Flat Spotting
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,445
Likes: 8
From: Allentown, PA 18103
Flat Spotting
I bought used tires from a member here and when I went to balance them one of the tires in front and one in the back were wobbling up and down eventhough they were perfectly 'balanced'. It looks like a classic case of 'flat spotting'.
My question is what causes 'flat spotting' on tires and how long will it take driving them to bring them back to normal? Will the upcoming warmer weather speed up the flat spotting to go away? It has been mid 40's since I got them 2 weeks ago.
How can I tell if they are permanently damaged?
The vibration is driving me crazy.
My question is what causes 'flat spotting' on tires and how long will it take driving them to bring them back to normal? Will the upcoming warmer weather speed up the flat spotting to go away? It has been mid 40's since I got them 2 weeks ago.
How can I tell if they are permanently damaged?
The vibration is driving me crazy.
Former Moderator
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 8,821
Likes: 5
From: Jacksonville, FL
^^ Yes, it can be caused by skidding...either in a sideways spin or by locking the brakes. Since we have ABS, locking the brakes is probably not the cause unless the tires were on a car other than an s2k. And even skidding sideways, it is tough to flatspt tires if the wheels are still rotating.
More than likely, it is from the tires sitting on the ground unmoving for too long. I think that is why you are supposed to put a car on jackstands when putting them away for winter.
More than likely, it is from the tires sitting on the ground unmoving for too long. I think that is why you are supposed to put a car on jackstands when putting them away for winter.
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,526
Likes: 5
From: Hurricane City, FL
With some tires this will work itself out, with others, not so much (the 'sitting in one spot for too long' type, that is), nothing you can really do about the skidding type other than have the tires shaved.
Registered User
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
Flat spotting from sitting for a long time isn't supposed to be a problem on radials; just air them up good and take a few trips around the block to get them warmed up a bit should take care of it- that has worked just fine for me a few times, but I check the tire pressure regularly over the storage term, and start out with them a bit overinflated.
I suppose, maybe, that if they sat grossly underinflated for a long time there could be permanent damage, but I don't know- and I'd expect that to be visible in a bulged sidewall, not the tire rolling off-center like he describes. .
I suspect he disabled the ABS for a track day and locked up the brakes into a corner?
I suppose, maybe, that if they sat grossly underinflated for a long time there could be permanent damage, but I don't know- and I'd expect that to be visible in a bulged sidewall, not the tire rolling off-center like he describes. .
I suspect he disabled the ABS for a track day and locked up the brakes into a corner?
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,445
Likes: 8
From: Allentown, PA 18103
Originally Posted by CaptainMike,Mar 29 2008, 09:41 AM
With some tires this will work itself out, with others, not so much (the 'sitting in one spot for too long' type, that is), nothing you can really do about the skidding type other than have the tires shaved.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
50cent
S2000 Talk
19
Nov 29, 2003 11:03 AM