Wobble at low speed, vibration at high speed.

[CalJay]

I decided to start a new thread since most of the similar threads were old. I have a 2008 Model X 100d that I recently purchased. Overall, I love the vehicle, but there is a concerning issue which recently started that I was hoping for some guidance on. In short, when driving at low speeds (<30mph) there is a significant wobble from left to right on the steering wheel. This holds true during acceleration and regenerative breaking. As I continue to accelerate, the wobbling picks up speed, then eventually turns into a high-speed vibration above around 45Mph. This cyclical vibration can be felt by passengers in the car as well. I can hear the steering wheel tick lightly as it goes back and forth. There also is a cyclical low noise from the rear of the vehicle that seems to related to the wobble. Below is a video of me accelerating from a stop so you can see the wobble. It is very significant (like 2-3 inches of play as it goes from left to right and back).

I live about 2 hours from the nearest SC so I haven't had a chance to take it there yet. My next step is to take it to a local tire shop to rebalance the wheels and check them for any issues. Have any of you experienced something similar? If so, what was the root cause?

Cheers,
Jason

 

[animorph]

I've had something similar, twice. It was a belt separation inside a rear tire causing sort of a bubble in the tread. It made parking lot pavement seem wavy and caused vibration at speed, which smoothed out to a tolerable level at interstate speeds. Most likely it is because of the X's rear camber and too many miles at too low a tire pressure. You may be able to see (or feel) the lump in the tread. Given that it seems like a wheel speed issue, definitely get the tires checked.

 

[bushburner]

I've had something similar, twice. It was a belt separation inside a rear tire causing sort of a bubble in the tread. It made parking lot pavement seem wavy and caused vibration at speed, which smoothed out to a tolerable level at interstate speeds. Most likely it is because of the X's rear camber and too many miles at too low a tire pressure. You may be able to see (or feel) the lump in the tread. Given that it seems like a wheel speed issue, definitely get the tires checked.

So what did you do to fix the issue? This happened on my rear tires both on the driver rear side on my 20 and 22 in rims

 

[bushburner]

Check your tires to see if they’re still even.

 

[animorph]

So what did you do to fix the issue? This happened on my rear tires both on the driver rear side on my 20 and 22 in rims

You have to replace the rear tires. I think it is also important to stay on the high side for tire pressures. I try to stay at 42 to 45 PSI during road trips.

This happened with my first two sets of OEM Continental Cross Contacts at about 20k miles each. I now have Pirelli Scorpions, but only 10k miles so far.

 

[bushburner]

You have to replace the rear tires. I think it is also important to stay on the high side for tire pressures. I try to stay at 42 to 45 PSI during road trips.

This happened with my first two sets of OEM Continental Cross Contacts at about 20k miles each. I now have Pirelli Scorpions, but only 10k miles so far.

Good to know. It’s weird because I have 65k on my car and I’m the original owner and it just recently happened within a month of each other. First on my 22 in tire then I changed to the stock 20in and it did the same thing. Tire pressure has always been @40psi ever since I owned the car. I just put the pressure at 42 psi, let’s see what happens.

 

[ModlS3XY]

I decided to start a new thread since most of the similar threads were old. I have a 2008 Model X 100d that I recently purchased. Overall, I love the vehicle, but there is a concerning issue which recently started that I was hoping for some guidance on. In short, when driving at low speeds (<30mph) there is a significant wobble from left to right on the steering wheel. This holds true during acceleration and regenerative breaking. As I continue to accelerate, the wobbling picks up speed, then eventually turns into a high-speed vibration above around 45Mph. This cyclical vibration can be felt by passengers in the car as well. I can hear the steering wheel tick lightly as it goes back and forth. There also is a cyclical low noise from the rear of the vehicle that seems to related to the wobble. Below is a video of me accelerating from a stop so you can see the wobble. It is very significant (like 2-3 inches of play as it goes from left to right and back).

I live about 2 hours from the nearest SC so I haven't had a chance to take it there yet. My next step is to take it to a local tire shop to rebalance the wheels and check them for any issues. Have any of you experienced something similar? If so, what was the root cause?

Cheers,
Jason

Hi Jason

Had the same issue on my 2018 MX last July/August and the SC just replaced a rear tire that had uneven wear. Issue is now back again in June 2023. Did your SC just replace your tires or was there a more permanent fix? They can't be asking us to replace tires every 10 months. I must have driven only about 5K miles since the last incident / tire replacement. Thanks.