I have a new 2001 SE (1 month old) with C&C package and I've noticed at highway speeds(70 mph) the steering wheel shakes and the car seems to pull to the right a little. I've adjusted the tire pressure, but it doesn't seem to help.

I can't imagine the wheels needing a balancing or an alignment so soon. I was just wondering if anyone has ever encountered this or is related to the 17" rims???

 

It may be an issue with 17's (bigger and lower profile). I have noticed, especially as it gets colder, that the tires tend to flat spot in the morining and it takes then 3-5 miles before warming up and rounding out.

Your problem may also be that your dealer did not road test you car for the PDI. It would not surprise me one bit. Generally a rebalancing is free and if it's not, kick and scream you will get it.

I would recommend that you get the weights either stuck to the inside of the wheel (paralel, as it comes from the factory) or the weights on the inside edge of the wheel ( the perpendicular side). It makes for a cleaner setup (you see no wheel weights) and if you do ding your rims you won't drop a weight and be stuck in the same boat.

 

I took it to the local tire shop this weekend because the dealer wanted me to leave it all day Saturday to check it out. It turns out that both front wheels needed balancing and one of the rims appears to be bent. They used the old fashioned weights clipped on the inside lip and it rides much better now, but I still feel a little jitter. I don't know much about balancing but none of the wheels had weights on the inside rear, just weights taped on the inside front(behind the spoke).

I'm going to rotate the tires and get the backs balanced to see if the problem is due to the front rim being bent.

- Todd