Sometimes, friendly rivalry between Tesla drivers can lead to unexpected drama—and that’s exactly what happened to Gabriel Weisser, a Cybertruck owner from Greer, South Carolina.
Gabriel recently shared a wild story in the Cybertruck Owners Only Facebook group, and it’s got the Tesla community buzzing.
A Tesla Showdown on the Highway
According to Gabriel, he was cruising down the road in his performance Cybertruck when a Tesla Model Y driver began taunting him. Feeling the challenge, Gabriel hit the accelerator and pushed his Cybertruck past 90 mph.
That’s when things took a turn—literally.
“I punched it, and when I hit 90 mph, there was a death wobble coming out of the front end,” Gabriel wrote.
If you’ve never heard of a “death wobble,” it’s exactly what it sounds like: an intense shaking or vibration from the front of the vehicle that can be alarming and even dangerous at high speeds.
Not Just a One-Time Fluke
Naturally concerned, Gabriel turned to fellow Cybertruck owners for answers.
“Has anyone felt this before?” he asked.
The responses started pouring in.
“Was There Snow in the Wheel?”
Theories started flying. Some owners asked if snow might be to blame.
Cybertruck owner Sean Fitzgerald suggested:
“Was there snow in the wheel?”
Gabriel quickly shut that idea down:
“There is no snow in South Carolina.”
Fair point.
“How Bad Was the Death Wobble?”
Next, Erik Moore from Seward, Alaska chimed in, shocked to hear about the issue.
“How bad was the death wobble? Did you have to slow down to almost a stop?”
Gabriel responded:
“No, when I slowed down to about 70 mph, the death wobble stopped. I tested it again, and I got the same result.”
At this point, Gabriel started investigating potential causes himself. He first checked for loose lug nuts—but everything was tight.
“Did You Run Over Highway Cones?”
Trying to lighten the mood, another owner, Roger Lewis, joked:
“Were there a bunch of highway cones that you ran over?”
Funny, but Gabriel confirmed this wasn’t the case. And since the wobble happened twice under the same conditions, road debris wasn’t likely the cause either.
So, what was?
The Foam Tire Theory
That’s when a new theory popped up—and it started making a lot of sense.
Tesla owner Bob Higginbotham suggested:
“I had loose foam in the front tire, and it was horrible.”
Another owner added:
“Probably the foam in the tires came loose. This happened to our Tesla Model Y Performance. We tried balancing the tires twice. Ultimately, the Tesla technician removed the foam.”
Turns out, this might be the real issue.
Gabriel responded:
“I think you’re right. My brother-in-law works for Michelin, and he walked up while I was checking the torque on my lug nuts and said, ‘Hey, those are foam-filled tires.’”
What Exactly Are Foam-Filled Tires?
Tesla uses foam-filled tires in some models to reduce road noise. However, if the foam inside becomes unglued or shifts, it can throw off the balance of the tire—especially at high speeds—and lead to vibrations like the one Gabriel experienced.
This issue has been reported before in other Tesla models, including the Model Y, which makes it even more likely that Gabriel’s death wobble was caused by the same thing.
Lesson Learned? Don’t Let the Model Y Get in Your Head
While Gabriel may have been taunted into accelerating, this encounter ended with more questions than bragging rights. His post served as a reminder that even the mighty Cybertruck isn’t immune to performance hiccups—especially if your tires are secretly misbehaving.
At the end of the day, it’s not just about horsepower or torque—it’s about balance, literally.
Have you ever experienced a “death wobble” in your Tesla or any other vehicle? Do you think foam-filled tires are worth the trouble? Let us know in the comments.
