Am I overthinking getting my new tires balanced properly?

[SubLGT]

........After breaking down those not in spec and remounting them, one was still out of RF spec. It wasn't a tire they stocked, so he ordered one for the next day.

What tires? What is the RF spec for these tires? I'm surprised the DT manager spent the time to do a proper RF job.

 

[rstcso]

What tires? What is the RF spec for these tires? I'm surprised the DT manager spent the time to do a proper RF job.

Continental Extreme Contact DWS06+ in 255/45ZR20. Absolutely loving these tires on the Audi Q5. It came with Continentals, but a different tire model. These tires have amazing grip, but ride incredibly smooth. Hands down the best tires I've ever driven on for this application... and I've been a Michelin fanboy my whole life.

I don't know the official spec, but Discount's upper limit for RF was 35 before it showed red, out of spec.

BTW, check the tire pressure shown on their work order to install the tires. They showed a single value for front and back, I think it was 34psi, but Audi has different specs depending on the load. From one to three skinny-@ssed people, 29 front and rear. Anything over three skinny people, 33 front and 36 rear.

 

[justalubetech]

I understand your concern. I went through several sets of tires that were impossible to balance. Word of warning, buying tires online makes warranty claims super difficult if not impossible, yes, even in your scenario. Having had nothing but headaches with TireRack, DiscountTireDirect, DiscountTire, PepBoys, Firestone tirecenter and GoodYear tirecenter, I finally settled on my local Walmart tirecenter as the best place to buy and install tires. No drama, good service and super smooth ride. YMMV of course.

This is bad advice. Get the roadforce balance and document, document, document. If your tires shake, you will need to submit the RF values as evidence for warranty. Every tire manufacturer has different warranty requirements. General (=Continental) says any tire with RF reading of 18 lbs or less is "good." This is complete nonsense, even tires with 10lbs RF shake my front end violently, but it's their "standard". OEMs of course have much stricter standards and do not accept any wheel assembly from suppliers with RF over 2lbs.

Most tires these days only have a red dot. There are conflicting opinions about how the red dot should be lined up on the rim. Discount tire employees could not agree amongst themselves. It doesn't seem to matter. A well made tire won't care and a poorly made tire will remain way out of balance even after remounting with the dot on the other side of the rim.

I'm not sure where you're getting that OE's don't allow over 2lbs of RF - The Audi and GM bulletins there both say under 18? I've checked brand new takeoff OE Honda wheels/tires on our Hunter machine and even those are usually around 5-10

 

[eljefino]

Tire machines are calibrated just fine. What goes out of whack is the amplitude of the weight needed, so a machine might read a need for 1.5 ounces, but the tire could need 1.25, or 2.0. However, if you get a zero, the tire is balanced. Any halfway conscientious tech will give the assembly a re-spin after sticking the weights on to get a double-zero to confirm they did a good job.

What does go out of whack are the mechanical parts like the cones that center the wheel to the machine, and that jam things together properly. They get wear, and wouldn't you know it, they get particular wear at the common hub bore sizes! A better run tire store will be more vigilant about keeping this equipment in better condition, training the employees how to get a good fit, and hiring better people.

If OP or anyone wants a good experience, go in on a morning on a weekday and tip the tech in cash. Might seem unethical to "pay twice" but out of what you pay in "labor" on the receipt, the tech sees less than 20% of that. The attitude of tire stores is to mount tires and get them out the door, then they're "used", paid for, and any ride issues can be handled under warranty. They don't want the mechanic to interrupt the process to suggest getting a bent rim replaced, because that might scare the customer off, never for them to return. If the customer presents themselves as legitimately interested in getting a good ride and knowing the status of their rims, strike up a conversation-- the "car guys" working there will be thrilled to get someone who's not just another cheapskate who hates paying "the mechanic tax."

 

[SubLGT]

...........I don't know the official spec, but Discount's upper limit for RF was 35 before it showed red, out of spec.

An RFV of 35lb sounds high to me! Might be OK for a 3/4 ton pickup truck. My local Subaru dealer has their Hunter balancer set at 18lb.

 

[z71bill]

I recently bought a set of tires at Discount Tire. whom I've used for many years. I watched as they did the balance and road force test. Two of the four failed the RF, but the guy doing the balance said it was close enough, and started to put the tires on the car. I went and had a chat with one of the assistant managers who came out and did all four tires again. After breaking down those not in spec and remounting them, one was still out of RF spec. It wasn't a tire they stocked, so he ordered one for the next day.

The next day before doing anything, the same manager went through Hunter's field calibration process using a different machine. This took 5-10 minutes, which is an eternity for Discount Tire. He proceeded to rebalance all four wheels, and the one that he ordered the tire for, had a RF value of 13. The other three needed their weights to be moved to different locations, but all four checked good on RF. I didn't ask for the tire he ordered to be installed, since I saw that it passed. It's been about a month now, and things are going pretty good.

What tires?

 

[rstcso]

What tires?

Continental Extreme Contact DWS06+ in 255/45ZR20.