05 S60 T5 FWD auto w/ 17″ stock wheels now with Conti’s, 16″ steel wheels with Blizzaks, car now has 80k on it, symptom has been going for more than a year. I’m the second owner, bought it from a grandma with 16k on it, I avoid every pothole, road debris etc. Sorry for the long post but hopefully someone can pick out a detail that helps, I have lifetime alignment and you’ll see how it’s paid off.
Get car aligned and inspected at Firestone, they say the brakes are low but pass it.
I order Volvo OEM rotors and Akebono ceramic pads (fronts only). While they are being shipped my car develops a vibration at highway speeds, Firestone says its probably warped rotors and I should replace them. They want me to use their crappy aftermarket parts and I say no. I park the car until the parts arrive.
Bring my car with my new rotors and pads to my local indy Volvo specialist, he puts the car in the air and thinks the front end is shot because the driver’s wheel is loose. But then he notices that one lug nut is missing and the other 4 are loose. I say whatever, and have him put the new brakes in, order a replacement lug.
I tell Firestone, they say they’re sorry, offer to pay for the new lug. I’m not worried about the $5 because they service both my Volvo’s and are extremely nice.
With new brakes installed the car still vibrates. I notice the tire that was on the driver side front is bald on only the outer 2 inches of the tire, like a strip of rubber is missing. These were 1 year old Hankook Ventus V12 Evo tires that I loved. Bring the car to Firestone, get another alignment, they say I need new tires because one is wrecked.
It’s almost winter so I say forget it, and plan to buy new tires next year. I put on my separate set of steel wheels with Blizzak tires that never vibrated before in their life, get an alignment. The car still vibrates.
I bring it to Firestone, they say the wheels aren’t balanced. I have them balanced. Car still vibrates.
A day later, I bring it to Dunn Tire, they say the wheels aren’t balanced. I have them balanced again. Car still vibrates.
I bring the car back to Firestone, tell them the tires had to be balanced by someone else. They check out the tires and say one is out of round and is causing vibration. They say the tires (now 2 years old) are too old and have gone bad, and need replacing. They tell me the bad tire is causing vibration, can’t find anything mechanically wrong. I ask why the summer wheels and winter wheels all have vibration and they have no idea. I did not buy new tires, I drove all winter long with the vibration. The tires ended the season with even wear.
I put my summer wheels on, have vibration, get an alignment. Vibration is still there. Bring it to my local indy Volvo specialist, they cant figure out the vibration. Says there are no mechanical problems.
I bring the car to a different chain, they can’t find the cause of vibration.
I bring the car to Firestone, explain the problem and that I don’t blame them, I just want an answer. They can’t find the cause of vibration.
I give up, bring the car to Volvo, explain the whole thing. They charge $150 for a “diagnosis” of needed new tires, since one tire is unsafe. They say that will fix the vibration.
I buy nice Conti ExtremeContact tires, get an alignment. Vibration still exists.
Bring the car back to Volvo, Firestone, the other chain, Dunn Tire, and my Indy Volvo mechanic. No one can find the cause of the problem.
I buy new lugnuts. I have a difficult time getting the lugs out from the driver wheel because they are so tight. Observe that the lugnuts from the front driver wheel are damaged. The first couple threads closest to the head of the bolt (i.e. pointing away from the car) are ruined. I put in new lugs, vibration still exists.
I have my machinist neighbor use a fancy precision tool to check out the wheels, they are totally round, have no bends, and are perfect (except for minor curb rash from previous owner).
I quickly sand the hub side of the wheel and where it meets up with the rotor hat to eliminate any surface rust. Vibration still exists.
So bottom line, no one can find the cause of my highway vibration (they even stop charging me for diagnostic fees). Everything mechanical is original to the car, the suspension and half shafts, driveshaft etc. has been checked out thoroughly. I’ve added a strut tower mount and added poly bushings for the engine brace, the suspension is other wise stock.
With multiple sets of wheels, new tires, proper rotation, and alignments every few months I still have the highway vibration. I really can’t afford the “shotgun” approach of replacing parts and hoping it helps, but I’m willing to follow logic.
If I had to replace a part I would do the wheel bearing/hub assembly on that wheel. I can’t really think of what else could be affected that would cause such a vibration.
Please help. I love my Volvo, but I can’t stand the vibration.