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Tyre Deformation - How to Tell?
- Thread starter enzed4
- Start date
Lots of them, and so is the car :lol: .Raj_UK said:I’m assuming the tyre in question is on the car. If you can’t visibly see anything wrong, getting it on a balancing machine is probably a good place to start.
Are you having issues?
Just thought it seemed more 'jittery' than usual when out for a drive yesterday, and wondered if perhaps the tyres had developed flat spots from sitting in the garage for a few weeks. Probably not. I also noticed what sounded like a bottoming out when hitting some dips in the road, but checked with the rear wheels off today and couldn't see anything like cracked springs or weeping shocks. It has Bilstein coilovers and shocks (F4-BM5 H001-H0 if that means anything).
Could be a sticky brake caliper if it’s been stored for a while. If the brake was on when driving into a pothole etc it might feel a bit harsher than usual. Worth ruling out IMO
tintoverano
Active member
enzed4 said:As the title says - how can you accurately determine if your car tyre or tyres is/are deformed? Not just a 'strange vibration at xx speed' but is there a way to tell if they're not true?
Thanks
lead your palms around the surface of the tyre, whether you feel it uneven in someway
vertical deformity is hard to see, increasing tyre pressure could straighten it out and would make the issue in question go away
If you have a 'twisted' tyre i.e. misaligned it will very quickly wear on the point of distortion. In addition any symnptoms created by the 'twist' will get worse quite quickly.
The symptoms are identical to a bent road wheel.
I have had this several times over the years on my other cars. The way to find it is simple and easier the longer its been going on.
Firstly if its a front tyre you will be getting a constant and regular tug on the steering wheel, worse at low speeds approx 25-30mph.
Rear tyre will be a lot less noticeable, it wil show at very low speeds and if you look through your rear view mirror in slow moving traffic you will see the rear of the car twitching from side to side as the defect goes around.
To find the tyre, jack up the wheels individually, position your eyeline directly in front of the tyre and rotate the wheel. Watch the lines of each tread and look for any places where the rotation is not perfectly inline. You can stick a opencil in a piece of plasticine, stick it to the road and use it as a guide.
It can be very subtle so take your time.
The symptoms are identical to a bent road wheel.
I have had this several times over the years on my other cars. The way to find it is simple and easier the longer its been going on.
Firstly if its a front tyre you will be getting a constant and regular tug on the steering wheel, worse at low speeds approx 25-30mph.
Rear tyre will be a lot less noticeable, it wil show at very low speeds and if you look through your rear view mirror in slow moving traffic you will see the rear of the car twitching from side to side as the defect goes around.
To find the tyre, jack up the wheels individually, position your eyeline directly in front of the tyre and rotate the wheel. Watch the lines of each tread and look for any places where the rotation is not perfectly inline. You can stick a opencil in a piece of plasticine, stick it to the road and use it as a guide.
It can be very subtle so take your time.