RE: Roaring tires

[lorie565]

Hi my name is Lorie and Im new to this post and might not be posting in the correct place, but Im new as I once stated. I need help and was wondering if someone could give me info or maybe some of you are having the same problem.. my Vibe is a 2004 I love the car or I wouldnt have purchased it and at this point if I had the $$$ I would get something else.. but ever since I purchased the car the tires roar like a truck with big tires coming down the road... I have three sets put on the car and all that I have bought sound the same, I have to turn radio up real loud to drown out the noise... its getting on my nerves and its time to think about some more tires and didnt know if someone knew what kind I should by... the place Ive purchased the last ones from said no maam these tires want roar they are very quiet. BS they still are very load... someone in another forum said that my car has a insulation problem thats whats wrong with Vibes they are the same car as a Corolla... I know my car is a Pontiac with a toyota engine, but its no way compared to a Corolla.. so here I am at the VIBE forum with hopes that someone can please help....THANK YOU and GOD BLESS

[KNINE]

Three sets of tires is a lot. I'm still on my originals at 64,000 miles, but I'll be getting new ones soon. Pontiac was not very generous with sound insulation on the Vibes so you may never get it as quiet as you want it just by changing tires. I guess that's the trade off of an economy car. What brands have you tried so far? There are plenty of people here that have good advise.

[lorie565]

I apologize, Im getting ready to purchase my third set... only because I need to find some more quiet.. first set were the ones from factory and the second ones were a michelin all season.. my brother in Cali said to make sure you buy tires with the center tread going up and down.. instead of across or slanted like the outer tread... im telling you my car sounds like a truck roaring coming down the road...Thank you so much for info... is there anything you can do for more insulation..

[kevera]

My vibe is quiet,well tire wise anyways.Must be an alignment or tire issue.What kind of tires do you have or are you buying??

[lorie565]

I dont know what kind Im going to purchase, my Brother from Cali recommended the Simitomo ? think thats how you spell it from Sears... he listened to my car when he was here in NC and he said its the type tread on my car tires... The sound has always been an issue, so I know its not an aligmnent problem...

[Sublimewind]

Hi lorie,sorry about the problem... I'd like you to do a simple test... get out driving somethere where you can swerve around a bit... Get going about 30-40mph and just rock the steering wheels back and forth a few times... not crazy hard or anything, but like you were merging in traffic.... Does the sound get worse turning one direction more than the other??? If so, it could be a sure sign of a wheel bearing going out... They "can" roar like you mention and a lot of people don't know the warning signs... So, do that test and see what happens.. Another question, what was your last car? If you are comming from a Caddi to a Vibe, I doubt you will ever be happy with the sound of the car... cheaper they are, the less sound insulation they have.. You should go for a ride in my GF's Chevy Aveo... lol... I'd say it's got ZERO sound deadening insulation in it... lol..

[lorie565]

Thanks I dont think the bearings are gone, this has been an issue since bought new... and yeah by hearing alot of people talk it must be an insulation issue.. never heard of that before, but yeah it doesnt sound very soundproof... my last car was blazer and it didnt soundt his bad.... Thanks again for Info and HAVE A VERY BLESSED DAY

[jake75]

My suggestion - ear plugs. In the Blazer the only noise you probably heard was just the quiet sound of gasoline rushing to the engine. My 2003 is also loud- got louder when my original Conti's cupped badly. Got those replaced at 19,000 for just the mounting and balancing cost. However the noise level is bearable. I also notice a lot of difference depending on the road surface I am on.You might google "quiet tires" and see what advice/information is out there.Then you could go to a place like Discount Tire that I am sure would put the tires on - let you drive it a few miles to see if the noise level is acceptable - and return them if not.My T&C Minivan is also somewhat loud. My brother's Lexis on the other hand is very quiet. Amazing what an extra $40,000 will buy you.Also - don't rule out a bad bearing from the start - it probably happens.

[RIT]

As far as comparing your Vibe to the Corolla - they come off the same assembly line in Freemont Caifornia, and share many of the same parts, so except for body style, they are very close cousins.http://www.nummi.com/vehicles.php

[Sublimewind]

Quote, originally posted by jake75 »In the Blazer the only noise you probably heard was just the quiet sound of gasoline rushing to the engine. Yeah, right.... lol.... A blazer, that quiet.. not...

[03vibedriver]

Rotate tires every 5,000 miles and be sure they cross the back wheels to opposite front side when rotating. My 03 Vibes tires where shot (cupped) at 14,000 miles from not rotating until 10,000 miles. The Vibes will cup tires like 4WD trucks do if not rotated.

[jake75]

My OEM Conti's were badly cupped at 19,000 mi even with recommended rotation.

[prathman]

Since it was making the noise since new and also with a set of replacement tires, then it clearly isn't an issue of cupped tires, worn struts, etc.But the comment about the Vibe being similar to a Corolla is correct. They are made on the same assembly line of the same parts, so soundproofing will be the same. If anything I'd expect the Vibe/Matrix models to be a little noisier since the station wagon/hatchback style lets you hear more noise from the rear wheels than if there's a sealed off trunk.Choose tires with a less aggressive tread pattern (and if you can arrange a test drive with free exchange privilege by all means do so). Some of the noise might also be wind noise rather than from the tires. Do you have the crossbars installed on the roof rack (these were standard in '03 and '04)? Moving them all the way to the back would help some, but removing them altogether would be better. There are suggestions on how to do that on this site (and if you don't need them there are usually a few people who'd like to buy them).Soundproofing can be added, but it's a pretty involved process to do it right. Basically removal of the whole interior of the car, then putting down mats of sound deadening material and reinstallation of the interior.

[lorie565]

Thnaks for the info.. it is all very helpful... yeah its been going on since new... and yes the tires always cupp very bad... and Im not the only person hearing the roaring, my family says they can hear it roar coming down the road... and I guess you are right with the insulation problem, doesnt sound like wind problem cause car feels pretty airtight but the insulation problem... well lets just say its a problem.. and I guess fixing it with more insulation under carpet or in the back side panels or something, I wouldnt know where to begin, but Im sure its costly and heck probably be better off buying a diff car.... I dont know about any crossbars, I know I have the roof rack... where can I go to look and see if I have cross bars

[KNINE]

Are you saying that even the replacement tires cupped?

[ned23]

I put "Michelin Energy" tires on my 2004 vibe. They were noticeably quieter than the ones that came with the car, but the car still had some road noise. Gas mileage also improved by about 1-2 mpg. They were either Michelin Energy MXV4 or LX4, I believe (they were "something - X4") :http://www.michelinman.com/tir...y-lx4Quote » ..try a less agressive tread pattern Energy efficient tires generally tend to have a less agressive tread pattern. If your tires keep cupping, it sounds like there is a problem is with wheel alignment. Do you know whether the car in an accident and repaired?

[vibolista]

Sorry to hear about the racket your Vibe is putting you through. Not something that is pleasant when you are driving. The cross bars on your roof rack do just that, they are bars that connect left and right sides of your roof rack. They can add to the noise problem.All the ideas you have gotten here on this forum are very good. So if you don't want to spend all that money to replace your Vibe with a more expensive and less noisy car, you are going to have to address the main issues that can add to the noise level inside your Vibe.You are going to purchase new tires, the third set. Tires, even those made by the best companies, can be noisy. I don't know what Michelin tire you have, but some of their tires are noisy. I put a very quiet all season tire on my Vibe, and it did make a difference. They are new, so I can't say whether they will stay that way. But so far, so good.If your tires are cupped badly, they will sound like knobby mud tires on a pickup. Cupping can come from worn shocks/ or struts and also from worn suspension components like bushings. A very small vibration... one you wouldn't even notice while driving the car will get the cupping started. Once you get the cupping started on a tire, there is little you can do with that set, and it will just continue to get worse. Before you get tires, make sure that your shocks/struts, rubber bushings, and alignment is as good as it can be. Sublime suggested that test you can do to see if your bearings are defective. Find a smooth, straight patch of highway, and when it's safe to do so, rock the car gently side to side(swerving left and right, smoothly several times) as you drive around 40 mph. Listen carefully to the sounds and where they are coming from. If the noise increases as you load the cars weight on one side and gets quiet on the unloaded opposite side of the car, then it could be a bearing problem. I found a problem in a car recently by taking the wheel off and rotating the hub by hand. The dealership techs didn't have the time to investigate it properly. It didn't turn out to be a bearing... just a defective drum brake shoe. I could just feel the three slight binding spots as I rotated the hub. It caused a tire to wear terribly and I rotated these tires every 6000 miles. The tires were directional so the two tires on the passenger side were getting progressively flat spotted and noisy as a result. I had the tires rebalanced and the alignment checked first, but it just got worse. Lesson is: that it doesn't take much to make a mess of a tire or a whole set of tires. By the way, the tires I bought for my Vibe after a bit of research: Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum. Weird name, but very smooth and quiet all season. Great in rain and dry. Will do OK in snow, but if you have to drive snowy roads, get snow tires. I hope they stay quiet for a long time.

[ramenboy...]

Quote, originally posted by Sublimewind ».... Does the sound get worse turning one direction more than the other??? If so, it could be a sure sign of a wheel bearing going out... They "can" roar like you mention and a lot of people don't know the warning signs... Another question, what was your last car? If you are comming from a Caddi to a Vibe, I doubt you will ever be happy with the sound of the car... cheaper they are, the less sound insulation they have.. You should go for a ride in my GF's Chevy Aveo... lol... I'd say it's got ZERO sound deadening insulation in it... lol.. sublime, that was exactly my first thought.... whenever i hear the words 'roar' and 'tires' in the same breath, i immediately thing bearings.and that's true. going from something nice and plush, like a buick or cadi to a compact, you're gonna notice some noise...good luck lorie!

[djb383]

Go to TireRack.com, pick a tire(s) and see how they rank for "Noise Comfort" in the survey. In the link below it's obvious that Goodyear ComforTred is quieter than a Firestone FR690.http://www.tirerack.com/tires/...=trueVibes and Corollas may be made under the same roof but I think that's where the similarity stops, as our Corolla is 'spooky quiet' compared to our Vibe. At 100 miles I removed the RS-A's and installed TripleTreds on the Vibe and that made a big improvement in the noise level. However, our Corolla also came with RS-A's and is much quieter than the Vibe with the TripleTreds. We couldn't be be happier with our Vibe......41 months now and still not a single trip back to the dealer for anything..........but it is not as quiet as the Corolla.

[vibolista]

Quote, originally posted by djb383 »Vibes and Corollas may be made under the same roof but I think that's where the similarity stops, as our Corolla is 'spooky quiet' compared to our Vibe. At 100 miles I removed the RS-A's and installed TripleTreds on the Vibe and that made a big improvement in the noise level. However, our Corolla also came with RS-A's and is much quieter than the Vibe with the TripleTreds. We couldn't be be happier with our Vibe......41 months now and still not a single trip back to the dealer for anything..........but it is not as quiet as the Corolla.Could be structure differences between the Vibe and Corolla. The trunk is more isolated in the Corolla, so it could deaden the sound coming from the rear tires. Open wagon interiors like the Vibe's are usually less quiet than a sedan. And the Corolla I tried out once seemed a little stiffer than the Vibe, too.

[prathman]

Quote, originally posted by vibolista »Could be structure differences between the Vibe and Corolla. The trunk is more isolated in the Corolla, so it could deaden the sound coming from the rear tires. Open wagon interiors like the Vibe's are usually less quiet than a sedan. And the Corolla I tried out once seemed a little stiffer than the Vibe, too. Yes, and djb has an '05 Vibe vs. an '09 Corolla. I believe the new models have better sound insulation which probably accounts for a portion of their weight gain.Some reduction in road/tire noise in the Vibe/Matrix could probably be achieved by installing a good cargo cover (i.e. not the standard vinyl) in the hatch area - especially if you put some acoustic foam or other sound absorbing material on the underside.

[lorie565]

Well thanks for info... yeah I have the sports pkg with my Vibe so I have the carpet cover for the cargo bed... but I will def check into maybe putting some kind of insulation in the back somewhere... maybe inside the side panels in the cargo area or something... just never thought that the problem was with insulation in the car... learn something new everyday...

[djb383]

I think most of the road noise comes from the front wheels/fender area and obviously different road surfaces produce different levels of noise. Our Vibe has a thin piece of plastic that somewhat covers the gap between the front fenders and the front door hinge pillars. click (Vibe)The Corolla has styrofoam insulation to fill the gap. click ('rolla)

[vibolista]

I never noticed that. Might have to go searching for some of those Styrofoam pieces from the local parts recycler. Vibeaholics are going to be scouring the yards for these things now. Expect a price jump. Great post djb!

[lorie565]

I think Im gonna try to get some of the sytrofoam insulations board that they put between vinyl siding it comes in sheets.. I gonna put some in my cargo area and see how it helps with noise reduction...

[ParknVibe]

If no one mentioned this, my 2009 Vibe has the sytroform blocks within the front fenders like the Corrolla. You can see it from the door opening. It does not seem to be tightly fitted and does move if you touch it. There is a air hole gap where it touches the body.