Hello. Today I went to get my brand new winter tires install on the Outlander, XLS model. Everything was balance and was all good. However, when I drove it home, sometimes when I brake, the steering wheel vibrates...This sometimes happen on the 18 inch summer tires, but not very often and not very noticeable. On the new winter tires, it was some-what noticeable and happen often. I let go out the steering wheel when braking, and you can see it shaking. Is this the tires problem, or is it a bad rotor?

Also, the wheel lugs on the stock 18" cannot be used on the 16" steel rims, is this true? They say it might damage the lug itself...

One more thing...when does the light come on saying the tire pressure mon. system is not detached. I drove it for a while, and its still not on yet...

Thanks for all help.

 

If it only occurs when braking most likely your rotors need to be machined. Rotors can warp especially if exposed to water when they are hot.

Driving through a puddle of water after you've used your brakes a lot can cause it along with washing your car and spraying water on them when they are hot. I had a similar problem with a Hyundai Elantra I owned and machining took care if it.

 

The TPMS light will take a while to come on. A couple of days and 4-8 starts of the engine.

If you ONLY get the shake while braking, it would be a warped rotor. This can happen when lug nuts are overtightened or even tightened in the wrong patern. Check the torque on your nuts now and make sure they are 75-80 ft/lbs. completely loosen them off and retorque to 75 to 80 ft/lbs in a criss-cross patern. They tire place may have just hammered them on with an impact wrench...way too tight.

Yup you need different nuts for the steel vs. alloy rims. The steel require "acorn" shaped heads, whereas the alloys need flat.

 

Will are warped rotor be dangerous to drive in? I cannot get it to a shop till Monday.

 

No,
Typically warped rotors are more of an annoyance than a danger. As long as you don't let the problem go on forever.

 

Would the problem go away when I take off the wheel and put it back again on a criss cross pattern and torque them 80 ft/lbs?

 

Also, I just drove the Outlander for over 200 kms on the highway. I find that it will noticeably vibrates at over 80 km/h, the higher speed, and more noticeable. Would this make the problem be warped rotor for sure?

 

If it shakes over 80km/hr even without the brakes pressed, that is unbalanced tires, not warped rotors. You only use the rotors when you apply the brakes (unless you have an extremely warped rotor, not likely here) so if it is happening without the brakes pressed, especially over 80km, the tire shop didn't balance the tires properly, you threw a wheel weight off the wheel shortly after you left the shop, or one of the tires isn't manufactured properly. Take it back and have them rebalance the tires. If that still doesn't help, chances are one of the tires has a defect and is out of round or has other problems.