2018 Model 3 vibration. It's not the tire balance.

[Vafer2k]

I can feel the car vibrate at 60mph+ as if one or more of the wheels were off balance. I took it to a reputable shop (Custom Alignment & Balance, in Mt.View, CA) who do road force balancing. They confirmed all 4 wheels were zero'd out and in perfect balance. They tried to do further diagnostics but could not get past the software to get the car up to speed while up on the lift. The mechanic thinks the vibration is coming from the rear of the car. I personally feel it in the steering as well as the seat, at highway speeds, smooth road.

Are there any known/common issues with early Model 3s? Mine is 2018, RWD.

I've set up an appointment w/ Tesla for next month.

 

[Motion122]

Roadforce balanced or just a regular balancer? Wheels are straight I assume. Even bent wheels can balance out but still cause a vibration at speed. The speed in which the wheel/tire spin on a balance is good enough to observe anything odd.

Defective wheel bearing/hub, tie rods, half shaft, control arm/bushing can also cause unwanted vibrations.

 

[gearchruncher]

Any chance you hit anything? Had a friend that tapped a curb with a wheel and we thought it was the wheel, but it was the wheel bearing. Not too bad to replace. In this case it was clearly worse turning one direction vs the other.

There is a dyno mode if you really want to sped up the wheels when off the ground. It acts really weird, but it does what you need. Be careful, it will get to 150 MPH in a heartbeat.

 

[Vafer2k]

Roadforce balanced or just a regular balancer? Wheels are straight I assume. Even bent wheels can balance out but still cause a vibration at speed. The speed in which the wheel/tire spin on a balance is good enough to observe anything odd.

Defective wheel bearing/hub, tie rods, half shaft, control arm/bushing can also cause unwanted vibrations.

They were road force balanced. The Tesla shop figured it out and it was trivial. Front tires were worn unevenly due to alignment. Got new front tires, 4 wheel alignment by Tesla, and she's back to being smooth! I'm disappointed that the shop I had the balance done originally didn't catch this. Will need to give them some feedback on that.

 

[Vafer2k]

Any chance you hit anything? Had a friend that tapped a curb with a wheel and we thought it was the wheel, but it was the wheel bearing. Not too bad to replace. In this case it was clearly worse turning one direction vs the other.

There is a dyno mode if you really want to sped up the wheels when off the ground. It acts really weird, but it does what you need. Be careful, it will get to 150 MPH in a heartbeat.

Apparently a trivial answer. Bad wear from tire alignment. Got them both fixed and running smooth. thanks!

 

[MA128]

I picked up my new 2022 M3LR two weeks ago and have had trouble with front wheel balance (steering wheel vibration >65 MPH). Took it to a good tire shop with road force balancing and it improved but was not cured. They said the balance had been off. Then was at Tesla service center the next day and they said the wheel balancing was fine and the vibrations I feel in the steering are normal (typical BS). Any ideas what else I should look at on a brand-new car? Thanks in advance.

 

[Motion122]

They were road force balanced. The Tesla shop figured it out and it was trivial. Front tires were worn unevenly due to alignment. Got new front tires, 4 wheel alignment by Tesla, and she's back to being smooth! I'm disappointed that the shop I had the balance done originally didn't catch this. Will need to give them some feedback on that.

That is an odd one. Camber or toe wear typically wouldn't cause an vibration. Cupping wear from worn out damper or suspension components can often cause an imbalance. Did you take any photos of the tires to share with us?

I can see instead of having an experience tech inspect the vehicle, they simply had the tire guy balance the tires to remedy your complaint.

 

[Vafer2k]

That is an odd one. Camber or toe wear typically wouldn't cause an vibration. Cupping wear from worn out damper or suspension components can often cause an imbalance. Did you take any photos of the tires to share with us?

I can see instead of having an experience tech inspect the vehicle, they simply had the tire guy balance the tires to remedy your complaint.

I'm afraid I don't have pix of the tire. They were original Michelins. I doubt it would show. At Tesla, showed me the uneven wear on the front tires. I had recently replaced the rear tires (mine is rwd, so they went faster). Tech asked me to put my hands on the back tires and note the even feel, edge to edge - then doing the same on the front, which could readily see were sloped inward on the inside. (cupping?) He recommended getting new tires next door (Americas Tire) which got them done quickly. Brought it back to Tesla and they aligned all 4. Afterwards, she drove fine.

The balancing/alignment shop I originally went to was recommended by a friend who races a lot. Unfortunately, having gone there 3 times to try to fix this, I'm a bit disappointed with their efforts. I guess they're not very familiar w/ Teslas, as the first time, they didn't properly center the wheels.

 

[Motion122]

I'm afraid I don't have pix of the tire. They were original Michelins. I doubt it would show. At Tesla, showed me the uneven wear on the front tires. I had recently replaced the rear tires (mine is rwd, so they went faster). Tech asked me to put my hands on the back tires and note the even feel, edge to edge - then doing the same on the front, which could readily see were sloped inward on the inside. (cupping?) He recommended getting new tires next door (Americas Tire) which got them done quickly. Brought it back to Tesla and they aligned all 4. Afterwards, she drove fine.

The balancing/alignment shop I originally went to was recommended by a friend who races a lot. Unfortunately, having gone there 3 times to try to fix this, I'm a bit disappointed with their efforts. I guess they're not very familiar w/ Teslas, as the first time, they didn't properly center the wheels.

Front short long arm and rear multi link is a very common suspension setup regardless of what car it is on. Perhaps the tire shop didn't have very experienced techs.

 

[Vafer2k]

Front short long arm and rear multi link is a very common suspension setup regardless of what car it is on. Perhaps the tire shop didn't have very experienced techs.

I don't have the expertise to say one way or the other. My buddy recommended them. They have a long history in the area amongst racers and club cars. I doubt I'l go back though.

 

[Anothergeek]

I'm afraid I don't have pix of the tire. They were original Michelins. I doubt it would show. At Tesla, showed me the uneven wear on the front tires. I had recently replaced the rear tires (mine is rwd, so they went faster). Tech asked me to put my hands on the back tires and note the even feel, edge to edge - then doing the same on the front, which could readily see were sloped inward on the inside. (cupping?) He recommended getting new tires next door (Americas Tire) which got them done quickly. Brought it back to Tesla and they aligned all 4. Afterwards, she drove fine.

The balancing/alignment shop I originally went to was recommended by a friend who races a lot. Unfortunately, having gone there 3 times to try to fix this, I'm a bit disappointed with their efforts. I guess they're not very familiar w/ Teslas, as the first time, they didn't properly center the wheels.

Not cupping. Too much toe-out it seems. That wears the inside edges.

Too much toe-in will prematurely wear the outer edges.

Very, very basic issue. Alignment 101.

Never use that shop again. They are incompetent.