Tundra Steel Wheel Problem – Snow and Ice Can Cause Vibrations

Tire and wheel balance is an important aspect of ensuring that your driveline is free of any annoying vibrations or steering pulls while traveling at speed. Most of us have experienced a situation where a balancing weight has fallen off of one of our front rims and introduced an annoying shake that can be felt through the steering wheel. There may have been other times, however, where you have encountered unexplained wheel vibrations that seem to come and go while shrouded entirely in mystery.

Tundra steel wheels have a narrow lip that can collect ice and create wheel balance havoc

This is particularly true if you live in a northern climate where snow and ice are a regular feature of winter weather. If the stars align just right – and by stars, I mean weather conditions and driving habits – then you might fall victim to wheel unbalancing as a result of the elements.

Let me explain. The stock Toyota Tundra steel rims are designed with an interior lip that is almost invisible while the wheels are installed on the truck, but which can be seen after removing and reversing the units. This lip looks fairly harmless, and indeed it is, if the region you call home has mild winters. In colder areas, however, this lip has the unfortunate propensity to catch snow and ice and hold it there, where its weight unbalances the wheel and can in worst case scenarios make the truck completely undrivable at speeds of more than 45 miles per hour.

How does it happen? If a Tundra wearing a set of these steel rims is driven through snow that is high enough on the ground to lodge within the suspension components, such as the front control arms, shocks and springs, then this snow can eventually melt while the vehicle is parked and re-freeze after it has dripped down and pooled on the lip. Stuck to the cold steel of the lip, the ice acts as a counter-weight and causes more and more vibration the faster it goes.

This issue was brought to our attention by reader Frank Jerkovich, who encountered the problem with his own Tundra, especially when driving in wet snow which also sticks to the inside of the rim’s lip. He related that Toyota’s answer to the problem was to introduce a new steel rim design. A friend of his complained about the vibrations to his dealership and was sold a new set of rims that did not feature the offending lip. If you have experienced this type of vibration – one that seemingly comes and goes with the weather and snowfall – it’s worth checking in with your own local dealer to see if they can help you install a better set of wheels on your Tundra.

Toyota’s steel wheel is far from the only rim design to display this particular issue. Wheels which offer small nooks for snow to become embedded in, such as those that features a “honeycomb” pattern, or wheels with multiple split spokes can suffer from the same type of problem. It’s also possible to experience similar vibration issues if too much snow becomes lodged in your truck’s suspension after fording through a particularly deep drift. The next time you encounter an unusual winter vibration in your Tundra’s steering wheel, consider taking it to a warm garage and having its underside and wheels hosed down. This should remove the accumulated snow and ice and hopefully improve the truck’s drivability.

Special thanks to Frank for bringing this to our attention!