Re-Balance & 1/2oz diff.

[Errtt]

Just got back from having my tires rotated & re-balanced. DT says the back tires were each 1/2oz out.
I have 6k on the tires (General Grabber HTS - RAV-4).

So since no weights were lost, is it the tire wear from new causing the 1/2oz difference? The front tires were okay. Curious

Only other thing I can think of was maybe the two balanced on a different machine when bought new (fronts on one machine, back on another like machine, two different workers), or maybe when new the tech figured 1/2oz is close enough, today different guy wanted them closer. I don't know what they try to balance them to.

Anyway I took them in for 6k instead of 7-10 because I was starting to get a hum in the cold morning at highway speeds. Hope this takes the hum away. Oh, alignment was done last Oct.

Service - DT said they see no visual problems, but if I'm unhappy (not the case, yet) they will put on a new set, or a different tire, whatever it takes to make the customer happy; their offer, not my idea - not bad service if you ask me.
But I did forget to tell them not to put that stupid shiny stuff on the tires, yeah I forgot. That one is on me.

 

[Turk]

How many degrees were the new weights put on at from the old weights?

Were the new weights put on at the same distances away from the old weights on both tires?

 

[eljefino]

There's a setting on some machines for an economy mode that rounds off 1/2 oz. Sometimes gives you one weight instead of two.

 

[Johnny248]

You can balance a wheel, take it off the balancer, mount it back on the balancer, spin it again and have it off a little bit. These things are not 100% prefect, but to be honest, a 1/2 oz will rarely be felt while driving.

 

[Errtt]

Originally Posted By: tpitcher
How many degrees were the new weights put on at from the old weights?

Were the new weights put on at the same distances away from the old weights on both tires?


I don't know - something like that didn't come to mind to ask

Thanks

 

[Errtt]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
There's a setting on some machines for an economy mode that rounds off 1/2 oz. Sometimes gives you one weight instead of two.

I didn't look close at the machines in the bays. But looking from the waiting area through the window, I did see where the tech was removing one of the wheels and I could see the display on the machine had "OK" on the left side, and again "OK" on the right side of the panel display. Big green and bold - even Mr. Magoo could have read it, well I could without my glasses.
Then a suburban got pulled in to block my view.

 

[Errtt]

Originally Posted By: Johnny248
You can balance a wheel, take it off the balancer, mount it back on the balancer, spin it again and have it off a little bit. These things are not 100% prefect, but to be honest, a 1/2 oz will rarely be felt while driving.

Yeah I asked about a half ounce and he said I probably wouldn't notice.
I also asked if when cold if that might make a bit of hum from the compound. He didn't think so with the grabber HTS construction. Pressure set as recommended and tires are sized for the vehicle.

 

[CapriRacer]

It may be a little easrly, but perhaps you were getting some irregular wear (the humming). That could account for some of the difference.

Also, be aware that balance machines are normally set up to show 1/4 oz round off, so the actual amount could have been 0.39 oz - which rounds off to 1.2 oz.

 

[HWEaton]

Seriously, balancing tires is can easily become teh single most bizarre things that can cause an OCD tire tech to drink.
Today I mounted and balanced a new set of Mastercraft LTR's, LT265/75/R16 10 plies on aluminum Ford 8 bolt rims for an F-350. Took the old tires off, new stems, stripped off the old weights, cleaned the rims to a shiny perfection, mounted the new tires, and the very first tire I spun came up 2.25 on the inside, 1.75 out. Spin again after placing weights, and it came up .50 a quarter off each way. Place them on, spin again. Now it wants 1.50 inside another quarter turn inside and 2 outside?!?!??!?!?

Strip all the weight off and spin again. Calls for 2.0 out and in. Place them on where it says to and they zero out.

And all I could think was 3 more to go....

 

[190E26FTW]

Should also have the place doing the balancing of the tires recalibrate their machines. I believe there is a long and short process and most opt for the short one to save time. I actually had a problem with new Micheline Primacys being all out of whack. Balanced 5 times. 4 times at this store and another at another store of the same chain. Turned out both stores had balancing machines that were out of spec. The manager re-calibrated the machine and it was perfect. No more shimmying at 60-90mph. Trust me they will try to blame you and your car when you complain sometimes.

 

[Colt45ws]

Originally Posted By: HWEaton
Seriously, balancing tires is can easily become teh single most bizarre things that can cause an OCD tire tech to drink.
Today I mounted and balanced a new set of Mastercraft LTR's, LT265/75/R16 10 plies on aluminum Ford 8 bolt rims for an F-350. Took the old tires off, new stems, stripped off the old weights, cleaned the rims to a shiny perfection, mounted the new tires, and the very first tire I spun came up 2.25 on the inside, 1.75 out. Spin again after placing weights, and it came up .50 a quarter off each way. Place them on, spin again. Now it wants 1.50 inside another quarter turn inside and 2 outside?!?!??!?!?

Strip all the weight off and spin again. Calls for 2.0 out and in. Place them on where it says to and they zero out.

And all I could think was 3 more to go....

Glad to know it not just the machines Im using.
Sometimes, Ill use my brain a bit a guesstimate a correction for something like that. If its 180* off, thats a simple and easy correction to make. But if it wants .50 90* off where I just put one, Ill move the weight over maybe 30* and add a .25. Usually works out. If that fails, Ill pull them off and respin it. If the numbers are the same, Ill disable round-off to get a feel for which way the machine is rounding and do my own.

 

[Errtt]

I'll be off to work shortly and will see is there is any difference from the rotation and the little weight change.
It's an hour drive each way, mostly highway.

 

[bigmike]

It really depends on the vehicle's suspension and wheel/tire combo to determine is 1/2oz will be felt.

I don't notice a 1/2oz on my truck, for instance, but they always tell me that it was about 1/2oz off or sometimes a bit more when I take it in for balancing. They don't make any money off of it (lifetime balancing/rotation), so I assume they're telling me the truth.

Our Accord's tires haven't been balanced since we bought it. They're at 20k miles and had 2 rotations. It's probably off by a bit, but I'm just guessing. I don't notice anything and I don't care for the sorry Dunlops on it anyway, so I probably won't bother doing much to them.

I've owned low profile tires though that I could feel 1/2oz, especially when cold.

Tire balancing can be a pain and many places I've been to, as long as they're close, they call it acceptable but I don't. I only go to places that will balance them out to 0.

Some people believe that a tire can rotate on the rim, some tread might wear a bit faster on the inside/outside, etc. Tire pressure might play a role too. Machine calibration and user error are highly suspect. There are alot of reasons your tires can be off a little.

 

[Errtt]

Well the tires ran quiet today on the highway, so I don't know if it was the 1/2 oz difference or the rotation.
I'm leaning toward the rotation due to FWD, tire wear. So the rotation at 6k, I'm thinking on the next rotation, the wear now will have to settle in, then wear back the other way, hoping the hum doesn't return at 6k, should go beyond.
The hum I was getting reminds me of mud terrain tires. It started after 5k and seem loudest early cold morning. Then afternoon/evening it would quiet down some, not completely.

Was taking at work about it and someone suggested adding weight in the back of the SUV (RAV-4) and see if the added weight makes it quiet (to late now). The thing about the hum was I couldn't tell if it was front or back, and neither could any passengers.
Maybe some light weight FWD SUVs need shorter than normal rotations, depending on the tire & tread pattern - I dunno.
They kept the pressure as before, F-28 R-26, as per door sticker.

 

[bigmike]

Wow, 28 and 26 PSI? No way would I personally run any tire that low.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: bigmike
Wow, 28 and 26 PSI? No way would I personally run any tire that low.

I agree.

The minimum pressures I would have will be 34 Front and 32 Rear.

 

[Errtt]

I have tried 30/30 and 32/30, but went back to the 28/26 for the ride. Being the light vehicle and tire construction, at 28/26 I would have though these tires (Grabber HTS) would look low but they didn't. I had thought of staying on a little higher pressure for tire life, but that isn't as much a concern, although I could have gone to a touring type of tire too. The vehicle already gets good gas mileage (RAV-4) and over 90% is highway miles, the pressure up a little for mileage also wasn't a concern.

I been happy with the Grabber HTS ride and response on wet road conditions. I been considering having them also put on the wife's Escape later this year. The Kuhmo has been another in mind.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
There's a setting on some machines for an economy mode that rounds off 1/2 oz. Sometimes gives you one weight instead of two.

Yes, it's called the Hunter smartweight software, and most of the newer Hunter balancers have it.

http://www.weightsaver.com/