Brand New 1500, Issues Already

[pm26]

I was just curious if there has been any resolution to the OPs issue. I have a 2011 Silverado XFE with the Chrome Clad 20" wheels and have experienced a vibration since new. I special ordered the truck and really wish I had driven it before I took delivery because I wouldn't have taken it (but the ship has sailed on that one).

 

I've had it in 3 times (2 different dealers). The vehicle currently has less than 2600 miles on it. Each time they stated that this is how the truck is supposed to feel with this wheel and tire combo. On the most recent visit I took the tech for a ride to point out the Vibration. He states that he feels it, agrees it shouldn't be there. The response I get after leaving it for the day is as follows (paraphrase):

 

We test drove another similar vehicle and the same "vibration" was present. We logged the vibration at 70 mph with EVA and almost identical readings were logged. Because the readings were the same, this is a "Normal" condition. After consulting GM Technical Service, they state that the vibration readings are within spec and they authorize no further repair or remedy for the situation.

 

Other than re-balancing (RFB) the tires once more, they refuse to do anything else because the truck is "OK" according to GM.

 

Now let me be clear this, I understand that a truck with 20" wheels will handle and drive different than one with 18s or 17s, and I'm fine with that. I just want a truck that doesn't shake. And to that point I don't want one that does. I'm currently considering a Lemon Law Claim, as this will certainly impact the resale value of the vehicle and may become a safety issue moving forward. This is my 4th new GM vehicle in 11 years and may very well be my last. What a pain...

 

Has anyone else experienced any issues with these wheels or similar vibration issues?? Any advice/feedback is welcome.

 

I will give you the same feedback I have already given:

 

 

Those large wheels and tires (20" plus) are not worth it. They are being offered by all car and truck manufacturers because large wheels have become a meaningless fad. There is nothing worse than a cheap large wheel/cheap tire combo. Consider these facts:

 

Car manufacturers will purchase the cheapest wheels and tires they can get in large quantities. Large rims/tires are more difficult to balance properly than smaller sizes, so the probability of improperly balanced wheel from the factory goes up.

 

Because of their lower sidewall height, these large tires will ride harsher than small diameter ones with taller sidewalls. Taller sidewall has the benefit of dampening minor vibrations, which are amplified on large diameter, low sidewall height tire.

 

In order to get a good ride with large wheels/tires you need both good quality rims and tires and first class workmanship as far as mounting and balancing them goes. Before you pursue any legal action, consider investing in high quality tires and have a good independent shop that specializes in custom wheels mount and balance them. Or, get a set of barely used OEM 17" wheel/tires and try those (eBay is a good source).

 

Personally I avoid large wheel/tires like the plague. I would not take them if they paid me extra to have them. What is the point? Harsher ride and much higher tire prices? Less selection in larger sizes? I can put up with wheels up to 18" in diameter on a passenger car if the tires are high quality and the car has enough power and sophisticated enough suspension to take advantage of high speed rated, low profile tires. Aything bigger than that is a waste of money in my opnion.

 

Some 30 years ago the largest diameter rims offered on American cars and truck were 15" wheels. Even exotic imports like Lamborghinis came with 15 inch factory rims. My 1984 Mercedes 500 SEL sedan came with 14" factory wheels. Yet it would cruise at 125 MPH without any vibration. And I owned a 1978 Ford Fiesta with factory 12" wheels. It rode just fine up to 100 MPH which was pretty much its top speed . How did we ever get around driving on such small rims?

 

So in summary, it is not the size of wheels/tires that counts, but rather the overall quality.

 

 

So you are saying, "It is what, it is..."??? The only thing would be to spend more to buy better tires???

 

No offense, but I have a hard time buying that the rims and tires are the problem due to the fact they can't be or are difficult to balance. At this point if they are perfectly balanced and there is still a vibration, it stands to reason that it may or must be coming from a different component. The only other thing I can think of is Drive Shaft or perhaps alignment.

 

Again my issue is not with ride quality or handling, but with the Vibration... As I said above, I get that it will handle different with 20's rather than 18's. I just want to get rid of the vibration, or harmonic shake.

 

I guess my bigger question is; has anyone been told that this is a normal condition and given no other resolution to the issue??

 

 

Have you checked other components such as brake rotors and drums to make sure they are properly balanced? They will also cause vibration if not balanced or balanced improperly. In the past, they often used a portable balancing machine that would balance the wheels and rotors and/or brake drums right on the car as an assembly. I am not sure if these machines are around anymore, as I have not seen one since mid 80's.

 

Bad alignment will rarely, if ever cause vibration. I have seen vbration problems caused by loose rubber mount on the driveshaft support bearing, but not every truck has one of those.

 

And, just because the wheels have been rebalanced 100 times does nto mean they are balanced correctly. I have seen many examples of bad balancing, even by car dealers. It has to do with improper mounting of the wheel on the balancer, using wrong size centering cone, or not centering the wheel correctly, more often than a malfunctioning balancer.

 

Some tires are just junk, no matter what you do with them. Some have actually loose belts which will cuase vibration at certain speed, no matter how well balalnced the wheel is. I had several new Continental tires that were actually our of round, cuasing a very unpleasant vibration on one of my cars.

[ChevyTech77]

I symphatize with your plight. It is very annoying to have a new vehicle that shows this behavior. What you refer as"frame beaming" should be less pronounced on the GMT900 trucks because they have a fully boxed in frame in the front. I still would suspect the tires. I have had all kinds of vibration problems on my car even with Michelin MXVs which turned out to be complete junk. Several of them actually had a loose belt. I never had issues with Korean Kumho brand tires, or Michelin LTX M/S tires. Unfortunately, many OEM tires are complete trash.

 

If you believe that the frame beaming is the cause of your vibration problems, try placing at least 300 lbs of sand bags or something similar in your bed and see if the ride improves. It should if frame beaming is the culprit.

 

Frame beaming issues HAVE been recorded on GMT900 trucks. It was mostly eliminated with a "tuned" body mount system not a change in the frame.

 

Lots of other speculation floating around in this thread. The 20" wheel "vibration" is the real deal. Go drive a Dodge or Ford truck, with 20" wheels on it, if you don't believe it's true.

[jjsonoma]

I was just curious if there has been any resolution to the OPs issue. I have a 2011 Silverado XFE with the Chrome Clad 20" wheels and have experienced a vibration since new. I special ordered the truck and really wish I had driven it before I took delivery because I wouldn't have taken it (but the ship has sailed on that one).

 

I've had it in 3 times (2 different dealers). The vehicle currently has less than 2600 miles on it. Each time they stated that this is how the truck is supposed to feel with this wheel and tire combo. On the most recent visit I took the tech for a ride to point out the Vibration. He states that he feels it, agrees it shouldn't be there. The response I get after leaving it for the day is as follows (paraphrase):

 

We test drove another similar vehicle and the same "vibration" was present. We logged the vibration at 70 mph with EVA and almost identical readings were logged. Because the readings were the same, this is a "Normal" condition. After consulting GM Technical Service, they state that the vibration readings are within spec and they authorize no further repair or remedy for the situation.

 

Other than re-balancing (RFB) the tires once more, they refuse to do anything else because the truck is "OK" according to GM.

 

Now let me be clear this, I understand that a truck with 20" wheels will handle and drive different than one with 18s or 17s, and I'm fine with that. I just want a truck that doesn't shake. And to that point I don't want one that does. I'm currently considering a Lemon Law Claim, as this will certainly impact the resale value of the vehicle and may become a safety issue moving forward. This is my 4th new GM vehicle in 11 years and may very well be my last. What a pain...

 

Has anyone else experienced any issues with these wheels or similar vibration issues?? Any advice/feedback is welcome.

 

I will give you the same feedback I have already given:

 

 

Those large wheels and tires (20" plus) are not worth it. They are being offered by all car and truck manufacturers because large wheels have become a meaningless fad. There is nothing worse than a cheap large wheel/cheap tire combo. Consider these facts:

 

Car manufacturers will purchase the cheapest wheels and tires they can get in large quantities. Large rims/tires are more difficult to balance properly than smaller sizes, so the probability of improperly balanced wheel from the factory goes up.

 

Because of their lower sidewall height, these large tires will ride harsher than small diameter ones with taller sidewalls. Taller sidewall has the benefit of dampening minor vibrations, which are amplified on large diameter, low sidewall height tire.

 

In order to get a good ride with large wheels/tires you need both good quality rims and tires and first class workmanship as far as mounting and balancing them goes. Before you pursue any legal action, consider investing in high quality tires and have a good independent shop that specializes in custom wheels mount and balance them. Or, get a set of barely used OEM 17" wheel/tires and try those (eBay is a good source).

 

Personally I avoid large wheel/tires like the plague. I would not take them if they paid me extra to have them. What is the point? Harsher ride and much higher tire prices? Less selection in larger sizes? I can put up with wheels up to 18" in diameter on a passenger car if the tires are high quality and the car has enough power and sophisticated enough suspension to take advantage of high speed rated, low profile tires. Aything bigger than that is a waste of money in my opnion.

 

Some 30 years ago the largest diameter rims offered on American cars and truck were 15" wheels. Even exotic imports like Lamborghinis came with 15 inch factory rims. My 1984 Mercedes 500 SEL sedan came with 14" factory wheels. Yet it would cruise at 125 MPH without any vibration. And I owned a 1978 Ford Fiesta with factory 12" wheels. It rode just fine up to 100 MPH which was pretty much its top speed . How did we ever get around driving on such small rims?

 

So in summary, it is not the size of wheels/tires that counts, but rather the overall quality.

 

 

So you are saying, "It is what, it is..."??? The only thing would be to spend more to buy better tires???

 

No offense, but I have a hard time buying that the rims and tires are the problem due to the fact they can't be or are difficult to balance. At this point if they are perfectly balanced and there is still a vibration, it stands to reason that it may or must be coming from a different component. The only other thing I can think of is Drive Shaft or perhaps alignment.

 

Again my issue is not with ride quality or handling, but with the Vibration... As I said above, I get that it will handle different with 20's rather than 18's. I just want to get rid of the vibration, or harmonic shake.

 

I guess my bigger question is; has anyone been told that this is a normal condition and given no other resolution to the issue??

 

 

Have you checked other components such as brake rotors and drums to make sure they are properly balanced? They will also cause vibration if not balanced or balanced improperly. In the past, they often used a portable balancing machine that would balance the wheels and rotors and/or brake drums right on the car as an assembly. I am not sure if these machines are around anymore, as I have not seen one since mid 80's.

 

Bad alignment will rarely, if ever cause vibration. I have seen vbration problems caused by loose rubber mount on the driveshaft support bearing, but not every truck has one of those.

 

And, just because the wheels have been rebalanced 100 times does nto mean they are balanced correctly. I have seen many examples of bad balancing, even by car dealers. It has to do with improper mounting of the wheel on the balancer, using wrong size centering cone, or not centering the wheel correctly, more often than a malfunctioning balancer.

 

Some tires are just junk, no matter what you do with them. Some have actually loose belts which will cuase vibration at certain speed, no matter how well balalnced the wheel is. I had several new Continental tires that were actually our of round, cuasing a very unpleasant vibration on one of my cars.

 

 

Excellent points. I had it up on the lift last night and did look at the rotors and drums and you could see where they were cut for balance... That said, I didn't pull them off to check... I've never heard of rotors/drums causing a vibration like this before, but I guess it stands to reason.

[Rolling]

If you believe that the frame beaming is the cause of your vibration problems, try placing at least 300 lbs of sand bags or something similar in your bed and see if the ride improves. It should if frame beaming is the culprit.

 

I strapped two of my 100 quart coolers to the tailgate and filled them to the top with water. By my math, that was around 350 pounds as far back in the bed as could be. It made absolutely no difference. The nice part was I could drive the truck, feel the shake, dump the weight and still feel the shake at the exact same speeds.

With close to 700 lbs evenly distributed in the bed and 4 adults in the truck, the shake is almost completely gone.

The new tires I am running are brand new from tire stores. I have verified with the date codes to make sure I am not running stuff that sat in a warehouse for years. The first set was Michelin Lattitudes, one failed the road force and I warrantied it directly through Michelin, the tires before that were Goodyear Wrangler HP. I really liked the HP's but they were all right on the border for road force failure.

The BFG's seem to be closer to a non issue than anything else I have run.

Thankfully I only have another 2 years on the lease.....

[scz71864]

late chiming in, but you have to remember lemon law. if they cant fix it, they have to replace it

[pm26]

late chiming in, but you have to remember lemon law. if they cant fix it, they have to replace it

 

They will lie and insist that the vibrations are normal for this type of vehicle.

[jhm]

I think the original post is a hoax. who would buy a brand new truck that vibrates "significantly" on the promise it would be fixed by the time you pick it up tomorrow? Maybe a Ford guy???

[Pat1usmc]

A hoax? Yeah, I have nothing better to do with my time than post about it here. I was told the tires would be balanced when I picked up the truck. It was a mistake to not drive it again, got it. I'm just posting here for everyone to see and to hopefully fix the issue.

 

Well, after driving the truck for over a week, including a 6 hr trip followed by a 2.5 hr one, (thanks to flooding in PA), I can post my thoughts on the new tires.

 

Unfortunately there is still a vibration. The new tires seem to handle much better than the OEM ones and there might even be less vibration, but between 65-70 there is definitely a vibration. Unfortunately, sometimes I don't even notice it, sometimes everything in the truck shakes. Thats what makes it so frustrating to diagnose. I even think that temperature has an impact. I think the warmer it is, the worse the vibration.

 

To be honest, if this is how I knew the truck would ride, I would never have bought it. It makes an otherwise great truck feel like crap because I always drive 65-70 on the highway. The dealership has been very helpful and accomadating, but I'm not sure what to do at this point. I'm actually curious to see if it lessens as I drive the truck more.

 

 

 

I was just curious if there has been any resolution to the OPs issue. I have a 2011 Silverado XFE with the Chrome Clad 20" wheels and have experienced a vibration since new. I special ordered the truck and really wish I had driven it before I took delivery because I wouldn't have taken it (but the ship has sailed on that one).

 

I've had it in 3 times (2 different dealers). The vehicle currently has less than 2600 miles on it. Each time they stated that this is how the truck is supposed to feel with this wheel and tire combo. On the most recent visit I took the tech for a ride to point out the Vibration. He states that he feels it, agrees it shouldn't be there. The response I get after leaving it for the day is as follows (paraphrase):

 

We test drove another similar vehicle and the same "vibration" was present. We logged the vibration at 70 mph with EVA and almost identical readings were logged. Because the readings were the same, this is a "Normal" condition. After consulting GM Technical Service, they state that the vibration readings are within spec and they authorize no further repair or remedy for the situation.

 

Other than re-balancing (RFB) the tires once more, they refuse to do anything else because the truck is "OK" according to GM.

 

Now let me be clear this, I understand that a truck with 20" wheels will handle and drive different than one with 18s or 17s, and I'm fine with that. I just want a truck that doesn't shake. And to that point I don't want one that does. I'm currently considering a Lemon Law Claim, as this will certainly impact the resale value of the vehicle and may become a safety issue moving forward. This is my 4th new GM vehicle in 11 years and may very well be my last. What a pain...

 

Has anyone else experienced any issues with these wheels or similar vibration issues?? Any advice/feedback is welcome.

 

I wonder if GM would be willing to put this in there ad's for the trucks, you can buy one but if you don't like the vibration you have to live with it. B.S. I picked up my new truck in March and drove it down to Florida in April and had no problems till after I got back. Took it to the dealer and they told me they had replaced the drive-shaft but I still have this problem too. It seems to me that GM just doesn't care anymore. I know my dealer doesn't give a sh@t.

 

[pm26]

I think the warmer it is, the worse the vibration.

 

I know you refuse to accept the possibility of your new tires being defective, but I had a set of new Michelins MXVs on my car that were defective in that the steel belts came loose when the tires got hot and caused very unpleasant vibration. And the hotter the tires got, the worse the vibration was. What brand tires do you have on the vehicle now?

[Pat1usmc]

What do you mean I refuse to accept the possibility of my new tires being defective? Both sets? Thats exactly what I thought the problem was first, hence the NEW set of tires.

 

My new tires are Goodyear Wrangler SR-As.

[jrrod2004]

I will be honest, I didnt read the entire thread.

 

What rim size do you have?

OEM or aftermarket rim?

How many wheel weights are on your rims (each, not total)

Were the Goodyear Wranglers the same as the older ones or did you change brands/series?

It is a vibration that you regardless of weight in the vehicle (bed included)?

Does the vibration feel more in the front (in the steering wheel) or more in the rear? Or you cant tell?

[pm26]

What do you mean I refuse to accept the possibility of my new tires being defective? Both sets? Thats exactly what I thought the problem was first, hence the NEW set of tires.

 

My new tires are Goodyear Wrangler SR-As.

 

Yes, both sets. I know it sounds highly improbable, but never eliminate that possibility. Wranglers are not very good quality tires. And I would be skeptical about proper balancing too. who balanced them? What machine did they use? Did they run a road force cycle on the new tires? What were the max force variations in lbs? How did they mount the wheels on the balancer (like Hunter model 9700)? The best method is to use a lug mount adapter that will hold the tires by the lug holes, instead of using a single centering cone. Haweka company makes such adapters. Some wheels have a smaller inner lip in the center hole and using a wrong size cone that catches on that second lip may make a huge difference. My Mazda wheels are like that. One must use the right size centering cone or the tires will be balanced wrong. And some wheels are not even hub centric, so special adapters must be used for proper balancing. Toyota had all kinds of vibration issues with some of their vehicles until this was sorted out and special adapters made available. Perhaps your wheels do not fall into this category, but I thought I would mention it.

 

It would be great if you could find someone with a similar truck who has no vibration issues and they let you swap their wheels and tires just to see if it makes a difference.

[jrrod2004]

What do you mean I refuse to accept the possibility of my new tires being defective? Both sets? Thats exactly what I thought the problem was first, hence the NEW set of tires.

 

My new tires are Goodyear Wrangler SR-As.

 

Yes, both sets. I know it sounds highly improbable, but never eliminate that possibility. Wranglers are not very good quality tires. And I would be skeptical about proper balancing too. who balanced them? What machine did they use? Did they run a road force cycle on the new tires? What were the max force variations in lbs? How did they mount the wheels on the balancer (like Hunter model 9700)? The best method is to use a lug mount adapter that will hold the tires by the lug holes, instead of using a single centering cone. Haweka company makes such adapters. Some wheels have a smaller inner lip in the center hole and using a wrong size cone that catches on that second lip may make a huge difference. My Mazda wheels are like that. One must use the right size centering cone or the tires will be balanced wrong. And some wheels are not even hub centric, so special adapters must be used for proper balancing. Toyota had all kinds of vibration issues with some of their vehicles until this was sorted out and special adapters made available. Perhaps your wheels do not fall into this category, but I thought I would mention it.

 

It would be great if you could find someone with a similar truck who has no vibration issues and they let you swap their wheels and tires just to see if it makes a difference.

 

 

 

 

Huh, I didnt know all of that

[dataspng]

I feel for ya... went through all that crap on a 2009... They blamed the tires (which have a different warrenty), then the aftermarket rims, put the stock ones back on, reballanced the tires a dozen times several different ways (at my cost), then blamed the nerf bars, took them off. Then the dealer went through all the TSB's for frame mounts, cab cusions, driveline, transmission issues, etc. etc. still had the problem. The dealer tried, GM was of no help (they would call the dealer for me... I know how to dial a phone!) and I think a bean counter got involved somewhere and it was no longer profitable to solve the problem right and basically I was told its a truck live with it.

 

 

I lemon lawed it and the new truck has been perfectly smooth for 28K now and has none of the problems I had with the 2009.

[Black02Silverado]

Just an FYI, have the wheels balanced on the vehicle as well as have all four tires trued, as in they run a cutter across the tire while it is spinning and cut the high spots off the tire making it completely round. Yes tires are not perfectly round some times. By truing the tires and balancing them on the vehicle can make a world of difference. I had my BF Goodrich AllTerrain T/A's trued and balanced on my 02 and it never road as smooth once that was done. Amazing the difference.

 

Yes it is a brand new vehicle and this should not happen but it seems the way of balancing on the vehicle and truing tires is an art that has passed with all this new electronic balancing/vehicle maintenance age.

 

The garage that does mine still does it all by hand, as in they spin up the vehicle tires on the vehicle and feel the vibration in the vehicle with their hand. It is amazing how they know how much weight and where to put it on the tire all by feel. I guess doing it for 30yrs means something. Some times old school just works better.