Need help

[Bryan97471]

I need help. My 2003 chevy tahoe has a bad vibration at about 60-65. It also likes to follow the ruts in the road. Now I've been told that it because of the tires I have on it. They are pretty wide and I've been told it's because I have 22 inch rims. I just have a hard time believing that. I think there's something wrong but don't know. If anyone has an idea please let me know. I don't even like driving it on the freeway

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Welcome to the Forum from NH. Lots of great folks here who willingly share their knowledge, experiences and perspectives.

If you have not already done so, I'd start with the basics:

Are the tires properly balanced. As tires and rims become wider, more care has to go into properly balancing them.

Is the front end alignment in spec?

Are the rims damaged in any way, as even slight damage in the rim's geometry can cause vibrations at speed.

Sometimes, there are defects in tires that can cause vibrations. Sometimes, they can be seen on the wheel balancing machine, but other times, they are not visible.

If you confirmed all of the above as good and within spec, you can try replacing one tire at a time with your spare tire, take it out on the road and see if the vibrations go away. I know that this is labor and time intensive, but if the issue is confined to one rim/tire combination, this may help you isolate the specific rim/tire that is causing the vibrations.

Once you've eliminated the possibility that the vibrations are caused by rim/tire issues, then we can start to pursue other potential problem areas involving the suspension or drivetrain, and there are folks here that are much more knowledgeable than me in those areas.


Other folks will chime in with their thoughts.

 

[Mechanic421]

Is the vibration all the time or does it diminish when coasting and get worse when you accelerate.

 

[Big Mama]

I have the same size wheels and don’t have the vibration. I will say that they need to be rebalanced once in a while.

 

[Bryan97471]

Is the vibration all the time or does it diminish when coasting and get worse when you accelerate.

The vibration diminishes when coasting and I have had it alinged and bought new tires and have had the tires balance. That's why I'm at my wits end

 

[Bryan97471]

The vibration diminishes when coasting and I have had it alinged and bought new tires and have had the tires balance. That's why I'm at my wits end

If I stay under 60 there isn't a problem but above that it start to shake bad. Just driving around town it's fine except for it likes to follow ruts in the pavement

 

[swathdiver]

I need help. My 2003 chevy tahoe has a bad vibration at about 60-65. It also likes to follow the ruts in the road. Now I've been told that it because of the tires I have on it. They are pretty wide and I've been told it's because I have 22 inch rims. I just have a hard time believing that. I think there's something wrong but don't know. If anyone has an idea please let me know. I don't even like driving it on the freeway

Are these factory 22s? What size and brand of tire? Saying the vibration ceases as you let off the gas makes me think it might be drive line related... hmm...

 

[BG1988]

I need help. My 2003 chevy tahoe has a bad vibration at about 60-65. It also likes to follow the ruts in the road. Now I've been told that it because of the tires I have on it. They are pretty wide and I've been told it's because I have 22 inch rims. I just have a hard time believing that. I think there's something wrong but don't know. If anyone has an idea please let me know. I don't even like driving it on the freeway

could be anything from a bad shock to a bent rim (since it's 22" it could be bent it's common to bend them)

 

[Mechanic421]

Ok so block the tires and put the transmission in neutral and see if unjoints are loose. Look for rust at caps. Sometimes you need to remove the driveshaft to find a stiff one. And is the vibration in the steering wheel or your butt?

 

[drakon543]

all previous statements above are a good rule of thumb. ive even known people to give up on having a shop balance the rims and tires and just put airsoft bbs in the wheel. not entirely sure how that actually works but it seems to. also if your at the mph of vibration and let off and the vibration goes away id definitely check the universals on the drive shaft. again this was also stated above but its definitely something to check. im pretty ******* my trucks so ive definitely had driveline vibration. turning 22s id also suggest buying better than cheap universals. dont think you need to go straight to dana Spicer's like i did but id definitely buy stronger than whats recommended. anytime you change something on a vehicle extra thought should go into the idea of what its going to effect. heavier/larger rims and or tires will definitely add more strain to your drivetrain.