2008 vs 2006 Convertible Question - Saab Forums

tonyp54 · #1 02-01-2009, 06:22 AM

I just traded and '06 for an '08 but so far I'm disappointed with the ride. The '06 was solid as a rock at all speeds, which was one of the things that impressed me most with that vehicle. The '08 by comparison is not nearly as solid at highway speeds. It feels jittery, as if the tires are out of balance. I'm going to have the balance checked out this week but am wondering if this is due to a stiffer suspension or some other design difference as compared to the '06. Hopefully this is not the case but I've never had a brand new car where the wheels were not properly balanced. Has anyone else experienced this issue?

Saab Fahrer · #2 02-01-2009, 09:35 AM

How long have you been driving the car? When cars sit on the lots for several months and sometimes a year, the tires become flatspotted. Sometimes it takes several hundred miles for them to go away, and sometimes they don't recover. If you do take them to get balanced, make sure you have at least put a few hundred miles on them first, and then find a place that can do whats called "Road Force Variation". Its a tire balancer that has a loaded roller that simulates road load and finds hard spots in the tire. Any tire that exceeds 26 lbs of RFV can either be match mounted or replaced under factory warranty.

tonyp54 · #3 02-04-2009, 06:02 PM

Thanks, I never heard that before. I have about 500 miles now so if that's the case it should start getting better soon I imagine. I'll give it a couple of more weeks before bringing it in for balancing. Thanks for the reply.