I've had my 2003 6-Speed for almost a year now and the dealer is unable to get rid of "The Shakes" after rebalancing the wheels 4 different times (every oil change). "The Shakes" in this case are interesting in that they are MUCH worse in the morning after the Max has been sitting and is cool. "The Shakes" can be nonexistent in the middle of a warm day or after it has warmed up for awhile (~1 hour) or below 60mph....but when it's shaking it won't go away no matter what speed I drive (60 on up). When it is shaking @75mph I've pushed in the clutch to coast and the shaking is still there, so I don't think it's anything to do with the tranny.

Could it be a bad tire or two, so that when it warms up (I'm in Minnesota so that's only half the year) the tire gets softer and the shake goes away???

Could it be my suspension???

As I said, "The Shakes" have been with my 03 since day 1 and I would really like to get rid of them. The dealer claims that it's the stiff tires, stiff suspension, etc... but I can drive on the silkiest smooth new asphalt and still have the shaking going on.

Please help and reply with any ideas that may point the dealer in the right direction so that I can get this puppy fixed!

Thanks in advance for your replies!
-Stach

 

If the shaking that you are talking about is low amplitude, medium frequency I think all maxima do it to some extent. I drove an '03 SE that made the sun visors shake up and down when cold then improved by 50-70% after 5 miles. Sure sounds like Bridgestone syndrome. Unfortunately I have found Brigdestone to be the least concerned tire vendor in terms of customer satisfaction. I tried to get them to check for axial and radial runout and they acted like I was from another planet.

Obviously you have tried moving the fronts to the rear to see if the problem moves or changes. What about making temporary tire pressure changes say between 20-40 PSI to see if the tires can be isolated.

The SE is fast, cheap, distinctive and has a rather primitive ride in general.

 

The dealer may not have decent equipment for the high speed spin balancing, or the equipment may be out of calibration. If the tires still have relatively low miles, do yourself a favor and go to a large, reputable tire dealer in your area and have all your wheels spin balanced. Also, make sure that no dirt or asphalt particles are stuck to the inside of your your rim. I bet this will resolve your problem . . . Unfortunately, sometimes you just have to take problems into your own hands.

 

Do yourself and your dealer a favor, ditch the craptenzas. They have a nylon "memory" layer in them that makes them flat spot. This happens when the tires get very warm, then are left to cool while sitting still. Then, as the tire warms up, the "shakes" you describe go away. But, they return as soon as you park the car and the tires cool. Also sounds like you run the recommended pressure of 32 lbs. If you live in a hot climate, 32 lbs is too low. You need to run more like 38. The ride will be stiffer, but the tires wont heat up as much and the shakes will go away. I know this from experience. Any more questions, please feel free to PM me.

 

i noticed that too and its damn embarrasing. maybe its all in my head but i def. feel that. i feel like im on a boat. im running 32, if i run 38 does that run any risk? my traction should suffer a little right? but better mpgs possibly.

 

NAh, no sig diff in traction. Your handling will improve. Better (slightly) mpg and should quell vibrations because the tires wont heat as much.

 

I too had this problem on an 03 GLE.Ihad the tires balanced at a "tire shop" figuring they would have better equipment.Not so.Vibration was worse,so I drove DIRECTLY to the dealer and left the car with him,at this point it had about 5000 miles.

They had it for a week,don't know if they tried anything or not,but they ended up giving me four BRAND NEW rims and tires.

They're a little better,not much.

I hate to say it,but I'd love to borrow a set of 16" rims and tires,to see of it makes a difference.

I know the 17" run "rougher" but I'm not complaining about the bumps in the road,I too complain about the vibrations even on a smooth road.

BTW my tires are Bridgestone Turanza 17"

 

I wouldn't be suprised if it was the Blotenzas. I had one of mine rebalanced after a puncture wound and we noticed on the machine that the dang tire was not even round.

 

 

Crappy tires seem to be a Maxima trend. I had my Toyo's (16" - 2k GLE) replaced for a prorated price after the dealer finally force variance tested them and found 3 of 4 to be out of round.

Of the 4 new ones, 2 are still out of round, and the car still vibrates at higher speeds. Balancing will not correct this.

The solution to all of these vibration problems: do NOT buy cheap tires, and read reviews on tirerack.com. A lot of times they will mention these problems.

Craig
-
2kGLE

 

Ive tried every brand of tire on a few different cars, and the best quality wise is Michelin. Performance wise, you wont notice much diff between them and similar pirellis and potenza s-03's (the ONLY bridgestone tire that is good).