Hey guys,

The arctic snap here in Michigan played havoc on the roads pretty bad. I hit a pot hole and it tore my exhaust system completely off, and as the pipes ripped off they cut a gash into my tire. I replaced the exhaust and the tire, and I began experiencing hard shaking on the freeway. I took it back and asked them to re-balance it. It is significantly better, but I'm noticing that it is shaking at lower speeds now. It doesn't get worse the faster I go, and the shake is slight... my passengers don't notice it, but I can feel it, and not just in the steering wheel.

I'm also hearing a high pitched humming sound on occasion. It doesn't occur when I turn, but when I am driving straight, and it seems to be random. It will hum for a second or two, then go away, and then come back again later. It sounds like its coming from somewhere in the front end, and it sounds like metal rubbing against metal, like a metal spoon rubbing against the side of a metal bowl.

Both of these began after getting the new tire. A friend thought it might be the control arm bushing, and kicking the tire, the tire does seem to move a little more than it should, but not as dramatically as one would expect.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Honda civic, 1998.

 

Some tires (I'm looking at you, cheap Chinese brands like Capitol) are simply not round. You can balance a square block perfectly, but it won't ride smooth.

Swap the wheel with the new tire up to the front and drive very slowly on a smooth surface. Hold the steering wheel loosely. If you feel a "once around" back and forth motion, the tire is defective.

Does the noise from the front go away when you press the brake pedal? If so, it's probably the squeaker springs that are there to remind you that the brake pads are almost worn out.

 

check the wheel bearing,tie rod,ball joints you also probably need an alignment.

 

Thanks guys. Will look into it.

The sound doesn't occur while I am braking... I will be sure to purposefully brake the next time I hear it and see if it goes away immediately. Thanks for the input and I'll post an update.