wear on them. Verify the balance, and try the front/back rotation. Should put you in a better place.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: weebl
The problem: one tire makes a sound, almost like what you would hear with a bad wheel bearing, but much more muted, almost imperceptible (and with the radio on at normal volumes, you can't even hear it). Very minor vibrations can be felt through the steering wheel, and a very slight pull to the right (not noticeable at city speeds), so that helps to reinforce my suspicions it is the right front tire.

I may be wrong, but a slightly out of balance tire would not be causing a pull to the side.

When you say "Confirmed no issues with the vehicle with regards to suspension and steering," does that mean the alignment was checked and is correct? Improper alignment will cause pulling issues and will also case the tires to wear poorly and may result in more tire noise.

Did you or wife hit any potholes or curbs last year that may have caused internal tire damage? If the alignment is correct, have the tire inspected for damage, not just from the outside.

 

[weebl]

Confirmed no problems with the vehicle by simply having the brand new set of winter tires on the issues disappearing, coupled with my own visual inspections everytime I went under the vehicle for oil changes and such. So technically, yes, maybe there was a problem with the vehicle, but the perfect condition of the new tires made it imperceptible.

I can't recall any pothole or curb being struck with any great force that would cause tire damage. Possibly my wife did though, and never mentioned it. No external signes of damage, but I could ask for an internal inspection at the time of rebalancing. These tires aren't OE balanced anymore. With my first winter set, the rims I found didn't work, and had to have them mounted with the all seasons' rims. The all seasons were put pack on the OEM rims the following spring, but I had a coupon for a big discount at an indy mechanic shop, and used it for that purpose. I later discovered the owner of the shop had left on one of the "temporary" weights she used while balancing clipped to the inside of wheel. Maybe this has since fallen off or slid around. I recall not being too happy about their work after I discovered it, but that was the following fall once my winters were on a new set of rims. Too late for any recourse, and I didn't want to take off that clipped on weight in case she never did stick on the right weights to compensate its removal, especially as the wheel then never seemed to be out of balance. I think the wheel at issue is this one.

 

[CapriRacer]

weebl,

I suspect you have irregular wear - which is caused by a mis-alignment condition and aggravted by insufficient rotation practices and insufficient inflation pressure.

As has been suggested earlier, rotate the tires and see if anything changes.

By the way, installing winter tires doesn't tell you if the vehicle is good. A slight mis-alignment takes a very long time to waear an irregular wear pattern into a tire - and clearly replacing an irregularly worn tire with one that isn't would turn off the noise.

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: CapriRacer
weebl,

I suspect you have irregular wear - which is caused by a mis-alignment condition and aggravted by insufficient rotation practices and insufficient inflation pressure.

As has been suggested earlier, rotate the tires and see if anything changes.

By the way, installing winter tires doesn't tell you if the vehicle is good. A slight mis-alignment takes a very long time to waear an irregular wear pattern into a tire - and clearly replacing an irregularly worn tire with one that isn't would turn off the noise.


+1 - Was going to say the same thing...

 

[weebl]

Interesting. I hand't thought of that. These tires were actually rotated from their positions that they were last on in the fall, and if I remember correctly, the new position of the suspected problem tire has actually decreased the noise slightly. Can I also assume that irregular wear is not necessarily visibly perceptible if it is very subtle?

 

[CapriRacer]

Originally Posted By: weebl
Interesting. I hand't thought of that. These tires were actually rotated from their positions that they were last on in the fall, and if I remember correctly, the new position of the suspected problem tire has actually decreased the noise slightly. Can I also assume that irregular wear is not necessarily visibly perceptible if it is very subtle?


Yes!

 

[UNC036]

How have you made out on this?

Thanks, Jim