Wheel vibrations on the Mumbai-Pune expressway?

RX135 · 6th May 2005, 20:09

Just recently had a Pune-Mumbai-Pune trip via express way. My car has just crossed 2000 km on Odo and I wanted to push the engine little harder. I have travelled in US/Europe on free ways/autobahns and 130-150 kmph is piece of cake there. Never done that in India earlier. I pushed my car to 130 which it did obidiently. However, to my horror, there were lot of vibrations coming from the road. (As if you have a slightly oval tyre than circular one). So much that I suspected lower tyre pressure, faulty wheel alignment and engine giving out vibrations. I reduced the speed back to 100 and they were almost gone. I am still puzzled what was that.

Was it express highway road quality? (concrete road not being very smooth like a tarmac)? Was it the car, not being able to pull at 130 kmph in 5th gear? Is there anything wrong with wheel aligment?

I suspected later that it was a rough patch on the road, but I have seen almost everyone on t-bhp pushing their cars easily past 130-140 kmph on express way, but dont remember anyone mentioning it. Any thoughts?

Shan2nu · 6th May 2005, 20:35

What car were your drving? If it's vibrations that you experienced, it could be that your wheels have gone off balance. Get them balanced and make sure you check the tyre pressure before every trip.

Shan2nu

Rudra Sen · 6th May 2005, 20:57

I agree with RX to a great extent. I do that trip very often. Last was yesterday in 200 Kompressor. Some stretches are really rough with bad concrete laying. They're doing patch jobs in between. Really shoddy job.

RX135 · 6th May 2005, 21:20

I had checked tyre pressure just 2 days before. Nevertheless, I stopped again to check the pressure, (checked after cooling for half an hour). It was fine (30 psi. 1 psi more than recommended 29). I am confused a bit myself. If it was wheel alignment problem, how did it disappear at 80-100 kmph? On rough patches, the tyres do make lot of noise though. I did few more sprints of 130 kmph, but the vibration level was going high sometimes. My co-passengers did not feel anything wrong, but I could sense it.

Though I dont think it is a problem, I'll anyway get the wheels checked this weekend.

adya33 · 6th May 2005, 22:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by RX135

I had checked tyre pressure just 2 days before. Nevertheless, I stopped again to check the pressure, (checked after cooling for half an hour). It was fine (30 psi. 1 psi more than recommended 29). I am confused a bit myself. If it was wheel alignment problem, how did it disappear at 80-100 kmph? On rough patches, the tyres do make lot of noise though. I did few more sprints of 130 kmph, but the vibration level was going high sometimes. My co-passengers did not feel anything wrong, but I could sense it.

Though I dont think it is a problem, I'll anyway get the wheels checked this weekend.

what car were you driving?
which tyres you have on your car?
please provide more info

allthough I agree that at places job is not well done

nitrous · 6th May 2005, 22:29

wheel misalignments always show only at very high speeds. u can feel it in the steering wheel. wheel balancing also need to be checked ,i guess.

anyways, the expressway is also at blame. i was excited to travel by road to the mumbai speedrun this year. but, while travelling on the expressway...it kept me thinking..."did we come all the way from chennai.. for THIS?" DAMN!

typeOnegative · 6th May 2005, 23:12

Will be doing a expressway trip one of these days, RX. Will let you know.

SLK · 7th May 2005, 00:21

RX135.. i had to do some searching... to know that you own a Petra..
Well 130 shouldn't be much of a problem...
it has to be wheel balancing... can't think of anything else!
because... if its rough patch then it'll be both at 100 and 130....
but wheel balancing shows up at those speeds only.. and it must be very slightly unbalanced.. or else u get vibrations at 100 also!

vivaid · 7th May 2005, 09:59

had done the stretch a couple of months ago on my 97 zen.... and i did feel the difference too.... which i attributed solely to concrete roads v/s the tar road....

In a mumbai scenario, i daily do stretches of 90-110 kmph on the eastern express highway - the stretch between the airoli bridge junction to kanjur marg flyover.. this is a 6-7 kms stretch of fantastic, 4 lane a side tar roads... with sparse traffic at 7-8 in the morn... never ever did i face any issue in my zen which smoothly cruised at 90-100... with the AC on....

and on the expressway.. the ride was far from smooth.. jerky.. ruff.... even as a hovered around 90....

Intend to do the stretch on the baleno sometime.. will post my experience...

cheers

RJK · 7th May 2005, 10:14

Indeed the surface of the experssway has become horrible of late. Whenever I'm driving, I hardly ever push over 100-120 except for a very few short bursts.

Quote:

In a mumbai scenario, i daily do stretches of 90-110 kmph on the eastern express highway - the stretch between the airoli bridge junction to kanjur marg flyover.. this is a 6-7 kms stretch of fantastic, 4 lane a side tar roads... with sparse traffic at 7-8 in the morn

Totally agree with vivaid. The road is really wide & beautiful...its really fun & the car holds on to the road very very well.

adya33 · 7th May 2005, 10:20

another thoguht came to my mind this morning

due to excessing sliding and/or excessive jack rabit ing will cause uneven wear on tyre which becomes uneven shape & which may lead to hadling blues

drifter · 7th May 2005, 10:23

Its probably the wheel balancing....even check your front rims...they may be bent out of shape...my car's steering would vibrate above 110...it was traced to bent front wheels. And yeah agreed the expressway is not like what it used to be.

Drifter

Rtech · 7th May 2005, 10:38

It's not the expressway that is causing your vibration. Your wheels are out of balance. A bad road surface has a completly different feel.

The road surface quality though is pretty aweful now. The surface changes and undulations caused when going over small bridges are downright dangerous!

Rehaan · 7th May 2005, 11:13

As everyone else has said, get your wheel balancing and alignment done.

Also, if you ever had a puncture and the tire was patched, (with another bit of rubber) that might also be causing this to a degree that wheel balancing cannot totally solve.

cya
R

cheatingdeath · 7th May 2005, 12:18

well i have experienced something similar the express way.. but my cars wheels are balanced ... the vibrations were very little .. i guess must due to road.

one more thing i have observed is that your car kind off drifts ... to any side of the road... dont know why that happens it suddelnly drifts a little to the left or right ... on perfectly flat straight.. nothing related to banking here... and very often happens when you cross under some bridge ..couldnt find an exact reason fer this... any one with similar experiences

6th May 2005, 20:09	#1
RX135 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: pune Posts: 2,106 Thanked: 75 Times	Wheel vibrations on the Mumbai-Pune expressway? Just recently had a Pune-Mumbai-Pune trip via express way. My car has just crossed 2000 km on Odo and I wanted to push the engine little harder. I have travelled in US/Europe on free ways/autobahns and 130-150 kmph is piece of cake there. Never done that in India earlier. I pushed my car to 130 which it did obidiently. However, to my horror, there were lot of vibrations coming from the road. (As if you have a slightly oval tyre than circular one). So much that I suspected lower tyre pressure, faulty wheel alignment and engine giving out vibrations. I reduced the speed back to 100 and they were almost gone. I am still puzzled what was that. Was it express highway road quality? (concrete road not being very smooth like a tarmac)? Was it the car, not being able to pull at 130 kmph in 5th gear? Is there anything wrong with wheel aligment? I suspected later that it was a rough patch on the road, but I have seen almost everyone on t-bhp pushing their cars easily past 130-140 kmph on express way, but dont remember anyone mentioning it. Any thoughts?
	() Thanks

6th May 2005, 20:35	#2
Shan2nu Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Hubli - Karnata Posts: 5,533 Thanked: 125 Times View My Garage	What car were your drving? If it's vibrations that you experienced, it could be that your wheels have gone off balance. Get them balanced and make sure you check the tyre pressure before every trip. Shan2nu Last edited by Shan2nu : 6th May 2005 at 20:59.
	() Thanks

6th May 2005, 20:57	#3
Rudra Sen Team-BHP Support Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,590 Thanked: 6,532 Times View My Garage	I agree with RX to a great extent. I do that trip very often. Last was yesterday in 200 Kompressor. Some stretches are really rough with bad concrete laying. They're doing patch jobs in between. Really shoddy job.
	() Thanks

6th May 2005, 21:20	#4
RX135 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: pune Posts: 2,106 Thanked: 75 Times	I had checked tyre pressure just 2 days before. Nevertheless, I stopped again to check the pressure, (checked after cooling for half an hour). It was fine (30 psi. 1 psi more than recommended 29). I am confused a bit myself. If it was wheel alignment problem, how did it disappear at 80-100 kmph? On rough patches, the tyres do make lot of noise though. I did few more sprints of 130 kmph, but the vibration level was going high sometimes. My co-passengers did not feel anything wrong, but I could sense it. Though I dont think it is a problem, I'll anyway get the wheels checked this weekend.
	() Thanks

6th May 2005, 22:29	#6
nitrous Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: UAE/Lon/Madras Posts: 6,965 Thanked: 325 Times View My Garage	wheel misalignments always show only at very high speeds. u can feel it in the steering wheel. wheel balancing also need to be checked ,i guess. anyways, the expressway is also at blame. i was excited to travel by road to the mumbai speedrun this year. but, while travelling on the expressway...it kept me thinking..."did we come all the way from chennai.. for THIS?" DAMN!
	() Thanks

6th May 2005, 23:12	#7
typeOnegative Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Vikhroli, Mumbai, India Posts: 1,503 Thanked: 27 Times	Will be doing a expressway trip one of these days, RX. Will let you know.
	() Thanks

7th May 2005, 00:21	#8
SLK Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: DL XX XX XXXX Posts: 1,634 Thanked: 1,011 Times	RX135.. i had to do some searching... to know that you own a Petra.. Well 130 shouldn't be much of a problem... it has to be wheel balancing... can't think of anything else! because... if its rough patch then it'll be both at 100 and 130.... but wheel balancing shows up at those speeds only.. and it must be very slightly unbalanced.. or else u get vibrations at 100 also!
	() Thanks

7th May 2005, 09:59	#9
vivaid BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 71 Thanked: 3 Times	had done the stretch a couple of months ago on my 97 zen.... and i did feel the difference too.... which i attributed solely to concrete roads v/s the tar road.... In a mumbai scenario, i daily do stretches of 90-110 kmph on the eastern express highway - the stretch between the airoli bridge junction to kanjur marg flyover.. this is a 6-7 kms stretch of fantastic, 4 lane a side tar roads... with sparse traffic at 7-8 in the morn... never ever did i face any issue in my zen which smoothly cruised at 90-100... with the AC on.... and on the expressway.. the ride was far from smooth.. jerky.. ruff.... even as a hovered around 90.... Intend to do the stretch on the baleno sometime.. will post my experience... cheers
	() Thanks

7th May 2005, 10:20	#11
adya33 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 1,839 Thanked: 183 Times	another thoguht came to my mind this morning due to excessing sliding and/or excessive jack rabit ing will cause uneven wear on tyre which becomes uneven shape & which may lead to hadling blues
	() Thanks

7th May 2005, 10:23	#12
drifter Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,488 Thanked: 75 Times View My Garage	Its probably the wheel balancing....even check your front rims...they may be bent out of shape...my car's steering would vibrate above 110...it was traced to bent front wheels. And yeah agreed the expressway is not like what it used to be. Drifter
	() Thanks

7th May 2005, 10:38	#13
Rtech Team-BHP Support Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 5,770 Thanked: 359 Times View My Garage	It's not the expressway that is causing your vibration. Your wheels are out of balance. A bad road surface has a completly different feel. The road surface quality though is pretty aweful now. The surface changes and undulations caused when going over small bridges are downright dangerous!
	() Thanks

7th May 2005, 11:13	#14
Rehaan Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 24,046 Thanked: 34,076 Times	As everyone else has said, get your wheel balancing and alignment done. Also, if you ever had a puncture and the tire was patched, (with another bit of rubber) that might also be causing this to a degree that wheel balancing cannot totally solve. cya R
	() Thanks

7th May 2005, 12:18	#15
cheatingdeath BHPian Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 275 Thanked: 10 Times	well i have experienced something similar the express way.. but my cars wheels are balanced ... the vibrations were very little .. i guess must due to road. one more thing i have observed is that your car kind off drifts ... to any side of the road... dont know why that happens it suddelnly drifts a little to the left or right ... on perfectly flat straight.. nothing related to banking here... and very often happens when you cross under some bridge ..couldnt find an exact reason fer this... any one with similar experiences
	() Thanks