Toyota Avalon Tires and Wheels

sanandton · October 2005

WIFE'S 2000 AVALON has had a slight low frequency shimmy in the front since we bought it. We have been through the ringer just like you with the tires, balancing, front rotors etc. It is most noticeable at speeds below 35mph and especially on turns. I finally had a friend take the car into the shop in which he works and do a "road force balance" it helped dramatically, but didn't stop it.

npriest · October 2005

Alan,
Thanks for the tips and suggestions. I am printing your reply so I can follow up on it. The "shimmy" is a high frequence sidweway motion when I go above 65 mph and will last past 75 mph, then eases up somewhat after that.
I appreciate your insight and will let you know when something comes up.

Norman

npriest · October 2005

Thanks for the reply. Although my problem is limited to speeds above 65 mph, I still may have the same problem . I will investigate this "road force balance" and hope it can ease my problem. Thanks again.

Norman

alan_s · October 2005

Interesting. A vibration at 65mph to 75mph is typically caused by a tire/wheel balancing problem. See if your Toyota dealer has a Hunter GSP 9700 so you are working with one entity who can follow thru with the suspension etc. You can find the GSP 9700 installations here:

http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/search/findgsp9700.cfm

These systems are phenomenal at finding balance problems.

I am aware of vibrations on Avalons fitted with the OEM Continental A/S Touring tires. The only fix is getting rid of the horrible Continentals.

txgeezer · October 2005

I have a '99 Avalon that has a front end vibration that is not responding to anything I've tried yet. It's most noticeable when coasting down from 55 to 45, and when pointed downhill. Accelerating lessens it somewhat but doesn't eliminate it. Shifting to neutral has no effect. I got new tires (Goodyear), rebalanced them twice after the initial installation, (including one road-force balance), then switched to another set of tires (Michelin), rebalanced them after the initial installation didn't fix it (all at the same long-suffering tire store), then had each axle replaced. Two days ago I have the tires rotated, front-to-back. Nada. Didn't touch it. What's left?

alan_s · October 2005

A final thought before eliminating the tires and wheels as the cause of the vibration, were the lug nuts torqued to 76 ft lbs? Tire dealers tend to overtighten lug nuts which slightly deflect the wheel - enough to throw them out of balance again. Toyotas are sensitive to lug torque. I once experienced a chronic vibration problem on an Avalon with aluminum wheels that was fixed by rebalancing and then torquing the lug nuts correctly. Locking lug nuts are heavier and can also cause balance problems. If you have locking nuts, remove them and replace with original equipment nuts and see if it makes a difference. If it corrects the problem and you still want to use the locking nuts, you may need to balance them out by using two on each wheel - each on opposite studs.
When you feel the vibration, does the steering feel loose at center or have a "dead" spot between play? Try moving the steering wheel slightly left and then slightly right. Does it affect the vibration? Do you feel the vibration more when applying left force or right force? Does it feel "loose"? Is there slack? If so, this may indicate wear in the steering components.
If all else fails, the front-end ie. suspension, struts and steering needs to be checked by a Toyota dealer for wear or damage.

gcroft · October 2005

After 4 sets of tires on a 2000 xls, I like the two sets of michelins best, followed by my current goodyear assurance. I couldn't wait to get the yokos off the car. They felt every groove in the pavement and were noisy. Fortunately they lasted less than have their rating before they were adjusted for the goodyears.

alan_s · October 2005

Which Michelins did you have? How do you like the Goodyear? Are they Comfortreds or Tripletreds?

txgeezer · October 2005

Thanks Alan...I'll go rent a torque wrench and see what it says. The tire place routinely torques to 80, but the manual calls for either 76 or 72, will check which.

gcroft · October 2005

the michelins were mxv4 plus and they were great but pricey...for the price difference i'd take the goodyears...a good ride and they are the comfortreds

johndjr · October 2005

Has anyone found a tire dressing that will not turn 'brown' after a couple of weeks?
I've tried two or three and each ones does turn my tires brown (or a tan) after a few weeks. I do live at the end of about 3/4 miles of dirt road, but this isn't dust nor dirt, just that the rubber turns brown.
How does the Z stuff for tires work?

txgeezer · October 2005

"A final thought before eliminating the tires and wheels as the cause of the vibration, were the lug nuts torqued to 76 ft lbs? Tire dealers tend to overtighten lug nuts which slightly deflect the wheel - enough to throw them out of balance again. Toyotas are sensitive to lug torque. I once experienced a chronic vibration problem on an Avalon with aluminum wheels that was fixed by rebalancing and then torquing the lug nuts correctly. Locking lug nuts are heavier and can also cause balance problems. If you have locking nuts, remove them and replace with original equipment nuts and see if it makes a difference. If it corrects the problem and you still want to use the locking nuts, you may need to balance them out by using two on each wheel - each on opposite studs."

I have the standard black (steel?) wheels...don't think they're aluminum. I checked the torque over the weekend, and every one of the nuts was around 110 ft-lbs, whereas the manual specs 76. I eased them all off to 75 or so, but it didn't affect the vibration.

"When you feel the vibration, does the steering feel loose at center or have a "dead" spot between play? Try moving the steering wheel slightly left and then slightly right. Does it affect the vibration? Do you feel the vibration more when applying left force or right force? Does it feel "loose"? Is there slack? If so, this may indicate wear in the steering components."

No, the steering wheel feels resonsive through its range of motion. Vibration occurs while steering left, right or straight.

"If all else fails, the front-end ie. suspension, struts and steering needs to be checked by a Toyota dealer for wear or damage."

I took it to a dealer back in April for this and they said what vibration the tech felt was normal

abfisch · October 2005

Yes, there has been a problem from wheel shimmy in the past. Actually Toyota is good as masking it. Determine if the shimmy is apparent at low or high speeds and if it occurs only when braking.

Get back to me and I will have a reasonable answer of what it is.

For a global perspective on shimmy problems, the service manual has a reasonably but not thorough alogrithm. Start from the tires, then wheels, then rotors. See if any are out of balance or out of round. Some mechanics could care less. The struts, although not likely could be a contibuting factor with excessive mileage.

If you have ruled out all of the above, and it still shimmies, then you have an inner CV joint problem/axle out of round.

How do I know so much??? I have been contributing to this forum for years, and had the same problem with my 02 Avalon. Finally got it resolved, but had to rip off the front axles, which were factory defective. No more problem now.

Since then, still have the Avalon, but bought a BMW 325ci. A little different.

Let me know how it goes.

abfisch

pricecutter · October 2005

Hi Norman,

I had a 2000 Avalon with the same problem. In my case, I paid considerable money to repair the front end suspension. Then, when it happened again, I decided to buy a new 2005 Toyota.

I believe if you check Consumer Reports you'll find that front end suspension for year 2000 was cited as a problem for Toyota.

Good luck,

pricecutter

fin · October 2005

If you scroll thru all the posts on the prior 2 generations of Avalon, you will see that the front suspension and brakes are probably the cause of most complaints and failures. It appears that neither edition has a strong enough front end to effectively handle the car's overall design. The true weak spot in an otherwise wonderful product. Had a '99, still driving the '03 XL. Great cars. Good luck with your '05.....

abfisch · October 2005

uhhh Fin:

Man, I usually agree with you, but I have to take a slightly different edge on your post. I don't think it is a design problem at all. The parts, control arms, dampers, etc. are from the Toyota parts bin, with a little shuffling around. I think the problems more lie in the quality( I know other will have a cow!) of the parts used as OEM for Toyota. I think, frankly, some of them are inferior, and frankly, what works in a little Camry/Solara doesn't necessarily perform at the same standard on a heavier, longer Avalon.

Although I recently picked up a 2004 325ci, I still enjoy my Avalon at my workhorse, with many superior aftermarket parts, including TokicoHP struts, Falken Tires, PIAA 1500 driving and fog lights, PIAA wiper blades, XM stereo, Powerslot rotors, etc. While not a true sports machine, it has a fine balance of comfort and road handling capacity to make every day enjoyable.

abfisch

aselvan · October 2005

My 2003 Avlon XLS front tire got punctured by a sharp and long nail. Looks like I need to replace the tire. I have Michelin OEM tires and 12500 miles. Is it advisable to change only one tire or should I go for all the four?

Appreciate your valuable suggestions

AS

alan_s · October 2005

If the sidewall isn't damaged your tire may be able to be repaired.
If the tire is irreparable, AND the other tires don't have significant wear, then replace it with an identical tire, put the new tire on the rear wheel, the spare on the other rear wheel, the good previous front tire becomes the spare and the previous rears go up front.
If you have significant wear on the others you may as well replace all four. Get Bridgestone Turanza LS-H. You won't believe how quietly your Avalon will run.

abfisch · October 2005

Mcclearyfl:

I have actually two sets of summer tires. Long story. Short story, Have 15" Falkens Ziex 512 which were very inexpesive, handle excellently, but do have a constant tire noise issue. Not bad, but not super quiet either.

I have another set of Continental Contacts Eco something, 215/55 R 16". These seem to work a little better with the suspension improvements I made, but either seem to do a good job, as traction, both dry/wet, braking dry/wet, and handling. The 55 series are better at emergency manuevers. Both sizes are almost exactly the same revolutions per mile so no speedo error. I am sure the new tires you have and consumer reports have tested now are superior but the least seems not extensive or exhaustive. No Dunlops, Continentals, but too many Michelin tires all in one report. Not very balanced this time around in my opinion for CR.

Will need to put on the winter tires in a month or so up here.

regards.

abfisch

fin · October 2005

We are still on the same page my friend.... What happens, I think, is that Toyota designs a great car. Good specs, it all works fine. Then some bean-counter comes along and asks if a cheaper part will do...it adds 50 cents to the cost of production to use "the good stuff".... so... let's make it out of something else. And there goes the spring quality, the brake rotor material, etc. Something must go to make the package work at the cash register. There really can't be any other reason because Toyota is one of the best in overall auto design work. Look at sales and durability of the products.

The bottom line is that, over time, we as Avalon owners find these little cost cutting ideas as we drive the car. The high speed nose dive, the battery cable corrosion, etc... We post what we observe on these boards. We also post recommended or satisfactory "fixes" such as your many ideas on brakes and suspension modifications.

Despite the best efforts of these dollar-watchers, the engineers must generally prevail. Avalon has a great record for repair free driving. My '03 XL is now on the third battery... but at 61k miles is still an otherwise good reliable car. Enjoy...

txgeezer · October 2005

"Start from the tires, then wheels, then rotors. See if any are out of balance or out of round."

My vibration ('99 Avalon XL) occurs right around 50 mph. The tire place did a road-force balance and said that would catch not only out-of-round tires, but any out-of-round or other problems with the wheels. Is that right?

"The struts, although not likely could be a contibuting factor with excessive mileage."

I've got 60,000 miles on 'em. Does that sound like it could be time for a new set? The previous owner had the strut MOUNTS replaced, but not the struts AFAIK. If it is time to replace, are Tokiko the way to go?

"If you have ruled out all of the above, and it still shimmies, then you have an inner CV joint problem/axle out of round."

After two sets of multiply-balanced new tires (Goodyear and now Michelins) and test-replacing both axles, the vibration is untouched :-(. Haven't looked seriously at the brakes/rotors yet, but the vibe happens regardless of whether brakes are applied or not, whether engine is in gear or not, and whether the cars' moving straight or turning.

abfisch · October 2005

Man:

Third battery??? You gotta be kidding me. Is the car parked outside in an ocean area??? Did you put those anti corrosion donuts on (green and red) and put lithium grease on the terminals??? I have 74K on my 02, make sure before winter that the terminals have grease or some kind of battery terminal sealer on it. The other thing I do in the spring, is take off the 6 cell covers, and with a small squirt bottle, fill up slowly and carefully with distilled H20 each cell.

i have not had one lick of problems, and if anyone gets problems, I definitely have terrible luck. Glad you are a contributor. You make this board fun and educational.

Hope the above helps, although I am sure you do all this already.

abfisch

abfisch · October 2005

I also agree with the above. 12500miles is not very much. If the tire is repairable, repair it, or secondly, get the same tire, and put the ones with the most wear or that is repaired towards the rear.

abfisch

fin · October 2005

Once again, lets expand the knowledge base...

If you have 2 tires that match and are worn, and 2 more tires that are similar but are new (or have significantly more tread), always put the better tires on the rear.

The reason here is simple: safety.
If the front tires fail or slide, as in rain, you can correct with the steering wheel and/or accelerator. It's a problem, but you have a good chance at correcting it quickly. If the rear tire(s) fail, or slide, correction is far more difficult as you do not steer the rears. Essentially you have no control at the moment the problem occurs. And a moment is all you have.....

Racers usually call the problems "understeer" and "oversteer" for a racecar. The more dangerous is oversteer as the car will spin around before you can adjust to the problem. There is no time to react. Tire Rack has published articles on this on several occasions. It seems a little illogical but it's true. Also, mixing tires of different tread patterns, sizes, etc., on a passenger car adds a dimension that is truly unknown. For maximum safety, avoid this at all cost.

Obviously, this idea applies to any car, not just the Avalon. Drive safely, all....

abfisch · October 2005

Fin:

My bad. I did not know this and thought the complete opposite. Lesson learned.

Thanks.

abfisch

alan_s · October 2005

Right you are! Good tires always at the back.

oilslick · October 2005

Think I would have the tire patched on the inside of the tire. If it is a nail and is in the tread area, it should be able to be patched IMO. If you have a road hazard warranty, that may cover it too.

mja05d · October 2005

Hello,

While driving to work today three lights on my dash showed up; My Check Engine, VSC and VSC Off lights all came on. My car is running fine and I do not think it is a major issue. Is there a way to reset the computer without having to go to the dealer? Also has anyone else expperienced this issue and have a possible remedy?

Thanks,

mja05d

wwest · October 2005

temporarily will extinguish the diagnostic indications unless the underlying cause persists. Inm that case that will come back on after a period of time.

And by the way the VSC diagnostics are meanless when they illuminate along with an engine diagnostic indication.

66gman · November 2005

Hi:
I too have a 2000 XLS, this has happened to me and I checked everything under the hood I saw the master cylinder looked about a inch from the top. I topped it off and everything has been normal. (appox 3 months)

boatsman · November 2005

Has anyone taken their 2005/06 Avalon LTD stock wheels and gotten them chromed? I'm looking for a place to have this done.

alan_s · November 2005

http://www.4chromewheels.com/ or your local Discount Tire store will do a chrome wheel exchange.
Not cheap!!!

longf · November 2005

01 Avalon XLS (90K mileage), VSC light was continuously "ON" after a dead battery. Changing a new battery, it's still "ON". Sent to dealer and changed a new angular sensor, VSC light was "OFF" after start engine. But "ON" after 10 to 30 minute drive. If shutting off and restarting engine, the light is "OFF", but "ON" after 10 to 30 minutes. Sending back to dealer several times, the problem is still there.
Anybody has the kind of problem? How to solve it? Any feedbacks will be appreciated.

lbd · April 2006

I have a 2006 Avalon with 3000 miles on it. The alarm now goes off at will as you are driving down the road. Toyota is checking with their technical people on that. Needless to say, this is not acceptable. Also, the car pulls to the right. Toyota has decreased the intensity of the pulling but it still pulls to the right.
Any help would be appreciated.

abfisch · April 2006

Do the following by an independent mechanic.

1. Check the tire balance.
2. Check the tire.
3. Check the wheel for run off.
4. Check the alignment.
5. Check the axle, inner CV joint.

You should have an answer. Do not expect them to do it, even under warranty. You will not get the answer that is right. I have been saying this on the forum througout the last 4 years.

abfisch

lbd · April 2006

They did check the tires, rotate the tires, alignment. Finally, their technical people told them to disassemble the front strut assembly, rotate the upper mounting bracket for the strut approximately one inch, reassemble, re-align and see what that did. It improved significantly but still pulls some. I wonder if that is going to cause it to eat tires though. As far as the alarm goes, I took it to a much more reputable dealer and they found a loose connection under the dash. The dealer I purchased from didn't have a clue. I now know who to deal with. Thanks.

j_hbrock · May 2006

I have done some searching on these forums and none seemed to really answer my questions. Please for those that know, and those that want to help and give knowledgeable advice...read on :-)

I am NOT a car guy. I don't know anything about tires or wheels or what brands are good and what are not.

What I do know. I AM getting a '07 Touring Avalon. I do not particularly like the wheels. I do NOT want "bling bling" wheels. I am a 32 yr old father of two with a wife. I don't want wheels that look like I should have a diamond studded tooth with a gold necklace round my neck.

I DO want something that looks a bit ... sportier - dare I say a bit shinier or chromed than what is on the stock Touring.

I do NOT want to spend $5000+ on this. I just want to see options. Should I look at the dealership when I go to buy? Should I look at the local tire/wheel centers?

What is a resonable price for sportier wheels/tires? What is realistic?

I am thinking the chrome grill on the '07 might be an option I will look into. I want to "up" the elegant look without looking like the next up and comin' rapper!!!

Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks!

bluesman3 · May 2006

J_hbrock,

Here's what I'm doing. I really like the Limited wheels, they're Toyota original equipment and they look classier. I just bought a complete set of brand new take offs (2006 Avalon Limited wheels and tires) on E-bay. Price was $538.99 + $142.01 for shipping. Total $681.00.

limiteddriver · May 2006

Magazines like Road&Track and Automobuile have several pages of wheel pictures to choose from and Tire Rack.com shows over a 100 wheels available for '06 Avalons which should fit the '07.

endovit · May 2006

That's a good price on wheels. My wife tried to redesign a curb with my Avalon Limited so I had to purchase a new 9 spoke wheel (crunched the week and tire) - about the price you quoted for all 4 for a single wheel.

bluesman3 · May 2006

That's why I jumped on that deal! Such a bargain.. Brand new tires and all....

gohawaiian · May 2006

Bluesman3 - I was interested in your comment that you find the look of the Limited wheels classier than those on the other Avalon models. I've ordered a Limited and I just asked my dealer yesterday about possibly replacing its rims with the ones on the XLS which (to me, anyway) seemed less "busy-looking" and had more of a sparkle to them. But the dealer said they don't swap wheels like that, even for a price. So I guess I'm gonna get used to my Limited's rims: why do you prefer them, or find them classier looking? Maybe I'm not looking at them the right way, so I'd be interested in your take on it (or other readers opinions): is it that the Limited's rims are intended to look "dressier" & more "formal" than the XLS rims? In the end, I know it just comes down to taste/personal preference, but I've always been curious why Toyota didn't choose the same rims for the Limited as it puts on the XLS.

bluesman3 · May 2006

You can do the same swap on your Limited but in reverse, in fact you'll find plenty of XLS wheels for sale on E-bay at a very good price. I've seen new complete sets of Limited rims & tires sell for as much as $795. You could probably grab a set of new XLS rims for $300 or less. Limited rims seem to be going for $300 to as much as $400+.

I like the finer lines and the look of multiple spokes. To me the XLS & XL rims just look too "chunky" and blah. I like to dress the car up a little without going crazy, and I'm not a fan of aftermarket wheels, I prefer original equipment.

Yes, the Limited rims are meant to be a notch up in terms of looks.

gohawaiian · May 2006

Appreciated your comments & suggestion. I probably won't go the Ebay route, though I checked it out. I was very surprised that the dealer was not willing to remove the brand new LTD rims (before delivering the car), put them into its "spare parts" inventory & credit me for their value against the cost of the XLS rims that I wanted. I prefer the Toyota rims too, rather than aftermarket. I will hope that the look of the LTD rims gradually "grows" on me - like you said, as a "notch up" in terms of looks. Thanks.

ange · May 2006

The limited rims are not so okey for me. my car is desert sand color and the rims have a grey color. A more neutral color would look better for all colors.

The rims-tires set up makes it easy to scuff the rims with a light curb touch. While the car rides smooth on a new highway, a little more rubber between the rims and the road would soften the ride better on rough roads. More rubber between the tire and rims would save some messed up rims. I am sure if the limited had raised whitewall lettering they would never get scuffed as the rims would be scraped. I have seen many raised tire lettering almost worn off and the rims were not touched. I guess everyone has a different view about everything.ange1

sailor1 · June 2006

My 2004 Avalon just received its first set of new tires (Michelin, Energy MXV4) at Costco. Now on fwy, vibration at anything above 60 mph. Took it back in and asked for rebalance. Tech advised that because they can't put weights on outside of this type of rim, it increases the problem. He also advised that factory uses lug nut opening based balancing system, and Costco uses a center hub(?) spin system. So per him, Costco can never achieve correct balance on these Avalon wheels. Gee, why not tell me that before throwing out my old tires.... Anyway, one more major concern, now my front end wobbles severely now simply upon making steering movements to the right or left. Is it possible that a tie rod or something got broken during the lift process? I'm no mechanic and have no clue what I'm talking about. Help!?

sailor1 · June 2006

My 2004 Avalon just received its first set of new tires (Michelin, Energy MXV4) at Costco. Now on fwy, vibration at anything above 60 mph. Took it back in and asked for rebalance. Tech advised that because they can't put weights on outside of this type of rim, it increases the problem. He also advised that factory uses lug nut opening based balancing system, and Costco uses a center hub(?) spin system. So per him, Costco can never achieve correct balance on these Avalon wheels. Gee, why not tell me that before throwing out my old tires.... Anyway, one more major concern, now my front end wobbles severely now simply upon making steering movements to the right or left. Is it possible that a tie rod or something got broken during the lift process? I'm no mechanic and have no clue what I'm talking about. Help!?

user777 · June 2006

did they do an alignment? are you sure all the tires are OK and you don't have a defective one with bad belts?

don't know much about the balancing system, but presume the rims you have allow for balancing, COSTCO just admits they can't do it.

seems like you are owed some $$$ back.

fin · June 2006

The problem is Costco. Tire price is one thing, competent service is something else. Find a tire/brake shop that does work on high end and performance cars. They will know what to do. Everything in your post says that the Costco tech has no clue.... and you will never make him understand.

Ex: If you have mag wheels you can use outer rim weights of the proper type. My '03 XL has them. You can also use centerline weights inside the rim. Statements on the method of tire balancing at the factory vs. Costco are nonsense. My tire dealer balances tires to run 130 mph or more on a center hub machine. (In prior posts, several forum members have suggested a balance machine known as Road Force.) Do not waste your time going back to Costco unless it is to ask for a refund of the cost of the balance job that doesn't work.

The wobble could be many things but you need to balance the tires first. ( Actually, try checking the air pressure first, 32 to 34 max, cold, on a good tire gauge.) A good performance tire shop will find any serious problems or damage to the suspension. Others may have more ideas, and keep the forum posted as to what happens....

wwest · June 2006

Wobble may be the result of worn mechanical components that was not so obvious with your old tires. New tires will undoubtedly have dramatically higher roadbed adhesion making "loose" tie rod ends, for example, much more noticeable.

Toyota Avalon Tires and Wheels

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