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Wed Feb 07, 2024 8:38 pm

On my 1985 Vanagon I notice a substantial and regular thumping beginning @ about 25 mph then dissipating as the speed increases to being almost gone.As I decrease speed the thumping again becomes apparent. I checked air pressure and did an inspection at each wheel . Nothing seems to be amiss .Could this be related to a wheel balance issue ? Ideas please ?

Wed Feb 07, 2024 8:49 pm

Could be CVs, a bent wheel, or something dragging, but first torque the wheels.

Wed Feb 07, 2024 9:16 pm

Torque the wheels? If this means make sure the lug nuts/studs are tight, then do it. With weight on the wheels, when standing still, you can't tell if a wheel is loose.

Year and model of car is always needed on a post.

Duncan

Wed Feb 07, 2024 9:43 pm

A damaged tire can do this, accidentally hit a curb, rock or drop something heavy (the van) on a sidewall? Tire can look undamaged but have internal ply damage.

Thu Feb 08, 2024 1:03 am

Gentle run the palms of your hands over the tread of your tires and see if you can feel even the slightest raised area.

Thu Feb 08, 2024 2:27 am

Probably more indicative to run your hands over the sidewall. And look at it from the side.

Thu Feb 08, 2024 7:02 am

I would carefully jack up each side and spin each wheel and look for anything abnormal. Certainly sounds like a damaged tire or rim. Look at the inside sidewall as well when you do this.

Also while the wheel is off the ground you can grab it at 12 and 6 o'clock and rock it to see if there is too much play. There should be a tiny bit but not a clunk.

Thu Feb 08, 2024 8:03 am

Steele belt broken inside the tire until it finally blew out. Looking at the tire showed nothing visible, better to take to a tire shop if you can't narrow it down.

Thu Feb 08, 2024 8:34 am

Fill that in with Bondo, colour match with Rustoleum, and sharpie in the tread, and you are good to go to skills for a wheel alignment

Thu Feb 08, 2024 8:38 am

I already bought that from Tim.

Thu Feb 08, 2024 9:48 am

Does it happen accelerating, decelerating or coasting? Check your axle nuts are tight and if there is any side to side play of your wheels (need to jack up each wheel).

Thu Feb 08, 2024 10:19 am

Timwhy wrote: Steele belt broken inside the tire until it finally blew out. Looking at the tire showed nothing visible, better to take to a tire shop if you can't narrow it down.

I had a similar failure on my 3/4 ton truck last year. I felt it when I took off from home one morning so turned around and went back to the house to put on another tire. I couldn't see or feel either a bulge in the tread or sidewall, and just laid the old tire against a tree after I did the swap and went about my business. When I came home at the end of the day the subject tire had split apart worse than what you show. It appears there must have been a minor puncture through the tread that let water get into the steel belts and the steel cord rusted as a result. The tires were old and high mileage, but still had about 1/2 of their original tread depth. These were Avon tires (think motorcycles) and showed no visual cracking of the rubber and if I could have gotten another set of the same I would have.

Thu Feb 08, 2024 10:53 am

Pull the wheels all the way off and inspect them. We had a problem with my wife's Passat years ago. She had driven over some debris in the road and we were concerned about damage. I looked things over well and could not find anything, but there was a new hum/vibration. Eventually found that the inner lip of the wheel had been bent where I couldn't see or feel it by reaching around.

Hans

Thu Feb 08, 2024 11:07 am

Wildthing’s comment about “buying another set of his Avons” brings up a point.

I do not think Tim’s tire should be interpreted as a manufacturer’s failure.

It’s pretty clear it impacted something, like a piece of angle iron, or whatever.

Thu Feb 08, 2024 1:47 pm

As soon as I turn on the sound system, my Bus thumps all the time!

Sorry, I couldn't resist. As others have said, it is probably a shifted belt or bent rim in one of your tires. If a balance issue, you'd notice it at higher speeds too, especially over 60mph.

Thu Feb 08, 2024 5:52 pm

E1 wrote: Wildthing’s comment about “buying another set of his Avons” brings up a point.

I do not think Tim’s tire should be interpreted as a manufacturer’s failure.

It’s pretty clear it impacted something, like a piece of angle iron, or whatever.

Nope! The tires was vibrating for weeks and knew it was coming from the rear. Jacked up and inspected all four corners and couldn't tell a thing. Took wheels off and inspected again and still nothing.

The tire was a 1 year old Nokian. Have run over a bolts in the road and blew a tire out and have had the entire tread become detached and flapping down the road.

This one made me thing next time it will go to the tire shop first.