Posted by Paul Cook on Friday, July 08, 2005 at 10:09AM :
In Reply to: death wobble revisited posted by djw on Friday, July 08, 2005 at 2:52AM :
Tires! Make sure the front tires are the same tread pattern and the same construction - bias ply vs radial. Tires should be the same brand since tires made by the same manufacturer with tread patterns that look alike may differ in width from tires that are manufactured for other customers. Typically, tires manufactured for sale by discount stores under their store brand may have different amounts of rubber in contact with the road - the individual ribs and the width of the tread pattern may be less. This is more important with older, Brand X tires since most discount stores now sell tires under the manufacturers' brand names. Tires should be the same age since weathering and age affects the flexibility and elasticity of the rubber. An older tire might have harder rubber and will react with the pavement differently from a newer tire.
Make sure the front tires are properly inflated. Proper inflation is critical in older vehicles.
Tires are the most easily checked items. Having them properly inflated is the least expensive thing to check.
I'll leave Step 2 for the next expert.
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