FogDucker

To my surprise, most of the K2xx oem wheels are made in China. My stock 20" Denali and the 20" AT wheels were. Sent from my SM-G925W8 using Tapatalk

Road Force, obtained from a Hunter Road Force balancing machine which not all dealerships or tire shops have or are trained on. They cost about $10K each.

+1 on sas06 @CI houn: I'm sure all manufacturers have different designs and tolerances, probably per model. The tire shop told me that 20lbs was the tolerance for LT tires. Unsure what that is for P-spec tires. I'm sure you can find a good set of 22". Just find a shop with a Hunter RF balancer, good stock and is willing to spend the time to get it right. It took 6 Continentals to get them all under 13lbs. The buffeting ceased. I then mounted my BFG KO2s for winter duty which were balanced to 18lbs, 15lbs, 11lbs and 4lbs with the worst two on the rear. The buffeting returned. 2 hours and 2 tires at the top, they got them all to 12lbs, 10lbs, 10lbs and 8lbs. The buffeting ceased. It is unusual that this new truck platform is so sensitive. I'm just happy that we now know how to minimize it.

Sure they will. I've done it twice now (summer & winter tires), eliminating the buffeting both times. Before agreeing to buy them, tell them they need to have RF numbers less than 15. Better yet, buy them from a GM dealer who mandates those specifications. These new trucks are sensitive. Had I not experienced it myself (twice), I wouldn't have believed it.

I lost at least 1 mpg compared to the identically sized Continentals. If it weren't for that, I'd have them on year round and not just over the winter.

I just took my KO2s off for the summer - the additional weight is noticeable. Not just at the gas pump, but also driving. The truck feels heavier. Not in bad way, just different. They're also awesome in the snow!

"The Boom" sounded like a 12" subwoofer was being flicked and would occur when driving at low speeds over expansion joints and concrete transitions. It was particularly annoying over washboard gravel or snow covered roads. The booming sound would originate from the rear of the vehicle as the rear wheels drove over the bumps. The fix was to weld 6 dampers to my exhaust, similar to the one shown in the attached picture. The work order did not include any GM part numbers and looks to be a one-of. I don't have access to a lift to take pictures, but I do recall seeing at least 2 when my Yukon was in the air getting the BFGs installed. No more buffeting, booming or vibrating!

My Yukon was pico-scoped and was not within spec, apparently. I also opened a case GM Canada's "Executive Review Team" who worked with my dealership and assigned a field engineer to work on it. The vibration wasn't as bad as some have reported in this thread [water bottle videos], but it was felt in the pants and the steering wheel. The rear axle replacement did not fix the buffeting or booming that other K2XX SUV folk experience. The buffeting was ultimately fixed after several tire replacements and road force balances. The booming was fixed by adding 6 dampers on the exhaust system.

My complete rear axle was replaced and my vibration was eliminated. It was rotor to rotor - the full assembly.

Believe it or not, the shorty actually has *less* interior volume than the lambda triplets (Enclave, Acadia, Traverse). For my family, the layout is better than the Enclave now that I have a second row bench and shoulder room to sit 3 adults in it. I have regretted not getting the XL only a few times. Back to your dilemma, I also recommend that you proceed only of you have a great service department that is willing to pull out all the stops for you. I'm one of the fortunate few that had my buffeting, booming and vibrating fixed. If you do go ahead with it, negotiate a set of Michelin's with it! Sent from my SM-G925W8 using Tapatalk

I would not buy them again. The fact that my dealer had to replace 6 to eliminate the buffeting (see 'Yukon noise in cabin' thread) is the primary reason. In fact, I also have a post in that thread where I collected customer feedback from various sites - it's not very good on many different vehicles. I'll be replacing the Continentals with Michelin's first chance I get. Since my last post here, I've had a chance to drive the KO2s in the snow. They're amazing! Excellent traction. I just finished a 1500 mile drive to Florida on them and got 18.2mpg averaging 69mph. At ~10lbs heavier per tire, there is a slight penalty over the Continentals.

+1 GM added dampers to my exhaust and it helped. In addition to replacing tires and the whole rear axle. When I put my BFG K02s on (worst with 18lbs RF), the buffeting returned slightly. I had them remounted and replaced to 12lbs or better. No more buffeting or vibrating!

+1 on the K02s. I'm using them as snow shoes that won't melt on my annual drive to Florida and provide traction through the Appalachians. And that lake effect snow that NY and PA gets! The K02s are each over 10lbs heavier than the Continental LX20s and one can feel it. Very slight hum heard if one listens closely with the radio off. No flat spotting, even with recent -6°F weather. Haven't had the opportunity to run them in deep snow yet, and can't wait to do so! As per the vibration / buffeting issue thread, I did have to work with my dealer to road force balance them to under GMs 15lbs spec for a buffeting free drive. Got them to 12lb, 10lb, 10lb and 8lb. Sensitive to vibrations, these new trucks are!

Yep, same tires as me. It took 6 replacements to eliminate the buffeting. Check out post #1976 for feedback about the LX20s from other drivers. The buffeting returned slightly when I put my AT tires on with the worst at 18lbs. Had them corrected to 12lbs or less and it disappeared again. 15lbs or less on a Hunter RF balancer is the key! In regards to the dampers, I'm unsure if they even came from the factory - these could be net new parts. The only chance I've had to inspect the underside was when I was having my AT tires RF balanced - after the 6 were installed.

What kind of tires do you have? Continentals? Does it peak at 70mph? I've asked my Service Manager to ask the field engineer who installed the dampers for more details. I've also asked GM Canada's review board liaison (who I escalated my case with) to provide more details. I'll share any feedback.

The invoice did not include part numbers for the dampers - it was simply mentioned in the comments. I'll see if I can dig up any details. Quick update: I'm still buffet free. The truck is perfectly smooth to 160km/h. With some recent snow, there is a slight booming sound when driving over packs of snow which I'll likely hear on gravel roads too. I can live with that. The low speed boom over expansion joints and concrete transitions is gone.

IIRC, #48. It's the "amp" fuse on the passenger side. It had zero influence on the buffeting.

That was a random picture from the Internet based on what I thought a dampener was and what I observed yesterday while my Yukon was in the air getting the K02s sorted out. I don't know if they added new dampeners or modified the existing ones. I didn't want to get directly underneath it with all the road juice dripping down!

Yeah, we're talking about the same "boom". Low speed over bumps. Sounds like you're flicking a 12" subwoofer with your finger. It's gone! I think the physical exhaust system may have been the cause and not the stuff flowing inside of it. When I read 6 "exhaust dampers" on my work order, I assumed the ones shown in the pic below. Harmonic damper? Maybe the exhaust system was bouncing around in ways that it shouldn't have and that was as source of the boom and perhaps also buffeting? Unsure. I am sure that the boom is gone. This does fall in line with section D that Norcal SS just posted. In regards to the buffeting, there is still the odd hint of it, but it never continues for any period of time. Had the Yukon originally been delivered to me like this, it's likely that I would not notice anything. Still not Buick Enclave quiet, but that's not comparing apples to apples. The axle replacement was the rear axle, from brake rotor to brake rotor - shipped fully assembled - ring & pinion & all. The symptom that this fixed was the steering wheel vibration. Not the boom. Not the buffeting. In my opinion, all the new K2xx trucks are more sensitive to vibration. We're all going to have to get to know some good tire people and pay a couple extra bucks to ensure we get a good set. After 8 tire replacements, I've got 2 good sets. Another thing I've learned in the last couple months is that Michelin is the way to go. Checkout all the reviews below about Continental LX20s which came stock on my Yukon below. For me, the rear end was the cause of my vibrations. The dampers fixed my boom. Good and well balanced tires fixed my buffeting [twice]. 2011 Volvo XC60 Vehicle now exhibits a shake at highway speed. I have had the tires balanced twice on a Hunter RoadForce machine. Replaced one of the 'new tires' due to excessive run-out…and sidewall bump. Service tech said he can balance ANYTHING on the Hunter machine…but if it is not perfectly round, it will vibrate and shake on the highway. Really disappointed with Continental. 2010 Toyota Tundra Vibration and horrible bouncing lead me to have road force measurement test done and results are all 4 tires being out of round. 2011 Ford F150 These are the worst tires i have had on a truck. They are ok on the wifes escape which is why i thought they would be good dor me. They are too thin and get puctures from my gravel driveway and have cause vibration. I dont recommend these for anyone. 2007 Ford Expedition replaced tires after 2,500 miles, 3 out 4 tires would not stayed balanced. tires were hard and most anoying they had flat spots from sitting even 4 hours in the cold so the first trip cold was thumping down the road. 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe As soon as I got onto the highway with the Continentals there was a clear vibration and shimmy. Having traveled a couple of hundred kilometers to get the tires while on a trip the Continentals were very disappointing. 2010 Lexus RX 350 I felt vibration on a highway after initial install. Brought tires back again to get re-balanced. Vibration was still there at 75mph. Than took vehicle to different shop to do a road force balance. No luck.I have had the wheels/tires balanced and re-balanced three times due to a vibration issue at highway speeds that has taken all the fun out of driving. Spent hours of time and extra money trying to fix this with no avail. Haven't had any vibration issues with stock Michelins that had to go due to wear. Filed "customer satisfaction" claim with Continental and had all 4 tires replaced under the warranty. Vibration (annoying shivering) was still there. I gave up once got onto highway and finally had tires replaced with Bridgestone Duelers Ecopias 422-vibration has gone and I'm now enjoying the ride. Bottom line - save your time and money and go with something else. I bought these tires after looking at mostly positive reviews. Look at negatives before buying these!!! 2004 Cadillac Escalade Initially they were ok but they soon developed vibrations and shaking throughout my escalade. After taking them back to the dealer I had install them they informed me, not one, not two, but all four tires are bad. Bad belts causing the tires to be out of round and causing the shaking and vibrating that I am experiencing. 2009 Chevrolet Traverse Had bad vibration after install, rebalancing didn't correct. Roadforce tested all 4, one was bad. Replaced bad tire but still had vibration and shimy. 1999 Toyota 4runner Can't get the harmonic vibration out of the tires. Anything over sixty and the steering wheel shakes a 1/4 inch in each direction. 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe Steering vibrates during highway driving starting at 60mph. It really vibrates when on a highway curve. Forget about it if you happen to be pulling a trailer. I thought there was something wrong with the Tahoe's alignment. Nope. I read reviews and other people have had the same problem with vibration. 2008 Buick Enclave At 6500 miles I started to have a vibration problem. My tech narrowed it down to mostly one tire. I just got it replaced under warranty (7800 miles) but still have a smaller vibration problem. It seems that many others are experiencing the same problem with these tires, especially when you read the reviews at Continential's own website. 2009 Saturn Outlook Vehicle vibrates from 40-65 mph after putting on tires, had tires rebalanced twice now and see indentation on the the side wall(belt separation?)on 2 of the 4 tires. 2000 Chevrolet Suburban Road Force Balancing: Discovered excessive run-out on two tires - replaced by Continental@ no cost. Remaining two tires - run-out w/in acceptable range but required > 60g weight to balance. Very disappointed with Continental's manufacturing controls and quality assurance. 2010 Toyota FJ Bought these as a wheel/tire set to save stock wheels with mud tires for snow/winter. Drove on the highway for first time and felt like I was driving on marbles. Had them Road Forced again and same vibration. It shakes so bad, it's intolerable and embarrassing when people are in the car. 2013 Volkswagen Touareg I now have shaking in my steering wheel. I have taken the car back to not just any shop, but the VW dealership that has a road force balancer for tires. I have been in the shop 4 times to rebalance the two front tires and an alignment. All four times I have the same results...shaking in the steering wheel between 55-75 mph. 3 out of the four times they did a road force balance on the tires. unknown All 4 tires are out of round but I did not notice for about 13 months. The local roads are not the best. The tire vibrations became noticeably worse during a long road trip so I took the in to get rotated and balanced. Additionally I had a road test done and they were diagnosed as out of round. The seam is coming apart and the vibrations are extreme. They only lasted 12K miles ;( Mercedes R500 I just put on some Continental 255/50/R19 on my R500. Based on TireRacks reviews and warranty info I got the Continental CrossContact LX20 with EcoPlus Technology... Do NOT get these tires... This set of tires have my car vibrating on the Fwy and humming on the city streets.