Alignment Problems???

[stevo2000]

I just took delivery of my brand new 2005 Vibe Base and am very pleased with it so far. Until now I have always driven larger and heavier vehiles so am not sure if I have a real issue, just a question for now.When on the interstate and changing lanes the vehicle seems to sway when going over the grooves, like I have to take a tight hold of the steering wheel not to lose control. I also feel every little bump and hump. I have driven the same stretch daily for the past year using 3 different vehicles and never had any such problems before. In the past, when I had such problems with the other vehiles, it was an alignment/wheel balance problem, which also led to premature tire wear, etc. I don't seem to have any steering, vibration or other problems on clean stretches. Never had a brand new car before, wondering if it needs alignment, balancing and adjustment?

[nismo]

It may be that the fact that there is a major crown in the road. Like a steep curve on either side of the lanes. Inder

[stevo2000]

Just the standard lane grooves on older roads...

[damronjr]

I have the same problem but I thought it was from my lowered suspension, 19" rims, and low-pro tires! Guess I just never really noticed it before I got all that.

[kharman]

hello, stevo...oldsmar here..were your other three vehicles larger than the vibe?...the vibe is a tight little car, so that is why you may be feeling so much from the road...and here's a little tip...grabbing the steering wheel tight does nothing to help maintain control, in fact it hinders control...cars with power steering need only the slightest grip in the wheel...they taught us in the academy the technique of shuffle steering...using your thumb and forefinger to steer actually works better than the old death grip...Quote, originally posted by stevo2000 »I just took delivery of my brand new 2005 Vibe Base and am very pleased with it so far. Until now I have always driven larger and heavier vehiles so am not sure if I have a real issue, just a question for now.When on the interstate and changing lanes the vehicle seems to sway when going over the grooves, like I have to take a tight hold of the steering wheel not to lose control. I also feel every little bump and hump. I have driven the same stretch daily for the past year using 3 different vehicles and never had any such problems before. In the past, when I had such problems with the other vehiles, it was an alignment/wheel balance problem, which also led to premature tire wear, etc. I don't seem to have any steering, vibration or other problems on clean stretches. Never had a brand new car before, wondering if it needs alignment, balancing and adjustment?

[Mavrik]

Quote, originally posted by damronjr »I have the same porblem but I thought it was from my lowered suspension, 19" rims, and low-pro tires! Guess I just never really noticed it before I got all that.haha same with mine, was like riding on rails..

[nismo]

I can really feel cuz of the drop I got. My car is so low, I gotta drive it up on wooden blocks, then on ramps or a jack to get it off the ground. So, you can imagine what I go through. Inder

[Ponyota]

Welcome to Genvibe and congratulations on being a new Vibe owner. If your talking about grooved roadways then yes, you will feel those grooves in the roadway. Lighter cars and new tires have a tendency to dance all over those kind of roads. Just relax and steer normally and you won't have a problem.

[stevo2000]

Thanks for the advice, but taking the death grip is only a natural reaction when you feel the steering wheel pulling away, power steering or not. The last time I drove a vehicle without power steering was in the military 30 years ago.

[Atomb]

over the past year i've noticed (and spoken about with two other vibe owners) that the vibe is noticably affected by winds. More than any other CAR i've driven (not minivans/trucks). I find that sometimes i'm fighting it a bit on the highway when the wind wouldn't normally be considered strong!

[zionzr2]

if you havent already done so double check the air pressure... some times the factory has over inflated the tires to seat them and the dealer is supposed to air them down to proper spec. They often will forget to do this upon delivery.see the folowing thread.http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=3283An over inflated tire, amoung many other potential dangers will let you feel every little pebble in the road.

[stevo2000]

That sounds like good advice, will check the next time I'm out.I know from my experience that my Pontiac dealer doesn't like Vibes, refused to answer any questions about the vehicle, just kept saying it was a good little car and that the Pontiac brand was meant to be used for higher end performance vehicles with hi performance minded customers, with deeper pockets...I'm pretty sure that they share the same attitude when prepping or maintaining the vehicles...

[stevo2000]

Air Pressure was fine. The roads were wet yesterday and the lane groove handling was worse then usual. From experience I tend to believe that it is the tires, balancing or alignment. I had similar problems on an earlier vehicle and the problem went away after replacing the tires with better quality, including balancing and alignment. The vehicle is due for the first 5k service in a week or two and I will ask them to check the wheels, tires and alignment while they are at it.

[ragingfish]

It could also be the nature of low profile tires.They tend to "find" the grooves and valleys in the road more often than tires with higher sidewalls.My car has done that since day one, and I've had it aligned twice (once pre drop, once post drop), the dealer said from the start they were sure it was the tires...I find similar problems in the G6 as well, it has low profile tires, but the "hunting" isn't quite as noticeable as in the Vibe.As said before, also, the Vibe is noticeably impacted by lateral winds, moreso than most cars...sometimes I feel the car being pushed all over, and the only way I know it is the wind is by watching the trees.