Question: 2009 C6 changing out wheels

[PokerPaysForMyToys]

Hello guys first poster here! I was hoping for some help or some advice on an issue I'm having with my vette.

I have a 2009 C6 and just recently bought some black wheel from an OEM website. They are supposed to be just like stock wheels, ect. But after I changed out the wheels at the wheel shop and got the spin and balance done I take the car out and the steering and control is not nearly as tight and shakes pretty good when I get up to about 80-90 MPH. The steering wheel shakes a lot at these speeds.

I was wondering if there was something else I was supposed to be doing if I changed out the wheels like this. I'm a Corvette noob and would love some feed back about this! Thanks guys! Here's some pics of my ride! this is before and this one is after...

 

[PokerPaysForMyToys]

Oh and the website where the wheels were purchased is http://www.oewholesale.com/

 

[6 Shooter]

Wonder what they did wrong: BTW - Welcome to the CAC!

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[Huskerman]

Can't speak for the wheel quality but I'm thinking the balence is way off somehow. Did you have the alignment checked front and rear? How is the tire wear? Take it back and have them rebalence them. I recently had to do that also.


Welcome to the CAC.....!

 

[catbert]

The wobble could be a number of things, but start with a careful dynamic balance. Because you have had an issue, the shop should also match the wheels and tires. That involves moving the tire around the wheel until the combination is as round as possible...matching the wheel low spot with the tire high spot. In rare cases, that's an issue. As far as control issues at high speeds, that may take care of itself if the wobble goes away. If not, look at the tires, and check alignment.

 

[PokerPaysForMyToys]

Thanks for the replies guys! I did take it back to them a week later and explained the problem and had them rebalance the wheels and tires again. Didn't change anything....

Not sure if they did a dynamic balance. Not sure what that is TBH. The tires are in really good shape. I bought the car with 2500 miles on it and it only has 11k miles now.

Where else should I take it to have the alignment checked front and back?? Is there anywhere in particular besides the dealership that I should take it? I assume Chevrolet will tell me to put the stock wheels back on...

Thanks again!

 

[catbert]

Does the steering wheel shake when the wheels wobble?

 

[PokerPaysForMyToys]

I'm not sure If the wheel wobbles. All I know is that ever since I put these wheels on my car the handling is not nearly as tight as it was and the steering wheel shakes violently when I get up to around 80-90 mph.

On another note the car still seems aligned ok. I mean it doesn't pull either way when driving it.

 

[Huskerman]

Have you taken the tech out for a ride with you? The wheels you bought were the same thing as what you had only aftermarket right? I would be curious what would happen if you put the stock wheels back on.......something ain't right.......

 

[PokerPaysForMyToys]

No I didn't take the tech out for a ride. The new wheels are the same model that come on a 2010-2011 Grand Sport only they are black instead of chrome and they are sized down to fit my coupe C6 model. And yes they are after market.

 

[Huskerman]

I don't like CF and don't belong but I did find this on there and thought you could use the info.....


70 MPH vibration question - Corvette Forum

 

[2 Timer]

Thanks for the replies guys! I did take it back to them a week later and explained the problem and had them rebalance the wheels and tires again. Didn't change anything....

Not sure if they did a dynamic balance. Not sure what that is TBH. The tires are in really good shape. I bought the car with 2500 miles on it and it only has 11k miles now.

Where else should I take it to have the alignment checked front and back?? Is there anywhere in particular besides the dealership that I should take it? I assume Chevrolet will tell me to put the stock wheels back on...

Thanks again!

From my uneducated point of view, I would think that if your car did't wobble before the wheel swap, and the shop mounted the wheels and balanced them twice, assuming they say they are in balance, is it possible that their balancing equipment is out of calibration? I had a similar situation with my new GS Coupe. Had the dealership balance them and still had a wobble. Took it to a reputable tire and alignment company and now it's smooth as could be.

 

[catbert]

It can't be much else than an out of round or out of balance wheel or tire, or possibly a separated tire belt. Any really good tire shop can figure it out. I'd bet my local Discount Tire would have a diagnosis in a few minutes. If it's anything else, the timing is REALLY spooky.

 

[Hib Halverson]

If you were told the wheels you bought were "just like" factory wheels, whomever told you that was likely using the term "just like" in a very loose manner.

I suspect the reason you were attracted to that wheel supplier was a low price for a wheel that, in reality, just looked like a stock wheel, rather than being "just like" a stock wheel.

One big difference between stock Corvette wheels and replica wheels (and one reason OE wheels are expensive) is they are pressure castings (or press castings) whereas virtually all low cost wheels which look like OE wheels are conventional aluminum castings. Some of the cheap, replica wheels sourced in Asia come from manufacturers which have lower quality standards than do GM suppliers.

A problem with some cheap knock-offs of OE wheels is uneven distribution of mass in the casting caused by inconsistent density of the metal or voids in the casting caused by gas bubbles which form during the foundry process.

Wheels which have uneven distribution of mass can have very unusual dynamic balance challenges the symptoms of which are vibrations or, if the problem is in a front wheel, steering wheel shake. These problems with wheel balance can sometimes be difficult to solve with conventional methods of tire balancing.

Another problem which can occur in cheap wheels that look like OE wheels is run-out, which you measure at the rim. It's quite difficult to fix a wheel run-out problem with procedures normally used to balance a tire.

A customer-driven vendor will work with you to solve the problems which may even mean exchange of wheels. A vendor who is unwilling to work towards a satisfied customer is going to offer all kinds of BS explanations to put the responsibility onto the customer, ie: "Your tires are out of balance.", "your steering needs repair.", "You're driving on bad roads." and so-on and so-forth.

How do you prove the wheels have a problem? You have to dismount the tires then put the wheels on a machine used to balance flywheels, driveshafts or other rotating devices which can measure the amount of imbalance.

How do you avoid such problems?

Be very careful when you go looking for wheels which look like OE wheels but are much cheaper.

 

[motorman]

the stock chevy wheels are counter bored around the stud holes to allow clearance for the spring washers that hold the rotors in place. if your wheels don't have this they will not set flat on the hubs and will wobble