LR3 road noise issue.....

[mtnyeti]

Has anyone noticed excessive tire/road noise in the LR3? About a week ago I noticed the Goodyears on my LR3 SE were wearing on the outer edge (similar to a previous post) and had actually "cupped" to the point of being much noisier than usual. Also no left/right pulling - goes straight which eliminated the alignment being out so I blamed it on the poor quality of the Goodyears. I replaced them with Nitto Terra Grapplers a few days ago. The tire noise seems to be the same or even louder than before, especially at highway speeds - very loud. Everyone I asked about the Nitto's said the same thing, very quiet for the aggressive tread. It's also a radial so there really shouldn't be much noise. Not sure if it's just me being overly "tire/road noise" sensitive or a possible front end problem. I took it in this morning for the first service and explained the tire issues to the LR mech but of course all I got was "The tires will make a little road noise...". Even with a ride along the mech didn't seem to think anything was out of the ordinary. One other oddity is while turning at low speeds the steering wheel sometimes seems to "shudder" while rotating. The mech explained this away as being the rack and pinion reaching the end of the "screw". Just want to know if anyone else has experienced anything like this, hate to find out the front end is whacked out and ruin the a new set of tires!

 

[a990dna]

If your dealer has the appropriate wheel alignment equipment, I would insist on a printout of the current caster, camber, toe-in and ****** angle on all four corners.... compare it against the factory specs and tolerances on the readout.

If they don't, take it to a shop that specializes in hi-performance alignments and for 40 bucks they should be able to tell you if your LR3 is within spec. If its not, make them pay for the visit to the alignment shop....

It takes quite awhile for tires to cup, so it doesn't surprise me it's not the tires.

Here's some basis so you can ask the dealer more questions...

http://www.familycar.com/alignment.htm

 

[Nomad]

mtnyeti,
Oh my goodness you have no idea how interested I am in the Terra Grapplers. Can you give us more insight or a full report on how they fit, perform, affect the car handeling... How is the extra height affecting the speedo or any of the other systems like navigation and shifting points. Most of all does anything rub in any suspension setting including access height with the wheel locked over to one side.

Thank you so much,
Nomad

 

[a990dna]

More info from that Web site in case your alignment is good....

"Wheel Balance: Out-of-balance tires will cause a car to vibrate at certain speeds, usually between 50 and 70 mph. A tire is out of balance when one section of the tire is heavier than the others. One ounce of imbalance on a front tire is enough to cause a noticeable vibration in the steering wheel at about 60 mph. To balance a wheel, the technician will mount it on a balancing machine which spins the wheel to locate the heavier part. He will then compensate for the heavy part by attaching a lead weight on the opposite side. Many people are pleasantly surprised at how smooth their car drives after balancing all four wheels.

Most high quality tires will hold their balance fairly well and go out of balance very gradually. If you notice a vibration that wasn't there the day before, it is possible that one of the lead balancing weights fell off. If you feel the vibration mostly in the steering wheel, the problem is most likely in a front wheel. If the vibration is mostly in the seat, the problem is probably in the rear.

For those of you who are very sensitive about vibrations and your shop can't seem to get that last bit of vibration out, check to see if you have locking wheel lugs. Some locking lugs are as much as 1.5 ounces heavier than the other lug nuts which translates to about 1/2 ounce at the wheel rim. Try putting a 1/2 ounce weight opposite the locking lug and see if it helps."

 

[mtnyeti]

Nomad,
The tires are great. I've got the 255-55-18's which have no problem fitting as they are almost the same size as the OEM tires. From what I've seen you could go with 285-60-18's but that is considerably wider and I was afraid they'd rub on tight turns. The handling is also great, except for the road noise which may be another issue. I have only had them for a few days but at this point would reccomend them. They look great, and from the muddy track I took them down over the weekend seem to hold up well in the dirt. I'll post a picture in the next day or so.

a990dna,
Thanks for the info. Next time I'm near the LR dealership I'm going to press for a check of the camber and tow. Good info - Thanks!

 

[CKJordan]

Your not the only one who thinks the Goodyears have excessive road noise. I have approx 9K on my SE 5 and during the 7.5 service I requested that the tires be balanced and rotated. After the rotation the road noise was gone... for approx 500 miles.. The noise crept back in after 500 miles or so.

I really not seeing excessive wear on the tires and alignment seems OK. I had thought about switching the tires and I'm very happy to seen your post. Maybe I should just live with the noise. I can't help but think that the tire nose should be less than it is though. I am very interested in others experience.

As for the shutter, I have the same issue. Seems to only happen when at speed (> 30mph) and come to a stop, then select reverse to back into a parking spot for example. I've turned off the AC compressor thinking the low rpm was hampering the ability of the power steering pump but no change with ac compressor on or off. If my speed is slow before I stop to backup I do not have the shutter. Does the LR3 have a speed sensitive steering pump?

I guess this is par for a new, very complex vehicle platform. Overall I love the vehicle and hope to have it for many years.

 

[mtnyeti]

I'm actually glad to hear you've experienced the "shudder" (not that it's a good thing). I've noticed the same circumstances you mentioned leading up to the shudder. It must just be a Land Rover oddity, but I also love the vehicle and am very happy with the purchase. Before the LR3 I had an '04 Disco II with many mods and find the LR3 to be a more capable vehicle as a daily driver with the occasional multiday trip into the wilds. Also a bigger engine with better gas mileage... only one of many improvements. The road noise is bothersome though for a vehicle that is so quite otherwise. Have you thought about swapping tires yet?

 

[Nomad]

MTNYETI,
I thought you would like to see a post from another sight that gave me the idea of being able to put a 285/60/R18. (http://www.muddyoval.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1199&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0) This guy does an extensive review (I love land rover folk) of the Sumitomo HTR Sport A/T. Of course he says they dont rub or anything. It does give him a plus change in diameter of 1.5 inches. I am really thinking of getting the Terra Grapplers in this size...any comments or concerns???

Together we shall beet this lack of All Terrain rubber for this incredible vehicles (i have the se).

Thanks,
Nomad

 

[jptruck]

I've had the same problem on my vehicle. It continues to persist and I'm going to get it re-evaluated at the first oil service. See below for details:

http://www.landroverworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1812&highlight=jptruck

 

[Nomad]

Lets see that picture Mtnyeti...you are going to make LR3 history as the first documented Terra Grapler user. Make em detailed please ;D

Thanks a ton though,
Nomad