Altima 2.5 SL L4-2.5L (QR25DE) (2002)
Tires: All Technical Service Bulletins
Tires - Steering/Body Vibration
Classification:
ST01-002
Reference:
NTB01-082
Date:
November 26, 2001
2002 ALTIMA; STEERING/BODY VIBRATION DUE TO TIRE
FLAT-SPOTTING
APPLIED VEHICLE:
2002 Altima (L31)
SERVICE INFORMATION
If a 2002 Altima exhibits steering and/or body vibration while driving (without braking) at highway speeds, the cause may be due to tire flat-spotting.
Use the Service Procedure in this bulletin to identify and resolve this incident, if it should occur.
General Notes/Tips on Noise and Vibration:
Road Input (Road Surface Imperfections);
This bulletin does not apply to vibration complaints due to waves, cracks, expansion joints, and other imperfections that may exist on the surface of the
road.
By road testing a known good vehicle with the same size tires on the same road and comparing vibration levels to the incident vehicle, it is possible to
confirm if the incident vibration is due to road input.
Low Profile Tires
The 2002 Altima (L31) is equipped with low profile tires: 17" rim with 55 aspect ratio or 16" rim with 65 aspect ratio.
^
In recent years customers have demanded low profile tires because of their appealing style and better handling performance.
^
However, low profile tires/wheels are less capable of absorbing road input vibration and road noise than high profile tires.
^
Therefore, low profile tires/wheels can cause greater level of vibration and road noise.
^
All tires flat-spot to varying degrees, however low profile tires are more sensitive to the effects of flat-spotting.
Notes/Tips On Tire Flat-Spotting
Vehicle Storage Effect On Tire Flat-Spotting:
Two types of tire flat-spotting may occur;
^
short-period cold-weather related flat-spotting
^
long-period storage-related flat-spotting
The following are descriptions of both types; Short-Period Cold-Related Flat-Spotting;
This type of flat-spotting may occur when a vehicle is parked or stored for short periods of time (i.e. overnight parking or airport parking, etc., for up to
3 weeks).
Tires usually recover quickly from "cold" flat-spots.
If the cause of the vibration is due to short-period flat-spotting, balancing the tire/wheel will not resolve the vibration.
Long-Period Storage-Related Flat-Spotting: