I own a 2006 Mini Cooper S and just recently put 17" Konig "Zero" with Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season Tires on it... Right off the bat I noticed a vibration through my steering wheel at variable speeds, usually at highway speeds. So I decided to get the wheels rebalanced... Still have vibrations... I've had them rebalanced a total of 4 times, one of which was done at the Mini Dealer, and the most recent I had the "Road Force" balance done to them. The vibrations are still there. Any suggestions. Thanks in advance!!

[UPDATE] It was suggested that I get Hub Centric Rings... What do you all think?

 

Did you get a set of hub centric rings with the wheels? If they are plastic you might try getting a set of metal, Aluminum I think, ones. I have seen several people say that has resolved their issues.

 

It's funny that you mentioned hub centric rings because I was reading other forums that suggest installing them... No I don't think that my wheels came with them... What exactly do they do? If I do decide to purchase them should I go with metal rings off the bat? Thanks btwdriver!

 

First let me say that I am sure that someone else can explain exactly what the hub centric rings do better than I can.... That being said, my understanding is that there are 5 points on the wheel (with a Cooper) that help center the wheel. The 4 lug bolts and the hub centric ring. The ring is a small piece of plastic or metal that is flared to assist with centering the wheel on the hub. The stock wheels don't have them because they were made specifically for the Coopers, but aftermarket wheels are manufactured for a much larger grouping of cars, so they use the rings that are specific to a car manufacturer to get the "custom" fit.

Your wheels should have come with some type of hub centric ring, did you have a shop put the wheels on for you? I have found that most of the aftermarket wheels come with plastic rings. Metal seem to be a better way to go. You can simply take off one of your wheels and see if you have rings installed. Either way if you are going to buy rings get metal ones.

 

I have had no problems with plastic ones, but I know that aluminium ones just hold up better. We carry plastic ones for $25 shipped or aluminium ones for $30 shipped. Let me know if I can help you with anything else.

Leo Barrios
leo@edgeracing.com
800-489-5353 x211
http://www.edgeracing.com

 

Do the aluminum ones fit any tighter than the plastic ones? (That's what she said!) I have a slight vibration occasionally through the wheel with my RPF1's. I've had them rebalanced twice and it still happens very slightly and usually only during the first few miles. And only on some given roads. The plastic ones are snug but I wonder if the Al ones will be any tighter due to better machining quality.

 

+1 on the above centering ring info. If that doesn't fix the problem...

I would suggest checking the rims for trueness (run out or run in), and the tires for roundness. If repeated balancing hasn't corrected the problem, the next logical (and likely) culprit might be an out of round (bent) rim (yes, they sometimes come that way from the factory). If they're perfect, next check the tread of the tire for a consistent rotational measurement.

Hope this helps! PM if you have questions.

 

I had them Roadforce'd and that helped a lot. I almost wonder if it has something to do with those tires being hard to balance (which can happen) to begin with. Like I said, it's not bad at all, it only happens for a few minutes and only on one specific stretch of road. I'd be willing to pay $30 for Al rings to see if that corrects it. If it doesn't, then I paid $30 for the peace of mind that I have a stronger, more dependable ring.

 

I just checked to see if the wheels do have the hub centric ring and they do. I have never noticed the ring before so thats why I wasn't sure if I had them on or not. They are the plastic rings but I'm not sure that would make much of a difference. Hypnohealer... I'm not sure but doesn't the Road Force Balance check all those suggestions you made, i.e rim trueness, tire roundness, and bent rim? If not then I think that will be my next step

 

try the centering rings although your wheels should work fine without them
as our cars use wheels that are lugcentric by design.

if it still vibrates then you got a wheel or tire that is not true (round).

 

Although I'm not experienced with the machine used in roadforce balancing, I just looked it up and that process, by itself, DOES measure for concentricity (out of roundness of the tire and rim assembly), but it appears to be a separate step to check the rim and tire for trueness (run in/out). Unless the folks checking your wheels did that extra step, then there's still a possibility that the rims aren't true. Here's a link to info on the machine and process:

http://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/aos/761191624.html

Best of luck on getting it resolved! Very few things are as frustrating.

 

I would agree with that. Sometimes the plastic ones may come offset because of the material they are made out of and cause some vibrations. The aluminum ones seem to fit more snug and should solve your problem.

Leo Barrios
leo@edgeracing.com
800-489-5353 x211
http://www.edgeracing.com

 

I think I would go insane after putting on all 4 wheels with the stupid lug bolts without some kind of centering ring.