For 1990-2009 cars

# Scraping/Scrunching Noise from Front of Vehicle During Low Speed Turning and Braking (Clean Front Wheels and Replace Front Tires Only)

Subject: | Scraping/Scrunching Noise From Front of Vehicle During Low Speed Turning and Braking (Clean the Front Wheels and Replace Front Tires Only)

Models: | 1999-2002 Oldsmobile Alero

| 1999-2002 Pontiac Grand Am

| with RPO QSK (Goodyear® Eagle™ RSA Tires) or RPO QQK (Goodyear® Eagle™ LS Tires)

Built Prior To the Following VIN Breakpoints:

VIN | Tire
--- | ---
2C250655 | with Goodyear® Eagle™ RSA Tires Prior to DOT #M6WXAWE0502
2M655421
2C283578 | with Goodyear® Eagle™ LS Tires Prior to DOT #PDWXC5E1002
2M689350

### Condition

Some customers may comment on a noise from the front of the vehicle during low speed cornering, braking and parking lot maneuvers. The noise sounds like a scrunching/scraping noise. ONLY vehicles equipped with 16 inch (406 mm) aluminum wheels with Goodyear® Eagle™ RSA or Goodyear® Eagle™ LS tires are affected.

### Cause

This condition may be caused by raised ribs on the tire sidewall contacting the rim flange and creating an audible noise during vehicle cornering maneuvers. The rubbing action may cause minor cosmetic chafing on the rim flange, but will have no negative affect on the tire/wheel performance or durability.

### Correction

#### Diagnosis

• | The vehicle will be equipped with 16 inch (406 mm) aluminum wheels with Goodyear® Eagle™ RSA or Goodyear® Eagle™ LS tires ONLY.

• | The noise is commonly misdiagnosed as a faulty front wheel bearing or worn front brake pads.

• | Raise the front tire pressure to 303 kPa (44 psi) or substitute the front tire/wheel assemblies with a known good set and road test the vehicle. If the noise is reduced or eliminated, the tire to wheel interface is the cause.

Follow the service procedure below to correct this condition.

#### Service Procedure

1. Raise the vehicle. Refer to Lifting and Jacking the Vehicle in the General Information subsection of the Service Manual (SI Document ID #632491).
2. Remove both front tire wheel assemblies from the vehicle. Refer to Tire and Wheel Removal and Installation in the Tire and Wheels subsection of the Service Manual (SI Document ID #702013).
3. Remove all the wheel weights and dismount both front tires from the wheels. Refer to Tire Mounting and Dismounting in the Tire and Wheels subsection of the Service Manual (SI Document ID #290800).

Important: DO NOT remove metal material from the flange area while cleaning the flange area.

4. Clean the inner and outer wheel flange area with a ScotchBrite™ General Purpose Pad - Marron 3M®, P/N 051131-37447, or equivalent, and Brake Parts Cleaner, GM P/N 12346139 (in Canada, P/N 10653463).

Important: The GG grooves (railroad track type markings) on the tire side walls are for appearance only and DO NOT affect the tire/wheel performance.

5. Inspect the side walls of the tires for GG grooves near the bead. If the tires have GG grooves, the tires require replacement.
6. Replace the front tires ONLY with non-GG grooved tires. Refer to Tire Mounting and Dismounting in the Tire and Wheels subsection of the Service Manual (SI Document ID #290800).
7. Re-balance the front tires. Refer to Tire and Wheel Assembly Balancing - Off Vehicle in the Vibration Correction subsection of the Service Manual (SI Document ID #664222).
8. Install both front tire/wheel assemblies on the vehicle. Refer to Tire and Wheel Removal and Installation in the Tire and Wheels subsection of the Service Manual (SI Document ID #702013).

Important: When ordering tires, be sure to request tires built AFTER the DOT numbers listed in the VIN breakpoint table at the beginning of this bulletin.

9. For vehicles repaired under General Motors Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty (In Canada, Total Warranty), refer to Corporate Bulletin Number 00-03-10-003B (SI Document ID #796375). Dealers in Canada refer to Corporate Bulletin Number 01-03-10-003.

### Parts Information

Obtain tires from your local tire distributor or contact Goodyear® Tire & Rubber Co. at 1-888-OE Service (1-888-637-3784), (in Canada 1-800-387-3288).

### Warranty Information

For vehicles repaired under warranty, use:

Labor Operation | Description | Labor Time
--- | --- | ---
E0431* | Clean Both Front Wheels and Replace Both Front Tires | 0.9 hr
*This labor operation is for use with this bulletin only. It will not be printed in the Labor Time Guide.