Feeling like tires are out of balance 2014

[shock]

Specs:
2014 LC (bought new December 2013)
2,5xx miles on the odo currently
Stock Bridgestone H/L tires

I first noticed this problem at 1034 miles on the odometer... My LC drives like it has a rear tire out of balance (kinda like driving on a cobblestone road). I start noticing it around 25mph and it continues to worsen gradually up to about 40mph, then stays the same up through highway speeds.

Once, and only once, I got a strong vibration on the on-ramp of the highway. This is the actually the day I took it to the dealer complaining of the problem. The dealer claims they can't feel anything wrong.

I took it to my local (trusted) tire shop. They balanced all 4 wheels. They never drove it. They said one tire was out of balance significantly, and the others were slightly. They also said the tires were full of small rocks and this could be contributing. They removed all the rocks. The balance/rock removal seemed to lessen the vibration by about 50%.

About 300 miles later, the vibration returned as it had been when I first noticed/complained to the dealer.

Of note, the truck seems completely normal over bumps. I notice the issue the most on known smooth roads (verified with our 2014 Rav4, which also has a different variation of the Bridgestone H/L).

Has anyone else had this vibration? Anything else I should check?

 

[stonepa]

Have them rotate the tires to better figure out which tire is the problem. You probably have a bad one - maybe a delamination of the tread from the carcass. I have no idea what that means but that is what they told me when I had the same issue. A new tire fixed it right up.

 

[ppc]

A balance issue normally shows at higher speeds, like around 70 MPH. At 25 MPH that would indicate a slipped belt or a delamination as stated above. A balance can help for a short period of time until the belts re-position. A good tire tech using one of the advanced balance machines should be able identify the offending tire by running it up to speed several times. It is going to be the one that was significantly out of balance. I doubt the Toyota dealer will have the required equipment.

 

[shock]

They are actually "H/T" rather than "H/L" as I stated before.... Oops. I think my Suburban and Rav had/have the H/L version.

I don't have any real tire experience so slipped belts and delamination are new terms for me.

The "advanced balance machine" is an interesting concept. I'll see if I can figure out if anyone around here has one.

 

[chilibit]

Check out Hunter web site. Select the model you are seeking and then use their look-up tool to find a location. They are not too hard to find. I check the age of the machine and when Hunter serviced it last. But I know my wheel guys by their first names and they know what I want. Certain tires balance better (on average) than others. I like AVONs out of the UK and Toyo. Not to say anything against Michelin. We must have a half dozen sets of them running at any one time. And we like them. Most people seem to be pleased with a Road Force balancing.

They are actually "H/T" rather than "H/L" as I stated before.... Oops. I think my Suburban and Rav had/have the H/L version.

I don't have any real tire experience so slipped belts and delamination are new terms for me.

The "advanced balance machine" is an interesting concept. I'll see if I can figure out if anyone around here has one.

 

[shock]

My dealer (Greens) and my tire shop have the Hunter GSP9700 listed. The dealer also has the "StraightTrak" icon.
I spoke with my tire guy. He suggested that I take it to the dealer and ask them to match mount the tires. He said he was not hopeful that they would be helpful, but it was a necessary step. After they don't take me seriously, he said he can help me open a request (campaign) with Bridgestone.

 

[chilibit]

If you have a Tundra or something on the property without full time 4x4 then mount the wheels on the front and spin them by hand to see if there is any vertical or horizontal run out. Or ask the wheel man at the dealer to do it. If they dynamically balance and there is no run out then it could be a belt that might have separated due to a bad hit. Not real common but... If you have another set of wheels then mount them and see if it goes away. If it does, it is the wheels/tires. If it does not then there are a number of chassis and drivetrain candidates. Match mounting might help, it also takes time and that makes it fairly rare. On a brand new rig the dealer should sort it out. My bad on the Michelin comment. I have had good results with Bridgestone but only their Blizzacks.

My dealer (Greens) and my tire shop have the Hunter GSP9700 listed. The dealer also has the "StraightTrak" icon.
I spoke with my tire guy. He suggested that I take it to the dealer and ask them to match mount the tires. He said he was not hopeful that they would be helpful, but it was a necessary step. After they don't take me seriously, he said he can help me open a request (campaign) with Bridgestone.

 

[shock]

I took it in to the Toyota dealer today as a part of the suggested process by the tire shop. They balanced all four. They referred to this as "significantly" out of balance. Remember, they were balanced about 700 miles ago. They showed me the Hunter Road Force "SmartWeight" report. They didn't provide a copy in my paperwork, but I went back in and asked that they copy it for me. The bounce is gone for now--we'll see what happens in the next few hundred miles of travel.