Wheel tracking/balancing issue

dts_boy

Right, I am no expert (as I am sure the below will give away!) but my wife's car has had a niggling fault for a while now.
Its a 2010 honda crv and between 70-80mph there is a slight vibration through the steering wheel.
If you look at the stance of the car (when parked) you can visibly see that the tyres sit on a different camber  - front tyres slightly turned out and I think the rears look ok but I could be wrong.
I changed the front tyres earlier this year and paid to have the tracking looked at.  They said they got it right but was well out before.  wheels were supplied, balanced and tracked by national tyres.
It was sold like this by Honda and there was some warranty work they carried out after we bought it 2nd hand last year but any warranty is now gone.
My wife doesn't really do long journeys, 2-3 miles on a roads everyday but we have a few longer trips coming up and I want to get this sorted.
Should I take it into honda to be looked at or is this something national tyres can sort? I don't feel I can trust either really, I am very close to a halfords as well if they are up to this kind of work?

Any advice/words of wisdom?!

DOBLY

Sounds like you need a full 4 wheel alignment.  Many tyre places or garages could do it, but it is best to go to an independent that has the correct facilities:
Align My Car
ask for Hunter 4 wheel alignment : What is a Hunter Alignment? | Align My Car

gibbo52

Tracking (wheel alignment) doesn't cause vibration, it could be balance or something else, I'd take it to a garage tell them the problem and let them sort it.

DOBLY

^ It could be something as simple as a wheel weight has been thrown off, a wheel bearing on the way out, but could be a sub-optimal suspension setting following a minor kerbing.
A decent place will be able to sort all of these issues.

dts_boy

Thanks all.
I work close to a national tyres and a halfords autocentre - these would be preferred simply because I am lazy. Who would you trust more?

dmpzsn

I wouldn't trust halfords from the reports I've heard. Not sure about national as I haven't used them.

Matt_C

I agree with Dolby about the Hunter's set up - I wouldn't use anything else now. And for that reason alone I wouldn't got to a Halfords or National Tyres for anything other than tyres and balance. And even then I'd be dubious.

Wheel balance is very basic - it simply spins on a machine that points out where one side of the wheel is heavier than the other, and a weight is put in place to compensate. But what it can't do is tell you if the wheel is buckled or has a flat spot. It only spins up to a certain speed/rev so will only point out so much - what might appear, at low revolutions (for example 40mph), to be an imbalance that's "fixed" with a weight could actually be a flat spot on the wheel or slight buckle. This shows up at a much higher revolution, in your case around 70-80mph.

It can also be suspension, as he later points out, with either a worn component like a bush or a bad set up. You can test this simply by swapping the front and back wheels. If the steering wheel vibration goes away, then you know it's the road wheel; if the steering wheel vibration remains, it's probably suspension related.

Lastly, it could be a brake problem. Slightly binding caliper(s) or a "warped" disc (discs don't actually warp anymore - nor bend - but you can get the same effect from having pad deposits stuck to the disc face and uneven wear due to either a sticking caliper or after a heavy emergency brake to full stop). This can show up at higher wheel speeds and revolutions and only be noticeable at higher speeds than lower.

dts_boy

I have spoken with a local honda specialist and described the issue. He said its likely to be the drive shaft as its a common issue.  Around £700 for a new one - eek! have done some googling and indeed there are a few threads detailing the same kind of problems I am having.  
Given the car is now out of warranty I guess Honda are going to be no help, sounds like the specialist is the way forward then.

Bl4ckGryph0n

I’d have thought that a drive shaft vibration is a lot more violent compared to other types of vibrations. And likely most notable under load.

I would take the advise given earlier and get a proper specialist with training on Hunter involved. I’m lucky that one of the best in the country at Black Boots is not too far away. My dealer under warranty “corrected” it according the specs, and then called it a characteristic. But the guys only do it to spec. A specialist does it to what your car needs.