Fix It

There are different reasons why your car might be shaking when you drive. One of the reasons for a bad ride is flat spots on your tires. Flat spots can be caused by locking up your brakes or by your car or truck being parked for a long period of time in one place. There are two ways to correct flat spots on your tires, depending on the cause.

Instructions

1

Fill each tire to the maximum level as noted on the sidewall of the tire, using the air compressor. Check to make sure the pressure is correct using the tire gauge.

2

Drive the vehicle for at least 150 miles. If the flat spots were due to the vehicle being parked for a long time, this should solve the problem.

3

Release air from the tires to bring the tire pressure back within the normal range, as noted in the vehicles owners manual and on the drivers door information plaque. Do this by inserting a valve core tool into the tire stem.

4

Take the vehicle to a tire shop. Most dedicated tire shops have tire shaving machines that will shave the tires tread until the flat spot is gone. This is the only solution for a flat spot caused by a long skid.

A variety of things could cause your tires to make noise. It is important to notice at what times, what speeds and under what conditions, the noise is made.

Significance

The most common cause of a humming sound from ties is uneven tire wear. This is likely if the noise shows up after you have rotated your ties, or have not rotated them in a long time. Try rotating the tires again, if necessary, and according to manufacturers directions, which should help. Buying new tires is the other alternative.

Warning

The problem could be more serious than simple tire wear. If the sound never changes, or happens more when you change lanes, the problem could be a wheel bearing. A wheel bearing problem will be constant and more a grinding sound than a rubbing sound. Eventually, a bad wheel bearing could make your tire fall off and cause an accident.

Balance

A third possibility is the balance of the tires. An out-of-balance tire can develop "cupping," which deforms the tire and can cause it to make a sound. If balancing does not clear it up, you need new tires.