Road vibrations in pedal/floor

[retension]

Is it normal to experience road vibrations in the pedal and floor? I've owned my car for about a month now (it's a used 2011) and it has brand new tires on it, but the past week or two it seems these road vibrations have worsened.. it's like I can feel the texture of the road on my feet. If I reach a freshly paved area it goes away like magic.

Is this indicative of a problem that I could have the dealer investigate? Or is this a "characteristic" of this car? I came from a 97 Corolla, with the exact same tires on it, and it did not have this problem at all. Then again, it was also much much quieter going over bumps too...

[Em-squared]

I never felt vibrating through the pedal on my 2011. The only "sensation" you should ever feel is when the traction control is engaging.

[Don67]

Fine vibrations on some road surfaces are to be expected in a lightweight, barely-insulated car like the Elantra. But I'm gonna go out on a limb here and speculate that those brand-new tires are either snow tires or cheap tires. What brand are they?

Other possibilities: Defective or cupped tire treads can cause vibration. Large pulsations in the steering wheel at highway speeds suggests imbalanced wheels or out-of-round rims. Shaking when you step on the brakes suggests warped rotors.

Let us know how you make out.

Don

[craigbrooks]

What is the air pressure in those tires? Any of them low or do you see a missing wheel weight somewhere?

[ialeem]

As a temporary solution you can try wearing thicker shoes.

[retension]

The pressure is 36 in all four tires. I did notice there are no wheel weights on the front two tires. Is that common? Maybe I should call the tire place and ask them to check it out.

I don't notice steering wheel vibration on the highway, however I do feel vibrations in my seat and the center armrest when going over ~65mph.

And they are Nexen brand tires which weren't the cheapest tires available but far from high-end. I had the same tires on my old car though and didn't have this problem, so I don't think this is a characteristic of the tires themselves.

[FloridaGator]

Originally Posted by retension

The pressure is 36 in all four tires. I did notice there are no wheel weights on the front two tires. Is that common? Maybe I should call the tire place and ask them to check it out.

I don't notice steering wheel vibration on the highway, however I do feel vibrations in my seat and the center armrest when going over ~65mph.

And they are Nexen brand tires which weren't the cheapest tires available but far from high-end. I had the same tires on my old car though and didn't have this problem, so I don't think this is a characteristic of the tires themselves.

If your tire pressure is 36 psi when cold, that is a little high IMO. I usually run 34 psi measured cold. 32 psi is frequently recommended.

Wheel weights are frequently placed on the back side of the wheel/rim whenever possible to achieve balance.

If you have vibrations at >65 mph you are probably out of balance.

[leokatero]

The only "sensation" you should ever feel is when the traction control is engaging.

[Em-squared]

Originally Posted by leokatero

The only "sensation" you should ever feel is when the traction control is engaging.

That's exactly what I said!

[OkieRich]

Originally Posted by retension

...however I do feel vibrations in my seat and the center armrest when going over ~65mph...