I have a small but aggravating vibration starting at 62 and gone at 70mph on 2009 LS. I noticed it when I first got the car but did not pay much attention since I was getting new wheels and tires in a couple of days and I felt that would take care of the problem. I put new wheels and tires on and the vibration is still there. I had the tires rebalanced and watched while the guy did it and they are perfect. The rebalance was done at a different location from the original balance. Although I can only feel the vibration in the steering wheel, indicating a front wheel problem, I had the rears rebalanced too. I have had a lot of tires balanced at this place and never a problem so I trust his machine. After the balancing the vibration was reduced some but is still there. It's small but definately there and aggravating. Any suggestions?

 

Possibly a warped brake rotor or a hub bearing starting to fail. You could check the runout on each with a dial micrometer. If you don't have one most brake shops will check it for a minimal fee.

 

Probably the beginning of a wheel bearing issue, if your rims aren't bent, and your lugs are all tightened equally.

 

The rims are 3 days old and the lugs were torqued to spec twice. Once when installed and once when rebalanced. Would a rotor do that? I thought about a rotor when I first noticed it because occasionally when I step on the brake just right I have gotten that rotor wobble, not bad but still it is there sometimes. But I did not think a rotor would cause my problem driving down the road and not applying the brakes, I thought it only showed up when braking so I dismissed that as a cause of my original problem.
As for wheel bearing(s) the vehicle only has 30k miles. I know anything can go bad at anytime but I thought the bearings were sealed units and although possible I never gave it a thought as a probable cause. If the bearings are in a sealed enclosure how do you check them? I did read dr fosg8's suggestion about checking runout with a dial micrometer but I don't have a clue how to do that. I don't have a dial micrometer anyway just a dial caliper.

 

I THINK you may have said the magic words !!!!!

By any chance are the new wheels/rims aftermarket?

If so, remove the wheels and see if your vehicle has little thin sheet metal retainer clips around a couple of studs on each of the wheels. If so (again), remove the clips and discard. They are installed during the assembly process to make assembly faster and easier. They are not needed, but you need to make sure everything reinstalled is done correctly.

The OEM wheels have a relief area for the clips. Generally aftermarket wheels, do not.

Good Luck and let us know!!

 

Yes, they are aftermarket wheels, American Racing wheels. And if the retainer clips are there what are they doing to my front wheels, mis-aligning them and this would cause the vibration? I assume the clips are on the back as well and also must be removed is that correct? What are the clips original job? Are these clips like the ones that used to come on old drum brakes?

 

The clips cause misalignment of the rim to the hub surface. Even though the rim bolts are correctly torqued, the surface situation kind of looks like this....---l/l instead of something like this......---lll. Stud with bolt tightened to rim surface (---l), back of rim against hub surface (/l). Does that make sense?

You say, "Yes, the clips are there". Have you removed the rims and confirmed?
If rims are still off, check the back of the new wheels and see if the have the relief area at each stud opening. It will look something like a countersink at each stud hole.

Yeah, if the retainer clips are causing the problem on the front then it is also compounding the problem on the rear. So, remove them also.

As I said previously the clips are installed during the assembly line process. It is to keep all the parts secure as the vehicle travels on the conveyor during each step of the assembly.

Yes, they are the same clips as "the old drums". You will see that on the rear drums of your HHR.

 

If the clips are not there, then you need to go somewhere and have them do a high speed balance, with newer equipment. Some aftermarker rims get by the inspection process that are out of round, or too much material in one area, and can't be properly balanced. High speed balance should show the problem. It won't fix itself. I had it happen to me, years ago. "Moon"

 

Problem solved. Saturday I had time so I took it to the dealer where I bought it. They checked the tire balance all perfect, hub bearings all good, rotors good and calipers free. It turns out there is a sleeve type spacer that fits over the hub that spaces between the center hole of the wheel and the hub. I have never heard of such a spacer though it does make sense, without the spacer the wheels rest on the lug nuts and can move a little off center because they cannot center on the hub.

 

You lost me on this one. The sleeve would just help you when you place the rim/tire on the hub.Once you tighten the lugs down, it will center up the studs with the wheels bolt holes.
UNLESS, your aftermarket rims have oversized or too large lug holes, then I could see it not centering up when the lugs are tightened. In that case you would need the sleeve to keep it centered.
I never liked aftermarket rims with the elongated or enlarged lug holes.