Rear vibration started after flat repair

[City Cruzer]

Hello everyone! Hopefully someone can help me debug this vibration problem. The other day, I found a pretty sizable nail in my left rear tire. After inspecting all of the tires, I also found another one in the left front. But back to the rear. I attempted to do what should have been a relatively easy task of replacing the flat tire with the spare. However, I could not get the ug nuts off and ended up breaking one, with another having that same "cross threaded" feel. I didn't want to risk breaking another because I went through that experience about 3 weeks ago with the right side (ended up breaking one and having the shop break another two). Luckily I had already ordered the studs and the lug nuts and brought them in when I had the job done.

I was not so lucky this time. I ended up having to drive very slowly to the nearest station (.5 miles) to put in enough air to get me home. There was no visible damage to the tire. Today, I drove the car with about 15 to 18 lbs of pressure to a parts store to buy tire plugs and then back home where I plugged the tire on the car.

The strange thing is, now I'm getting serious vibrations from the rear end at highway speeds, so much that even my 4 year old twins are giving me a look as if there're saying "hey dont you feel that?!?!" lol

any suggestions? I really dont want to have to put it up on a rack for inspection because it had absolute no rear vibration problem before this event. The car has 170,000 miles and has performed flawlessly for the last 10 years aside from starter rebuild, timing belts, TPS Sensor, 1 ignition pack, etc.. pretty standard stuff! i keep all of the fluids changed and everything serviced on or before schedule, with Penzoil synthetic and mobil one.

 

[100 TD]

You've got a broken stud - out of balance, and added a plug - out of balance..........., pull the wheel, replace ALL the studs AND nuts, remove the tyre and remove plug and patch tire on inside, get it balanced, put it back on yourself so it doesn't drag across the thread when fitting it, lubricate the studs with a drop of oil, do it up your self and tension with a tension wrench. Problem solved! Then do the other wheels.

 

[City Cruzer]

Very good information 100TD. Thanks!

It seems so obvious now! I'm going to replace all of them as you suggested because I would not want to experience this again, loaded up with family and gear and in a far away place! Good tip on the inside patch too rather than the plug. I never thought balance was the problem because typically a tire bounces when it's out of balance but this is more of a steady vibration similar to gears grinding. I'm pretty sure that it isn't the transmission either because I took it out of gear while traveling 65 mph and the vibration stayed.

I've ordered the parts so now I just have to drive around for a few days on 4 studs and a plugged tire but its good to know that it was not something more serious!

 

[highonpottery]

next time think about taking your tires in to get them plugged. much better than a DIY job and some places, like Les Schwab might do it for free even if you didn't buy your tires from them. they usually use better plugs and glue at a tire shop, then they grind off most of the material inside, leaving you with a closer to balanced tire. as for the cross threaded studs, always start your lug nuts by hand, then go to the impact. usually that's how it happens (when they use impact to start the lugs).

but yeah, 100TD's suggestion of replacing ALL of your studs and lugs is not a bad idea seeing how you've had compromised studs on two corners of your vehicle. at the least, replace all 5 studs at each of those wheels and thoroughly inspect the other two.

 

[1loudLX]

if you're getting lugnuts, order from Cdan or prepare to bend over at your local parts counter.

 

[Texasoil]

Driving even a short distance with a flat tire usually destroys the tire. The belts are not designed to flex in the manner necessary for run-flat and internal breaks are the result. CHANGE THE TIRE. It is giving you warning rumble and is coming apart.

 

[City Cruzer]

Thanks Texasoil, I was wondering about that. I think you are spot on about it coming apart because I have now been able to isolate the sound and it is coming from the tire, even at a walking speeds. Sounds like it is out of round, slapping the pavement, or something is going awefully awry inside the tire.

very thankful for you recommendation because i wold sure hate to have a rear blow out in my city commute with the cruiser loaded up with my children. I think I will swap my 285 20's back on!

 

[100 TD]

Yes, possible damage to tire, sorry, I didn't read your post properly and didn't realize it had been driven on while flat.

 

[City Cruzer]

Well I finally determined what was causing the vibration and noise. It wasn't the tire, wasn't out of balance, etc.

At the time of the first flat, some guys in the lot and i tried to take the tire off to no avail. Recall that one lug sheared. However, a few of the others had been backed off before it was determined that they might shear too. Apparently, those lugs were not completely screwed down. they felt like they were because they had seized but they were out far enough to allow the wheel to wobble very slightly, causing the vibration. Same tire, new lugs, torqed to 100ft lbs, no noise, no vibration.