Steering "Sway" after new tire install

Ok, so this is officially my first thread and I am not totally sure if this is the correct forum to post this in but I think so...

I just recently (about 2 weeks ago) put new Mastercraft Courser AXT's on my '13 DCLB TRD Sport. Everything is stock on the truck as I am currently leasing it.

I replaced the original tires with these due to living in NH and having to deal with snow as well as dirt roads and some off-road time collecting fire wood etc. I replaced with the same size tires as came with the truck, 265/65 R17's so as not to mess with any warranty issues etc. I love the tires for their traction and the smooth ride.

The issue I seem to be having is what I will call "sway" on the highway where the truck seems to want to pull one way or the other as the tires "catch" on the grooves in the travel lane. I feel like I am constantly correcting where the truck wants to go. I don't feel this as much as low speeds (below 45mph) but it is still there a bit.

My question to you all is this, do I have a mechanical issue or I am just being sensitive (yeah, yeah...have your fun ) to moving from an HT tire to an AT tire?

Any thoughts on this would help. Thanks.

 

Maybe try having the tires road forced balanced ? See if that helps?

 

What tire psi? Iirc high pressure can cause groove hunting, correct me if wrong.

 

Thanks for the thoughts guys. I don't think the balance is off as there is no vibration in the wheel at low or high speed. I will check the pressure, however with it being a high of 16°F today, they might read a little low this morning. They have not set off the TPMS though....should I be running them at the Toyota recommended 33 psi?

 

If the only thing that changed was the tires, and you didn't have that problem before, it must be the tires. Maybe if the load ranges are differnt between the old and new tires you might feel a difference. Higher load range tires have a thicker sidewall, I believe. It might just be a freak thing with that particular tire and the typical road conditions in your area.

 

Certain tire tread designs do tend to track grooves more than others. I used to run a set of pirelli p zero system tires on a sports car and it would every single groove on the road. They were great sticky tires, but it made for an unpleasant drive.

Do some research on these tires and see if other owners are reporting the same issue.

 

Thanks all. I will do the chalk test when I can see the pavement again! It is -15F this am so trying to get a real pressure reading will be tough. I checked hem yesterday afternoon when it was about 12 and they were running st about 24 psi or s hair under. Tacoma reccomended for my truck and same tire size is 29 psi. When it gets s little warmer I will check them again and top off to correct pressure if still off.

Thanks again for the thoughts.

 

Trammeling (what is happening) is usually caused by an alignment that has error in the toe settings. It can be exasperated by tread style.

Your old tires may have worn enough to 'counter' an alignment issue?

Pressures do matter as well. You loose about 1lb for each 10* drop.

However, pressure is pressure. What the gauge reads is what the pressure is at the current temp. So adjust the pressures accordingly, just remember to check (and bleed down) as the temperature recovers.

When was your last alignment? Do you know a quality shop? I'd personally shop for one, and skip the dealer or chain store ones, unless you know a tech who is well seasoned.

 

Clearwater, the truck was just in for it's 15K service at the Toyota dealer. They check the wear pattern on the old tires as well as the alignment on the truck. However, it is the dealer so what does "check" really mean sometimes...? I do have a local shop that I have been dealing with for several years prior to this truck. They are a small shop but know what they are doing and are reasonable in the $ category. I will make sure the pressure is where it should be and talk to them.

Thanks for the input.

 

Again thank you all for the input. Went and got the alignment and pressure checked by the folks who put the new tires on. Alignment was way off on the right front and pressures were low even according to them. Both now correct and it is MUCH better. Guess I know better now!

 

You're welcome.

Thanks for letting us know results. So many disappear and we never hear the end of the story, or what the final fix was.

Your statement, "Clearwater, the truck was just in for it's 15K service at the Toyota dealer. They check the wear pattern on the old tires as well as the alignment on the truck. However, it is the dealer so what does "check" really mean sometimes...?" is very revealing. Proving once again that most dealer checks are pretty worthless.

My guess is the looked at the tires (maybe) and didn't see enough of a wear issue to warrant trying to sell you new tires. And the only way that truck saw an alignment machine is if it passed by one on the way in and out of it's bay. IF they had actually checked the alignment (run it on the rack and taken a look at the current numbers) they would have told you that you needed an $xxx alignment. The actual work is not part of the 'service'.

Glad your driving problem is resolved!

What part of NH are you in? We have family in Newton & Manchester. Which I try hard to stay away from in winter!

 

We are in Lebanon which is right on the border with Vermont in the mid west of the state. It is about an hour and fifteen from Manchester. You definitely want to stay away today. 18" of snow forecast between today and tomorrow! Although it does mean I get to put the tires to the test again.....

Thanks again.