2021 Tahoe Shakey at 80mph

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

uptown_nyc

Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2020
Posts
40
Reaction score
11
Driving a 2021 Tahoe - have about 4k miles on it, and am noticing that as I approach 80mph the vehicle begins to shake. I'm guessing it's a wheel balancing issue. Maintenance chart calls for rotating the tires at 7500 miles, and I'd have their balance checked then -- but was just wondering if anyone else has experienced this with the new models and if there's anything else I should be looking for before bringing it in? Any downside to rotating / re-balancing earlier than the 7500 on the schedule, or does anyone recommend a different schedule than what the manual calls for?
 

Quark

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2020
Posts
553
Reaction score
413
Location
Atomic Nuclei
Could be a tire problem if so be prepared for GM to tell you to go talk to the tire manufacturer.
 

Kpwweb

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2015
Posts
698
Reaction score
302
11k with nothing like that. It has been my experience that shakey at certain speed is a tire problem - imbalance, shifted belt, bulge, etc.
 

Blueinterceptor

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2016
Posts
976
Reaction score
548
I had a problem like that. I do a lot of highway driving. I initially had my tires road forced balanced.
here’s what I’ve experienced. My tires operating temperature
while cold 36 psi would shoot up to 40-41 psi after an hour of 65/70 mph driving. I lowered the cold psi to 35 and operating temp went 39-40
I had a slow leak in a tire that they could not find and after a few trips to the dealer, we decided to change the stem. After they changed the stem, they found the nail in the tire. For what ever reason, the truck developed a shake at 70 plus mph afterwards. I assume they didn’t balance the tire or didn’t do it correctly. I took the truck to a tire shop and asked them to rebalance the tires. I had asked for road force balancing. I was asked why and was told, that rfb is most useful on a defective tire as it balances the heaviest part of the tire opposite the heaviest part of the rim (if I remember correctly). I went with regular balancing. The truck rides like it is new. The cold psi is 36.
the operating temp has not exceeded 38psi since. The truck rides quiet. Ymmv
 
Last edited:

tom3

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2019
Posts
1,071
Reaction score
1,676
Had a similar problem some years ago. Took it back to the dealer and they road force checked and balanced all four, had to replace one tire to get it into specs. They did give me a full spec sheet on the results. But the SM also said that they see this some on black vehicles as there is an extra heat for paint curing and the tires get some out of whack once in a while. Don't know if there's any truth in that or not - but they sure got it perfect. I'd have a talk with your service manager before doing anything else. Some will really work for you, some won't.
 

Big Mama

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2015
Posts
3,398
Reaction score
2,070
Location
Virginia
My rig is much older but I had a shake at 75, no slower, and no faster. Tire balance. But also found a slow slow leak in the right front.
 

Denali Brad

Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2019
Posts
56
Reaction score
47
Are they still using the Bridgestone Alenzas as the factory tires?

At about 5k miles I ended up throwing mine away. Balanced 2x, RF balanced and finally went to a known problem solver. He put them on his machine and they were balanced, but out of round, and that was causing the shaking.

Put on a set of Michelins and no more shake.

Good luck...I know how annoying it is.
 

swathdiver

Full Access Member
Joined
May 18, 2017
Posts
19,611
Reaction score
26,324
Location
Treasure Coast, Florida
Driving a 2021 Tahoe - have about 4k miles on it, and am noticing that as I approach 80mph the vehicle begins to shake. I'm guessing it's a wheel balancing issue. Maintenance chart calls for rotating the tires at 7500 miles, and I'd have their balance checked then -- but was just wondering if anyone else has experienced this with the new models and if there's anything else I should be looking for before bringing it in? Any downside to rotating / re-balancing earlier than the 7500 on the schedule, or does anyone recommend a different schedule than what the manual calls for?
Rotate the tires at every oil change and don't let the oil get older than about 5,000 miles. Your tires and motor will reward you with longevity and smooth operation.

A shake like that is a tire balance issue.
 

SSGUNNER

Full Access Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2021
Posts
344
Reaction score
221
Could also be a simple issue as wrong weights. I also had a similar issue about a yr ago previous ride, new tires and had a small tire shop install and balance. After a few days noticed shaking at about 80mph and went to another bigger chain tire shop and confirmed weights previous shop used where wrong. After that no more shake or wheel hop.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
132,367
Posts
1,866,842
Members
96,993
Latest member
Scotchin
Top