G37S & stock Bridgestone tires & steering wheel vibration

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Old May 1, 2009 | 01:08 PM
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G37S & stock Bridgestone tires & steering wheel vibration

Have a 2009 G37S sedan with only 800 miles on it and since day 1 there has been a steering wheel vibration when the tires are cold. It would vibrate at 64MPH + for about 2-3 miles and then be ok. I thought it was flat spotting but I had a lot of people look at me funny when I told them it was just parked overnight. I took it to the dealership twice for balancing and overall inspection and nothing was found (ugh I hate that). Went to America Tire and had Hunter Road Force balanced and still the vibration remained. Had rotors checked, wheel bearings, the whole front end and everything was perfect (as it should be). Swapped left to right the two front tires and still the vibration was there. Finally one of the managers at America Tire called Bridgestone and Bridgestone admitted that there have been several complaints of steering wheel vibration with their tires. The refunded 100% of the cost of the tires and I put on Michelin ones and......... THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION IS GONE!!!!! FINALLY!!!!!

The Michelin tires are not an exact fit, they are a bit wider, the ride is MUCH better. The road noise may be a bit louder but you can't have everything.
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Old May 1, 2009 | 01:44 PM
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THANK YOU! Same situation. '09 G37 sedan and from day one I've had this vibration when the tires are cold but would go away. I haven't had time to get it checked out, but its good to know someone else had this problem.
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Old May 1, 2009 | 02:19 PM
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Originally Posted by d999
Have a 2009 G37S sedan with only 800 miles on it and since day 1 there has been a steering wheel vibration when the tires are cold. It would vibrate at 64MPH + for about 2-3 miles and then be ok. I thought it was flat spotting but I had a lot of people look at me funny when I told them it was just parked overnight. I took it to the dealership twice for balancing and overall inspection and nothing was found (ugh I hate that). Went to America Tire and had Hunter Road Force balanced and still the vibration remained. Had rotors checked, wheel bearings, the whole front end and everything was perfect (as it should be). Swapped left to right the two front tires and still the vibration was there. Finally one of the managers at America Tire called Bridgestone and Bridgestone admitted that there have been several complaints of steering wheel vibration with their tires. The refunded 100% of the cost of the tires and I put on Michelin ones and......... THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION IS GONE!!!!! FINALLY!!!!!

The Michelin tires are not an exact fit, they are a bit wider, the ride is MUCH better. The road noise may be a bit louder but you can't have everything.
What size Michelin did you go with? How much did they cost?
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Old May 1, 2009 | 03:23 PM
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I think they are the 235 and stock bridgestone is 225.

Cost was ZERO as America Tire matched the refunded price of the Bridgestones.
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Old May 1, 2009 | 03:46 PM
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All the dealership dude for me was re-surfaced my rotors and my vibration was gone..

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Old May 1, 2009 | 04:16 PM
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Vibration is caused by a number of factors, but as long as it goes away, you're happy right?
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Old May 1, 2009 | 05:51 PM
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agreed, but on a brand new car i would expect the list of factors to be shorter. happy that it goes away? yes, but did your brand new $40k car have a vibration when the tires were cold that drove you nuts?
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Old May 1, 2009 | 08:42 PM
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Originally Posted by d999
Have a 2009 G37S sedan with only 800 miles on it and since day 1 there has been a steering wheel vibration when the tires are cold. It would vibrate at 64MPH + for about 2-3 miles and then be ok. I thought it was flat spotting but I had a lot of people look at me funny when I told them it was just parked overnight. I took it to the dealership twice for balancing and overall inspection and nothing was found (ugh I hate that). Went to America Tire and had Hunter Road Force balanced and still the vibration remained. Had rotors checked, wheel bearings, the whole front end and everything was perfect (as it should be). Swapped left to right the two front tires and still the vibration was there. Finally one of the managers at America Tire called Bridgestone and Bridgestone admitted that there have been several complaints of steering wheel vibration with their tires. The refunded 100% of the cost of the tires and I put on Michelin ones and......... THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION IS GONE!!!!! FINALLY!!!!!

The Michelin tires are not an exact fit, they are a bit wider, the ride is MUCH better. The road noise may be a bit louder but you can't have everything.
I have the same car as you, and the Bridgestones have always been in perfect balance. What I don't like is the noise and the truck like ride when it's cold out. They're riding much better now that it's warm, but I'm considering swapping for something smoother and quieter when these wear out. Which Michelin did you get, and do they ride better?
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Old May 1, 2009 | 08:50 PM
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Got the Sport AS Plus 235/50, and the ride is MUCH MUCH better than the Bridgestones.....

Your right the colder it got the worse the Bridgestones rode (sometimes I thought they were almost square) Michelin's are much improved!
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Old May 1, 2009 | 09:48 PM
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Originally Posted by d999
Got the Sport AS Plus 235/50, and the ride is MUCH MUCH better than the Bridgestones.....

Your right the colder it got the worse the Bridgestones rode (sometimes I thought they were almost square) Michelin's are much improved!
I'm definitely interested in those..like the idea of AS. How do they handle?
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Old May 1, 2009 | 10:01 PM
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I have a similar issue -- i've had flat spotting on many other cars so i'm just used to it particularly with the lowerprofile wheels... no biggie
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Old May 1, 2009 | 10:11 PM
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The factory 050As are typically too "high performance" for most G owners; most G35 owners in the past have gone with a lesser performing tire for the increased ride comfort and tire life (and usually an improvement in wet condition driving).

I suspect the trend will continue with the 2nd gen g's.
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Old May 1, 2009 | 10:54 PM
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Yeah...the Bridgestones make it ride like a truck when it's cold. Not sure how our friends up north can stand it. I'm definitely going to try something different next go around.
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Old May 1, 2009 | 11:24 PM
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Originally Posted by Silver37
I'm definitely interested in those..like the idea of AS. How do they handle?
So far much smoother than the Bridgestones but it has only been 1 day.
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Old May 2, 2009 | 11:04 AM
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Originally Posted by d999
So far much smoother than the Bridgestones but it has only been 1 day.
Keep us posted on your impressions!
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