I learned my lesson

[Finklejag]

I bought a 06 Acura TL from my friend last year and the first thing I did was install 4 new tires on it. A few months after that I wanted to replace the wheels because they were so curbed. They looked like my friend parked by Braille. I liked the looks of the simple 5 spoke stock wheels so I bought some replica wheels that can use the oem center cap and ball seat lug nuts. I wanted to save money and not deal with the crowds at my local Discount Tire so I went on the other side of the tracks to get the new wheels installed. They installed them quickly and at a below market price, win win.

I had the front struts and lower control arms replaced right after the wheels. The steering wheel still had a slight vibration while at highway speed. The car is 16 years old with 163,000 miles. I know the other front suspension components are worn out. I decided to keep the car another year since the new car market is still terrible. I replaced the remaining front suspension components and had an alignment. The slight steering wheel vibration was still there. So I made an appointment at Discount, where I bought the tires to have all 4 tires rebalance on their Road Force machine. The tech said they were 3oz off, I would assume that was total for all 4 tires? I can’t see each tire being 3oz off. When I got home I removed the tires to clean off the old weight residue and noticed the weights on both sides of the wheel. One side had 1oz and the other had 3/4oz. The first tire shop only put weights on one side of the wheel.

I didn’t have any vibration through the steering wheel on the drive home, it was super smooth. I learned my lesson, cheap and quick isn’t always the right decision to make, especially with something that is important like car tires.

 

[dishdude]

Sounds like the first shop did a static balance to prevent putting weights on the outside of your new rims. Looks better, but not as accurate. They probably thought you were concerned about aesthetics since you had brand new wheels.

 

[92saturnsl2]

On vehicles of mine that have had fancy wheels, installers/balancers usually used stick-on weights placed on the inside of the wheel. Those seemed to work fine and I didn't have any more issues with those as I've had with poor balance on outside/inside mounted weights.

Some installers just don't get them right, and I concur that it seems to be the cheaper shops that I've had the most problems with.

 

[Finklejag]

Sounds like the first shop did a static balance to prevent putting weights on the outside of your new rims. Looks better, but not as accurate. They probably thought you were concerned about aesthetics since you had brand new wheels.

I guess I worded that wrong. Both set of weights are on the inside but on different sides of the barrel.

 

[atikovi]

Sounds like the first shop did a static balance to prevent putting weights on the outside of your new rims. Looks better, but not as accurate.

Can't imagine any shop has done static balancing in over 30 years in this country. Maybe they do it in the 3rd world, but not here. And any spin balancer can be set to mount the weights to the inside of the wheel. It may take a little more weight, but it balances out the same.

 

[chainblu]

The spin balancers I used to work with had a static balance setting. It would place the weight in one spot (usually set up for the inside) and called it good. Most of the time it was for older, big truck rims that had nowhere else to put the weight.

 

[Traction]

The width of the wheel and tire make a big difference between the static and dynamic imbalance. On narrower wheels like with trailer tires I just static balance. Everything else gets a fine dynamic balance to 1/8 ounce or less in fine mode on a road force balancer. I have found that a good balance works, even with tires up to even 40lbs of road force. Also, residual static imbalance is important. A wheel can come up with all zeros on the dynamic display in coarse balance mode, but the static imbalance can show up to over a 1/2 ounce which will get worse over the miles. Static imbalance gives you the bounce once per revolution, and dynamic imbalance will be more like a shimmy at twice per revolution.

 

[JHZR2]

I’ve had a few sets of tires that had a wobble, and where a well trained tech in a good tire shop has done wonders.

Other vehicle/tires don’t make a bit of difference.

One set is on my 82 MB 300CD which has special 15” chrome bundt wheels. Theyre designed to have weights on the outside, I didn’t want that. The only solution was a RF balance. One tire wouldn’t even balance. I’ve had one Cooper and one no name that Turkish Michelin copy that came on my 300sd that wouldn’t balance…

 

[thunderous1335]

Can't imagine any shop has done static balancing in over 30 years in this country. Maybe they do it in the 3rd world, but not here. And any spin balancer can be set to mount the weights to the inside of the wheel. It may take a little more weight, but it balances out the same.

You don't get out much. Static balancing happens often with big A/T or LT tires and **** wheels

They will never have good dynamic balancing.

 

[atikovi]

I have trucks with LT tires and always spin balance them. Never a problem.

 

[thunderous1335]

I have trucks with LT tires and always spin balance them. Never a problem.

Can these types of tires be dynamically balanced? Sure. Just going to take way too many weights and be inefficient time-wise. The old trucks with trash suspension don't notice the static balancing.

 

[atikovi]

Can these types of tires be dynamically balanced? Sure. Just going to take way too many weights and be inefficient time-wise. The old trucks with trash suspension don't notice the static balancing.

Huh? It takes as many weights as it's necessary to balance it properly. And a trash suspension is a separate issue altogether.

 

[thunderous1335]

Huh? It takes as many weights as it's necessary to balance it properly. And a trash suspension is a separate issue altogether.

Again, putting on tons of weights to make it 0.00 and 0.00 doesn't count as having no problems balancing.

 

[atikovi]

Then you have a bent wheel.