[techspark]

Thank you everyone for your valuable inputs Sorry for my delayed response, my car met with a small accident, the truck ahead of me braked suddenly and the right portion of my car hit the truck and he flew on the spot. The car is once again in the service center now.


Also, quick update - the bulge in the front portion has considerably reduced now that I have replaced the tyres with the CEAT Milage x3 and I have pushed the Bridgestone tyres to the back. Also one of the Bridgestone tyres had a faulty valve and I have replaced that too. The bulge is barely there now at the rear.

Originally Posted by Rahul Bhalgat

Wobbling is mostly related to unbalance in the tyres or uneven wear on a tyre. With the new balanced tyres, there shall not be any wobble. Do you feel any vibrations on the steering wheel above a certain speed (typically above 60 - 70 kmph)?

There are absolutely no vibrations on the steering. The car ride is still bouncy even after putting the new tyres. It's especially bouncy when accelerating / decelerating or changing lanes on uneven roads.

Also get your wheel rims inspected for any damage / bend. Usually while changing the tyre, the mechanic shall inspect the rim.

One of Bridgestone tyre wheel rim is very slightly bent and when I showed it to the tyre guy - he said it is nothing to worry. I shall post a pic tomorrow as it was dark and I couldn't click a clear one

Also check the lower arms for any cracks in the rubber bushes. Minor cracks are ok. On Swift, these bushes cannot be replaced and you need to change the lower arms if the cracks are long. Each lower arm costs around Rs. 1500 for Swift. Normally, the service center will inspect the lower arms while changing the front shock absorbers.

I think this is the only thing left to replace now along with the ball joints. I am not sure if ball joints can cause these problems but a few weeks back I had shown the car to another service center and he mentioned ball joints had to be changed but the guys at the Fortpoint Service (my current MASS) tell me that if ball joints had problem, the car would make loud noises and the steering would vibrate (both of which do not happen on my car). The rubber bush of my cars left arm is broken - please see the pic below but the MASS guy says there is no Play inside and it's still usable.

What is the opinion of the service center about wobbling? Compare with some other Swift of low milage. With all the new parts you have put in and the new tyres too, the car must not wobble.

I have a very strong feeling now the person who test drives the vehicle to find faults is not qualified - he is repeatedly telling me it's normal and such shaky bouncy ride is 'normal' on 'Indian' roads. For my satisfaction I test drove a friends 13 year old Wagonr on the same patch of road and that rode more stable than my swift

I even made a friend of mine sit next to me who has no knowledge about cars and even she was of the same opinion that the car's ride is not stable.

Originally Posted by sachinnair

One more suggestion:
Where did you check the tyre pressure? Most local 'puncherwala' and petrol pumps will have gauges that are way off mark. One suggestion is get it filled with nitrogen. Deflate fully and inflate with nitrogen. My personal experience is that the nitrogen machines are somehow more accurate.

The tyre pressure was checked at a local petrol pump. If I fill in nitrogen - do I have to refill with nitrogen every time?

Originally Posted by arjab

I have a feeling it's more to do with the steel rims rather than the tyres. Over time steel rims tend to "run-out" more compared to alloys and exhibit some of the symptoms you have described.

Off late, even I am of the opinion it could be the rims as I found a small dent in one of the Bridgestone tyre rim but the tyre guy told me it's completely fine and nothing to worry.

Originally Posted by saisree

That's a big expenditure you have incurred.

Those bridgestones are not soft runners and you have got yourselves CEAT, assuming Good Life(?), they are not going to run smooth either.

Were you confident that, these parts needs to be changed and you were not fleeced by MASS.

I only had the option of CEAT Milage X3 or Goodyear Duraplus 2 and I quickly checked the reviews on Amazon and CEAT looked better to me. The thread pattern on the ceat was similar to the Bridgestone I already have so I went ahead with CEAT. Although the bulge is gone now but the ride hasn't really improved a lot.

Here are the pics of the accident, the tyre change and the lower arm bushes I inspected in the service center. The mechanic told me the bushes are broken but there is no 'play'. Should I go ahead and change both the lower arms and also replace the ball joint?

A lot has happened to this car and I will keep you guys posted on how things proceed. Once again, thank you for all the inputs and suggestions

[Bibendum90949]

Were you car parked for a prolonged time(considering there were extended lockdowns in many states recently) before you started experiencing the bumpy ride. If so, I suspect severe flat spots with the tyres that can cause bumpy ride. Best way to rule all that out is to swap all four tyres with another set from possibly your friend's car and see if it rides better.

Regarding bulge, just ignore it if you're maintaining the recommended PSI.

[SS80]

I have the same issue with my Manza, I have Goodyear tyres 185/60R15. The front tyres always tend to bulge (looks under inflated) compared to the rear ones.

I did a simple test of swapping front wheels to the rear and now the issue is still the same. So it's not an issue with Tyre or rim, probably the way weight is distributed on the 2 axles varies from car to car.

[Agarwal_Aayush]

Originally Posted by techspark

The bulge is barely there now at the rear.

The bulge is not there due to lesser weight at the rear. Cars at front have higher weight as compared to the rear due to presence of car engine at the front, its due to this that the bulge is more prominent at the front than at the rear with same set of tires.

As many have suggested ignore the bulge as it depends upon the structure of the tire.
Coming to the bumpy ride, bent even if it is small it can lead to undulations after some speed build up. Try replacing the bent rim with the spare one and check if the ride is still bumpy.

[RedPhobos]

I can attest to what the others are saying; you need not worry about the slight bulge near the bottom of the tyres, as that is due to the weight of the vehicle on the tyres themselves. In my opinion the important thing is to maintain the factory specified tyre pressure. The correct tyre pressure is mentioned on the sticker found when you open the driver side door. Secondly it is important to balance and align your wheels every 5,000 kilometres. Lastly replace your tyres every 5 years (or earlier if the tread depth is lower than recommended). Stick to OEM size when replacing tyres as OEM sizes usually offer higher side wall thickness for a cushier ride. If budget permits, go for premium tyres that advertise a more comfortable ride.

[hackedunit]

I had a similar problem a few days back with my 2013 Ford Figo. The car was wobbly, and there was a very noticeable shake on the steering. I got it checked with a local tyre shop and they quickly inspected all the tyres after lifting the car up. They identified a noticeable bulge on the "surface" of the front right tyres after simply giving the tyres a spin with the hand. Following their advice, I moved that tyre to the rear, and the shake on the steering had gone, but the rear is a bit wobbly now. So the problem is identified, it was a 5 year old tyre and I suspect it got the bulge after leaving the car unused for quite some time since the lockdowns.

I suggest you check for similar issue on the Bridgestone tyres that you moved to the rear. Simply get the tyres on a jack or a lift and check for undulations on the tyre surface.

[RedPhobos]

Originally Posted by hackedunit

Simply get the tyres on a jack or a lift and check for undulations on the tyre surface.

Something like this was true for me as well; back then my car was still on it's original set of JK Vectra tyres and my car would start wobbling once it picked up speed. Repeated visual checks by me could not locate the issue as I could not find any damage to the tyre sidewalls or to the alloy wheels. It was only during wheel alignment and balancing when the car was hoisted up on the lift that the culprit was found - a 10 rupee coin size circular tear right in the middle of the rear right tyre, which was very difficult to spot with the tyre resting on the road. Miraculously the tyre did not blow out and cause an accident while I was using the car unaware. Tyre damage is a common reason for wobbling.

[Mechy_74]

In my 32,000+km Kicks Petrol, while test-driving at triple digit speeds on the expressway last fortnight, I felt a slight steering wobble. During servicing thereafter, the wheel balancing was done, possibly along with rotation. Thereafter, on the same road, a terrible wobble was encountered while crossing a lower speed. I questioned the service advisor, and on my return, got the balancing and alignment done at a reputed tyre shop in Noida. The technician told me there that at least one of the tyres had developed a bulge/deformation and tried to show me the same. He put the prime suspect wheel at rear and told that there would be higher sound from rear tires at mid to high speeds. I have not yet got the opportunity to test at high speeds. Any pointers/experiences please. Do tyres deform in crossing bad patches at speeds which are slightly higher, but do not cause cabin discomfort? Was lockdown stationary-ness (15 days roll to roll) a culprit?

[RedPhobos]

Originally Posted by Mechy_74

In my 32000+km Kicks Petrol, while test-driving at 150kph on expressway last fortnight, i felt slight steering wobble. During servicing thereafter, wheel balancing was done, possibly alongwith rotation also. Thereafter, on the same road, a terrible wobble was encountered while crossing 125kph itself. I questioned the service advisor, and on my return, got balancing and alignment done outside from a reputed tyre shop in NOIDA. The technician told me there that at least one of the tyres have developed bulge/deformation and tried to show me the same. He put the prime suspect wheel at rear and told that there would be higher sound from rear tires at mid to high speeds. I have not yet got the opportunity to test at 125+ speeds. Any pointers/experiences please...Do tyres deform in crossing bad patches at speeds which as slightly higher but do not cause cabin discomfort. Was lockdown stationary-ness (15 days roll to roll) a culprit?

At the risk of sounding like a nanny and raining on your parade; I wanted to remind you that you really should not be driving at those speeds for any reason. Not only is it illegal but downright irresponsible in my humble opinion as you are putting your life and the life of others at risk. If you like to drive fast why not look into booking a day at the track? As far as steering wobble at high speed goes, it is my opinion that even a little bit of incorrect tyre pressure, or less than prefect wheel alignment and balancing, can become more pronounced with speed. It is best to drive within the speed limit in our country as our roads are just not good enough for very high speed driving. There have been numerous cases of fatal accidents on the expressway due to tyre blowouts and the driver losing control of his/her vehicle. Blowouts can happen when a tyre is either damaged or incorrectly inflated, which leads to heat and pressure buildup inside the tyre, which ultimately causes the tyre to fail prematurely.

[Mechy_74]

Originally Posted by RedPhobos

At the risk of sounding like a nanny ....

Thank you for caring and also thanking GTO for sending a PM. Please shorten your quote in view of moderation of original post. High speeds are not good anywhere, not even expressways. It is unsafe on many counts. I am sorry for the twin typos as the speed figures mentioned were not actuals. I wish I could drive a well-maintained vehicle at those speeds at some safe expressways somewhere legally allowed, someday. Racetrack is a good idea too. On a lighter note, I wish someday they could term making cars which could go beyond 120kph at least downright irresponsible, if illegal. There could be a hazard warning label on such cars, "Beware, this vehicle is capable of doing 200KPH, buy at your own peril."

Also, I would have been even more happy if someone could have mentioned whether there is a thing called tyre deformation, different from development of 'flats'. That was the central question of my comment.

[RedPhobos]

Originally Posted by Mechy_74

Also, I would have been even more happy if someone could have mentioned whether there is a thing called tyre deformation, different from development of 'flats'. That was the central question of my comment.

Sorry about that; I re-read what you had written and this is what I can tell you. I am not sure about tyre “deformation” when you go fast on bad roads but tyres can definitely get damaged. For example if there are sharp rocks or stones on the road, they could cause a puncture or create a tear in the sidewall, especially if the tyre is under inflated. Also sharp ridges due to difference in road height can damage the internal structure (belt) of tyres. It is always advisable to go slowly over bad patches of road. I hope this helps a bit.

[driver52001]

Continental UC6 has a bulge more prominent than other tyres by design. Maybe my eyes are fooling me. But other UC6 owners may be able to give their observation.

[RubberGuru1113]

Originally Posted by driver52001

Continental UC6 has a bulge more prominent than other tyres by design. Maybe my eyes are fooling me. But other UC6 owners may be able to give their observation.

Can you post some pictures for comparison?