GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I am pretty sure this will most likely be an alignment issue, but I'm not sure. I purchased and installed 1" spacers on my ride. The effects look fantastic as the tires are now just a tad under being flush with the fenders.Here's the problem...at low speeds there is no shimmying or shaking. I thought everything was cool. But, today, when going to work and traveling at highway speeds, every time I went over 60 there was some shimmying and shaking going on. Obviously, this is because of the spacers and the cars overall 2" (1" spacers x 2) wider stance on the ground. I was under the inpression that a wider stance would not affect alignment and that it was more of a suspension issue that would.Does anyone know different? Any insight would be nice, because I do like the way the car looks with the spacers on it, but not if I can't rectify the situation. Also, keep in mind that this is probably nothing that I will be able to bring into the dealer because, well, I put on spacers and any warranty will be affected by those.

I don't know much about alignment, but I would be interested in seeing some pics. Also, with the additional 2" of stance, how does it steer?

I can't give you any pics right now as I'm at work, but I will post 'em either today or tomorrow. Just keep in mind that this is an OVERALL 2" increase in stance (1" per side). The tire is still under the fender, but barely. It looks really nice now, as before I always thought it looked a little top heavy.The steering is great...same as before, but it seems like there is a little more control there. That could easily be my imagination though...lol. Honestly, it DEFINETELY didn't diminish the handling, and I can't quite tell if it actually got better. I think it did, but I'm not sure.

I wouldn't question alignment as much as I would wonder if the spacers caused your wheels to not be exactly centered, effectively throwing them out of balance. Hard to know how possible that is without seeing the spacers. When I have had alignment problems, there was usually some pull one way or the other, at all speeds, but something out of balance can sometimes only be felt when you hit the right speed to get the vibration to resonate.

Quote, originally posted by joatmon »I wouldn't question alignment as much as I would wonder if the spacers caused your wheels to not be exactly centered, effectively throwing them out of balance. Hard to know how possible that is without seeing the spacers. When I have had alignment problems, there was usually some pull one way or the other, at all speeds, but something out of balance can sometimes only be felt when you hit the right speed to get the vibration to resonate.You are thinking the same thing as me..in fact, I went to "About.com" and looked around. When the wheel vibrates, or shimmies from left to right, usually at speeds from 45 to 65, it is most likely the cause of wheel balance. I am going to take apart the the wheels, make sure those spacers are centered and try again. Just by the way the spacers tighten down, it should get rid of any balance issues. They screw in with a rounded nut at one end that makes the wheel (or spacer) center on each lug nut. If all else fails, I will take in for re-balancing.

A little more for those that are curious:Taken from "Atuo-guy" on the internet:So what causes shimmy and shakes in the front end? The biggest culprit is an out-of-balance or out-of-round tire. As the tread on the tire wears, it will need to be re-balanced to evenly distribute the weight of the tire and the wheel. To do this, small lead weight is attached to the outside of the wheel and a machine is used to spin the tire and wheel to check balance. Tires should be balanced and rotated every 12,000 miles (approximately every four oil changes) to ensure even tire wear and extend tread life. Out-of-round means the tire has worn unevenly and cannot be balanced. An out-of-round tire will have to be replaced. I have even seen new tires that were out-of-round due to a manufacturing defect. Hitting a curb or large pot hole can cause the wheel weights to come off, and sometimes the weights sling off the wheel at high speed if they were not installed properly. Out-of-round or out-of-balance will not cause a pull in the front end, but will definitely cause shakes and shimmies. If you can drive out of a shake or shimmy by varying the speed of the car, it is a good clue that you have an out-of-balance problem. A simple way to check tire balance: if the shimmy is present at one speed, but better or not present at a different speed, then a balance problem is likely. An out-of-round tire or a bent wheel will usually produce a wobble or shimmy at all speeds, and replacement of the tire or wheel is usually the cure.

Very intriguing, these spacers. You don't find that taking away 1" of wheel nut results in trouble resecuring the wheel? Know what I mean?

If you havent removed those spacers you probably should. I doubt very much the spindle was designed to take the load increase you have placed on it, and are going to destory your front hub assembly too. You would be be wise to hunt down some stonger control arms and a hardened spindle before attempted. This chassis is not designed for those kind of radical changes to the suspension geometry, lowering is one thing but pushing out the unsprung weight is altogether different. Talk to some autocross racers and they will help to give you a better idea of what parts should be upgraded and where you can find them!

I had the same shakes when I purchased my new tires and rims. Sometimes it shook, soemtimes it did not. After a good wheel balance the problem was fixed.