I got an alignment and new shocks (KYB GR-2) installed. Riding on stock 15's. I checked the tires and made sure they were all 32psi which I was told was the manufacturer recommended lvl. Going over 70mph, my Max shakes like crazee... last time this happened was cuz of alignment and after getting that done everything was normal. I don't think it's the shocks either as that'll just return a bumpy ride but my whole care shakes violently, especially the wheel and this is driving on freeways i always take. What can it be?

 

unbalanced wheels.

 

That or tie-rod ends.. jack up your wheel and with your hads on the top and bottom of the wheel see if there is any play moving back and forth, it should not have any play in it

 

Wtf, I have to ask the shop to balance my wheels too? Thought it would be included in the alignment... gawd damn it... thanks guys, appreciate the input, I will bring it back to the shop and have the tierods changed and tires balanced. I knew about the tierods but I didn't think i'd have to replace them yet as I figured they just want me to spend more money. :P

 

32psi is recommended?

I've always went by the number under the armrest. That saids 29psi for front and back.

 

You should go with the PSI written on your tires.

 

Hmmm... I'll check after work...

 

Most likely the tires need balancing (look for a local place with this: http://www.gsp9700.com)

I have bad driver side tie rods and that causes a "pull" problem (car pulls to one side), not a violent shaking problem

The PSI written on your tires is the max PSI that the tire can handle so don't put the PSI at the max level. Like someone said, the stock PSI is written under your armrest. I keep mine at 32 PSI all around

 

Are these new tires?

Balancing is not included in any alignment. Two different things. That would be like expecting a tranny flush with an oil change.

If the shop just did the work and the car was fine before I would first look at the work they did. Make sure everything is tight.

 

No you should not.

 

It goes by the front end weight of the car, that's why they manufacture recommends specific PSI for each car.

 

My tires are set at 36 psi in the front. I had the same problem when I travel around ~70mph. My steering wheel would shake violently. I would assume my problem lies in the use tires. If my tires are used, would balancing solve the problem? In the past, I did talk to the mechanic about balancing my tires. She told me it wouldn't help much, since the tires have 30,000 miles on it. It only helps if the tires are new. The front tires look fine, the wear and thread are even. There's no balding or thread wearing out on the tires. I'll get another opinion tomorrow. I have 16, 225/55 on the front and 16, 215/55 at the back.

 

Find yourself a mechanic that knows that the he11 their talking about. Have your tires balanced and your vibrations will go away.

I balance my tires, usually only the set up front, every time I rotate them, thats 4x/year. Never had a shimmy or shake for as long as I've owned the car.

 

maybe your axle shafts have a defect i had a similar problem.

 

It's probably the balance of the tires. it could also be that your tires are out of round...how old are your tires? has your car been sitting in one spot for a prolonged period of time? sometimes the tire will get a flat spot on them from the weight of the car and it sitting in a certain position for a period of time. this tends to happen on certain brands more than others (don't really have specifics off the top of my head). i would check the balance first...and see where it goes from there.

 

Yup, as I said. I would get another mechanic opinion. Since, njmaxseltd mentioned my mechanic is full of bs. I would go some place else to have it balance.

James,

I drive my car every other day. The car doesn't stay at one spot for more than two days.

 

then definately try the balancing.... should clear it right up.

 

Balance, warped rotors, alignment, worn tie rod end, worn ball joint would all cause vibration

 

my rim had a bend on the inner part of the wheel, was the stock factory 15's at the time. Cause the shaking like no belief above 65, got it fixed and went away. Id check that also.

 

i definately think its because your wheels arent balanced

 

Update:

I've balanced all 4 tires and drove ~70mph tonight. NO more shaking or vibrating. Tire balancing was the cause of the shaking.