High Speed Wobbling?
- Thread starter DjAnnexAlpha
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An out of alignment issue wont cause vibrations, unless the car hit a bridge abutment and is that far out of align.
The cause of the vibration is likely an out of balance tire, a tire that has a slipped belt and is out of round, a bent wheel, or tires that are cupped from lack of timely tire rotations.
The cause of the vibration is likely an out of balance tire, a tire that has a slipped belt and is out of round, a bent wheel, or tires that are cupped from lack of timely tire rotations.
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You have a Corolla S with the 17's right? I can tell you from researching this size tire for my other car, these Firestones are on the low end of performance in their class. I really wouldn't trust them for any high speed maneuvering. It should not be wobbling at that speed or any speed though, I would take it to the dealer and have it checked. I've had my S up to 80 once so far and it felt smooth.
Unfortunately, aside from high performance vehicles or optional performance packages, original equipment tires don't tend to be that great. The priority of the vehicle manufacturer when a customer takes a test drive in a new car is that the ride is quiet and smooth so the customer will purchase that new car. Long tread life, handling, performance during inclement weather, etc., are really of no concern to the vehicle manufacturer and a tire that does well in those categories will also be a more expensive tire, diving up the price of the car the vehicle manufacturers are trying to sell, which is a big no-no for them of course.
This is why substantial improvements in handling, braking, inclement weather performance, tread life, etc., can be made with installing better tires than the original equipment tire.
This is why substantial improvements in handling, braking, inclement weather performance, tread life, etc., can be made with installing better tires than the original equipment tire.
Chances are a weight came off. It happens.
I've wound my S up to 115 m.p.h. and the car was fine.
Also, the tires on the car are more than capable of handling the maximum speed as set by the speed governor.
The reason why most cars are speed limited to 115 m.p.h. is because the base tire is H-rated, which is good to 130 m.p.h. (assuming that the tire is in perfect condition).
The tires on the 17" wheels are W-rated, which is good up to 168 m.p.h., and you couldn't get a Corolla to that speed on a 60 degree downhill with tailwind.
I've wound my S up to 115 m.p.h. and the car was fine.
Also, the tires on the car are more than capable of handling the maximum speed as set by the speed governor.
The reason why most cars are speed limited to 115 m.p.h. is because the base tire is H-rated, which is good to 130 m.p.h. (assuming that the tire is in perfect condition).
The tires on the 17" wheels are W-rated, which is good up to 168 m.p.h., and you couldn't get a Corolla to that speed on a 60 degree downhill with tailwind.
I didn't mean to say these tires can't handle high speeds. I just meant that there are better gripping tires for the same price and even cheaper. I have the same size tires on my other car and have used 3 different brands. If and when I replace the tires on this Corolla, it won't be with these Firestones. I'll probly put on the same Goodyears I just put on my Civic.
If you're referring to the Eagle RS-A, that particular tire doesn't have very glowing survey or review results on TireRack.com and was only ranked 14th in its category. See the link below. My auto center used to stock these tires and with the comparatively poor tread life, quality and negative feedback from my customers, I was never impressed with them. Typical customer comments were that the tire was noisy, didn't perform that well in the rain, didn't last very long and was not so great in the snow either.
Just the other day I was walking past a car parked in front of a store and noticed that one of the tires was very low on air. I went into the store to find the owner and let them know about the problem, (it was a small Subway store with only two people sitting inside). When I located the owner we went out to his car so I could show him the problem and in looking a bit closer at the tire I noticed that it had in my opinion, (have to keep it legal mind you), a dangerous problem with the tread separating from the shoulder/sidewall area of the tire. It was so bad there was steel cord showing, meaning it could fail at any time! Initially I suspected it was road hazard damage, but when I got down on my hands and knees to evaluate the tire even closer for the owner, (he was an elderly gentleman), I found this problem was showing in several different areas on the tire. Checking the remaining three tires for the same problem I found another tire that was even worse and the other two looked like they were starting to exhibit this problem too. I sent him to my local Firestone auto center to upgrade to Firestone tires.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...autoYear=2014&autoModel=Corolla&autoModClar=S
Here is a link comparing the Goodyear tire vs. the Firestone tire and a few others so we can see how they compare - http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=HPAS&width=215%2F&ratio=45&diameter=17&tireSearch=true&filter=y&autoMake=Toyota&autoYear=2014&autoModel=Corolla&autoModClar=S
Consumer beware. Knowledge is priceless.
Just the other day I was walking past a car parked in front of a store and noticed that one of the tires was very low on air. I went into the store to find the owner and let them know about the problem, (it was a small Subway store with only two people sitting inside). When I located the owner we went out to his car so I could show him the problem and in looking a bit closer at the tire I noticed that it had in my opinion, (have to keep it legal mind you), a dangerous problem with the tread separating from the shoulder/sidewall area of the tire. It was so bad there was steel cord showing, meaning it could fail at any time! Initially I suspected it was road hazard damage, but when I got down on my hands and knees to evaluate the tire even closer for the owner, (he was an elderly gentleman), I found this problem was showing in several different areas on the tire. Checking the remaining three tires for the same problem I found another tire that was even worse and the other two looked like they were starting to exhibit this problem too. I sent him to my local Firestone auto center to upgrade to Firestone tires.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...autoYear=2014&autoModel=Corolla&autoModClar=S
Here is a link comparing the Goodyear tire vs. the Firestone tire and a few others so we can see how they compare - http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=HPAS&width=215%2F&ratio=45&diameter=17&tireSearch=true&filter=y&autoMake=Toyota&autoYear=2014&autoModel=Corolla&autoModClar=S
Consumer beware. Knowledge is priceless.
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I got the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymetrics. The car came with Michelin, I can't remember the model but they were an awesome All Season tire. They gripped very well in all conditions, the only downside was they only lasted 30,000 miles. They also cost $160 a piece which is why I replaced them with a cheaper but highly rated Continental DWS. The Contis were a horrible tire that only gripped good in the snow for the first two years I had them. The dry and wet grip sucked the entire life of the tire which was 40,000 miles.
I almost bit the bullet and put the expensive Michelins back on it but found lots of good reviews on the Goodyear I ended up getting. I got them in the Middle of winter and they seem to perform just as well as the stock Michelins did. If they last 30,000 miles I'll be happy and buy them again.
I never realized how much a tire could affect the handling and performance of a car. I was scared to corner too hard when I had the DWS's on. The Firestone F740's( I thinks that's what they're called) on the Corolla feel closer to the performance of the Continental's than either the Michelins or Goodyears, all of which are the same size and on similar vehicles.
I almost bit the bullet and put the expensive Michelins back on it but found lots of good reviews on the Goodyear I ended up getting. I got them in the Middle of winter and they seem to perform just as well as the stock Michelins did. If they last 30,000 miles I'll be happy and buy them again.
I never realized how much a tire could affect the handling and performance of a car. I was scared to corner too hard when I had the DWS's on. The Firestone F740's( I thinks that's what they're called) on the Corolla feel closer to the performance of the Continental's than either the Michelins or Goodyears, all of which are the same size and on similar vehicles.
Head on over to the tire thread we have below and we'll get you fixed up! 
http://www.corollaforum.com/showthread.php?t=2297
http://www.corollaforum.com/showthread.php?t=2297
What year and model is your Corolla?
Come over to the tire thread here and I can help you out. There is a special tire deal going on until April 30th only!
http://www.corollaforum.com/showthread.php?t=2297
Come over to the tire thread here and I can help you out. There is a special tire deal going on until April 30th only!
http://www.corollaforum.com/showthread.php?t=2297
Ranked sixth in category -
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...autoYear=2014&autoModel=Corolla&autoModClar=S
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...autoYear=2014&autoModel=Corolla&autoModClar=S
Okay, come on over to the tire thread -> http://www.corollaforum.com/showthread.php?t=2297
wanted Bump this old post.
Just bought a 2014 collora S, and the freeways in S. cali are pretty rough, when I drive over 75 -80 mph the handling of the car is really realy bad. Car jerks and sways with the freeway, The car has brand new Firsestone tires. My car only has 400-500 mile on it and is 2 weeks old.
Right now I don't have free time to take the car back to the dealership till latter this week, I just wanted to know if anyone else has this problem and how they solved it? New tires? Did the car tires need to be balanced again?
Just bought a 2014 collora S, and the freeways in S. cali are pretty rough, when I drive over 75 -80 mph the handling of the car is really realy bad. Car jerks and sways with the freeway, The car has brand new Firsestone tires. My car only has 400-500 mile on it and is 2 weeks old.
Right now I don't have free time to take the car back to the dealership till latter this week, I just wanted to know if anyone else has this problem and how they solved it? New tires? Did the car tires need to be balanced again?
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Sorry, I finally had time to get to the dealership last friday. That was the third time I returned with that issue. The previous two times they rebalanced and re-aligned the wheels. I told the service rep that the previous mechanic also mentioned some swaying issues and that I should return and leave the car with him for a day for him to diagnose the issue. I told the service rep that and yet he had a mechanic come out and he told me that every car has a threshold in which the car might experience jerking and swaying. The service rep became aggravated when I started questioning their explanation, so I just grabbed my keys and left. The problem? Still persists. Going to have to find a better mechanic. At 80mph the car sways, at 85mph it sways horribly, almost impossible to drive even with both hands on the wheel. Gonna get some eibach lowering springs and see if the drop in height will help. It is a possibility that the car might have an aerodynamic flaw with its design, it does have a higher than normal ride height.
I strongly recommend against doing anything at all with the suspension in altering it in any way, because if you do that you are providing them with the perfect excuse not to do a darned thing about the problem the car is having. They will simply state, "You altered the suspension and there is nothing we can do about that".
Changing the ride height of the car will change the alignment caster settings for the car, (as well as other alignment settings), and make the problem the car is having even worse.
If they can't fix the problem within three attempts, you have the lemon law on your side and you can force them to take the car back and provide you a complete refund.
Again, don't touch the suspension, or you'll ruin your case and ability to get the problem corrected and if not, forcing them to take the car back.
Changing the ride height of the car will change the alignment caster settings for the car, (as well as other alignment settings), and make the problem the car is having even worse.
If they can't fix the problem within three attempts, you have the lemon law on your side and you can force them to take the car back and provide you a complete refund.
Again, don't touch the suspension, or you'll ruin your case and ability to get the problem corrected and if not, forcing them to take the car back.
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Don't deal with dealership Service Advisors. They can't help you and most likely wont, as you've experienced.
You'll need to deal with Toyota directly in order to get this situation either resolved, or get a complete refund for the car via the Lemon Law.
I think you've mentioned you already brought the car in at least once for this problem, so Toyota only has two more strikes and they are out via the Lemon Law. Make sure you provide them notice of this when you contact them, so they know they are under the gun to get your vehicles situation corrected.
Contact your regions Toyota representative to open a file on your car. Make sure you keep all receipts. Their contact link is below -
http://www.toyota.com/support/contact.html
Florida does indeed have a new car Lemon Law and here is the link to the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles that will tell you all about it -
http://www.dmvflorida.org/florida-lemon-laws.shtml
I hope this helps you out. Keep us posted.
You'll need to deal with Toyota directly in order to get this situation either resolved, or get a complete refund for the car via the Lemon Law.
I think you've mentioned you already brought the car in at least once for this problem, so Toyota only has two more strikes and they are out via the Lemon Law. Make sure you provide them notice of this when you contact them, so they know they are under the gun to get your vehicles situation corrected.
Contact your regions Toyota representative to open a file on your car. Make sure you keep all receipts. Their contact link is below -
http://www.toyota.com/support/contact.html
Florida does indeed have a new car Lemon Law and here is the link to the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles that will tell you all about it -
http://www.dmvflorida.org/florida-lemon-laws.shtml
I hope this helps you out. Keep us posted.
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Thanks for the information. I will stop by the dealership Saturday morning and try to talk the service rep and mechanic that helped me in the first place. If that fails, then I will contact Toyota right away and let them know. My car has less than 5,000 miles on it, it honestly is a shame how far car manufacturing standards have fallen.
My wife drop off my new corolla at the dealership this morning, they check tires and balance and did alinement to the car.
They said the car sway side to side due to the electronic steering. I hope the alingment fix some of the swaying issues.
If the issue still exsist then Im going take a tech with me on the freeway and show them how the car sway side to side on the freeway. That probabaly the only way you can show then that there a problem.
I'm thinking the problem is cause by having crappy tires on the car and a super sensitive electronic steering system.
If I continue to hate the ride quality of the car, I might ask the dealer switch my rims to the stock 16 inch, instead of 17s. My car only 2 weeks old and I hate the ride quality. My other option might be just buy new better tires and resell these firestone on craiglist.
They said the car sway side to side due to the electronic steering. I hope the alingment fix some of the swaying issues.
If the issue still exsist then Im going take a tech with me on the freeway and show them how the car sway side to side on the freeway. That probabaly the only way you can show then that there a problem.
I'm thinking the problem is cause by having crappy tires on the car and a super sensitive electronic steering system.
If I continue to hate the ride quality of the car, I might ask the dealer switch my rims to the stock 16 inch, instead of 17s. My car only 2 weeks old and I hate the ride quality. My other option might be just buy new better tires and resell these firestone on craiglist.
As I have been trying to say for a long time in this forum, when a vehicle is switched from the stock 16" rims and 17" rims are installed instead, that's replacing an inch of rubber sidewall with an inch of inflexible metal and the ride quality suffers greatly. Impact damage to the rims from potholes is also much more likely, i.e. a bent rim. That degraded ride quality/increased roughness is also transferred into the struts, shocks and entire suspension, making them all wear out faster.
-- B.F.Goodrich T/A Certified Tire Specialist
-- Monroe Struts/Shocks Certified Ride Expert
-- B.F.Goodrich T/A Certified Tire Specialist
-- Monroe Struts/Shocks Certified Ride Expert
Scott, the new S Plus and Premium are stock 17" wheels, which is what he has. He is talking about going down to the 16" from those.
As far as the swaying, I got used to it. The EPS is definitely different from hydraulic power steering, but once you get used to it, you realize how much better and easier it is.
As far as the swaying, I got used to it. The EPS is definitely different from hydraulic power steering, but once you get used to it, you realize how much better and easier it is.
My Yokohama AVID ENVigors had directional tread and they were awesome tires.
It's not just the pattern, but the material, the strength of the sidewall, etc.
OEM tires are always going to be cheap unless you buy a high performance car, and even they get cheap on those. Aftermarket will always improve handling.
It's not just the pattern, but the material, the strength of the sidewall, etc.
OEM tires are always going to be cheap unless you buy a high performance car, and even they get cheap on those. Aftermarket will always improve handling.
Every 80's to early 90's Ford has had power steering issues at one point or another. I was getting ready to ditch the power steering system in my '82 entirely and switch to a manual rack. After a hose blew and I replaced the lines and the rack, I still had the groan of death. Replaced the pump (so, pretty much an entirely new system) and the death groan was still there. My girlfriend had a 1990 Mercury Sable that blew a power steering line, and that was a total cluster to replace.
The systems didn't have a well-engineered pressure bypass valve, and over time they would seize up, so if you locked the steering wheel to take a tight 180° turn, BOOM! Done deal.
The systems didn't have a well-engineered pressure bypass valve, and over time they would seize up, so if you locked the steering wheel to take a tight 180° turn, BOOM! Done deal.
IT'S PERFECTLY FINE!!! You just gotta get used to it.
You can steer the car, parked, with your pinkie. Way effortless. That is where the "swaying" comes from (people are used to exerting more effort to steer, muscle memory). Once you get used to it, you'll fall in love with it.
It's like going from a cable clutch system to a hydraulic clutch system. People complained about the lack of feel from hydraulic that they had with the cable (I was one of them), but when they realized that they were able to shift far quicker and didn't have to deal with self-adjusting pawls that broke (or having to make periodic adjustments to the clutch cable), they wouldn't go back.
You can steer the car, parked, with your pinkie. Way effortless. That is where the "swaying" comes from (people are used to exerting more effort to steer, muscle memory). Once you get used to it, you'll fall in love with it.
It's like going from a cable clutch system to a hydraulic clutch system. People complained about the lack of feel from hydraulic that they had with the cable (I was one of them), but when they realized that they were able to shift far quicker and didn't have to deal with self-adjusting pawls that broke (or having to make periodic adjustments to the clutch cable), they wouldn't go back.
Update.... How I solve my wobbling issue to my Toyota S.
Last week I bought OEM mud guard for my corolla, I had to take off the rear tires to drill the holes, So as I took off the rear bolts I notice how loose or light they were tighten. So after installing the mud guards, I hand tighten all the bolts, just tight enough where they couldn't turn anymore, then I walk around and tighten all the other wheels.
After driving my car around for a whole week I notice the high speeds wobbling problem gone was.
The dealership wasn't able to fix my wobbling problem with alinement. They said it was normal. Im glad I was able to fix the issue.
Last week I bought OEM mud guard for my corolla, I had to take off the rear tires to drill the holes, So as I took off the rear bolts I notice how loose or light they were tighten. So after installing the mud guards, I hand tighten all the bolts, just tight enough where they couldn't turn anymore, then I walk around and tighten all the other wheels.
After driving my car around for a whole week I notice the high speeds wobbling problem gone was.
The dealership wasn't able to fix my wobbling problem with alinement. They said it was normal. Im glad I was able to fix the issue.