Static vs Dynamic balance

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CarLuver

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Jul 14, 2020
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i recently got new tires at walmart for my honda civic with alloys . they seemed to have used the dynamic balance type . there are 2 separate weights . one on the inside and one outside. they are tape weights this is the first time i have encountered this . discount tires , which is place i usually go to , seems to prefer the static method where they put the weight straight in the middle . all the tires i have bought from them in recent memory is done this way .

The reason i am curious is that even though i don't get a shake in the steering wheel , there seems to be something off in the feel when driving . never had this with the old tires .

So does using either method really matter? the factory wheels/tires were static balanced so i would assume static is good enough . i may take it back to WM and have them check it , but curious on what the tire experts here say
 
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Static is a compromise, drive by styling. Most newer cars don't have lips on the rim to hold the old style weights anymore. It looks nicer to have the weights hidden on the inside of the barrel. Dynamic balance is more true balance though.
 
tyres can feel a bit off until you run them in, but the balancing only affects shake (shimmy).

Edit, static balancing is very rare, I've never done it, nor did anyone I worked with in the last 25 years. but I can see it being a bit faster and thus cheaper, yet compromised.
 
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I would have them rotate the tires front to back and see if the condition changes. Maybe they can then isolate the issue to a particular tire. Misbalance (shimmy) of tires usually shows up when you near higher speeds.
 
There are actually 3 things: Static Balance, Dynamic Balance, and Uniformity (think out-of-round and you'll be close.)

Don't be so sure the OE's were only statically balanced. Car manufacturers set the specs and it's possible for them to set the specs tight enough that they don't need to do anything other than statically balance.

Nowadays, alloy wheels have their weights hidden behind the spokes. They may look centered, but they aren't.

Some tire busters don't understand dynamic balancing (They don't understand uniformity either!), so they only do static balance. It's possible to set up a balance machine to only do static balance.

Cars are much more sensitive to static balance than dynamic balance.

Tires and wheels are made much better than in the past. The need to dynamic balance isn't as strong as it used to be.

Depending on where you live, the roads can be pretty bumpy and that will hide balance and uniformity issues.

Nevertheless, every tire shop should dynamically balance and check the uniformity. Many only check the uniformity if the customer returns with a vibration.

If you want to know more about balancing and uniformity: Barry's Tire Tech: Vibration - Balance, Runout, and Uniformity:
 
If tires were a circle of thin material, a static balance would be all that's needed.
Since tires have depth and can exhibit inconsistencies "inside and out", dynamic balancing brings benefits.
Loading the wheel changes the shape of the tire and thus changes the effect of any imbalances. This is what "road force" balancing addresses.

I think this is correct.

>That tires and wheels are made better now-a-days is comforting.

Wheel chuckle: Not all weights are affixed behind the spokes of alloy wheels. Often they're in plain view between the spokes!
 
Jetronic said:
Edit, static balancing is very rare, I've never done it, nor did anyone I worked with in the last 25 years. but I can see it being a bit faster and thus cheaper, yet compromised.
Click to expand...
This is odd to me. Unless you work in a shop that's exclusively serving very old cars at this point, then there would be a need for tons of static balancing as dynamic balancing cannot be done on the majority of modern OEM wheels that have flat lips.
 
I always perform a dynamic balance, IMO, a static balance is a compromise. Our machine also gives us the option to hide the tiles behind the spokes if we choose to.
 
ok i apologize for which may be a error on my part . when i say static , i thought it meant spin balance with the weight in the middle of the rim. capri racers link seems to state static as non spin balance using a bubble type machine.

So the new question is , putting the weight in the middle vs splitting them to each side of the rim matter? all of my wheels seems to have min weights . there is only one .25 oz on each side .
 
CarLuver said:
ok i apologize for which may be a error on my part . when i say static , i thought it meant spin balance with the weight in the middle of the rim. capri racers link seems to state static as non spin balance using a bubble type machine.

So the new question is , putting the weight in the middle vs splitting them to each side of the rim matter? all of my wheels seems to have min weights . there is only one .25 oz on each side .
Click to expand...

Sorry for the confusion, but you need spin balancing to get the dynamic balance values. Splitting the weights evenly is functionally the same as putting all the weights in the center. Dynamic balancing could result in different weights on each flange, it just depends on how bad the dynamic imbalance is. If the weights are the same on each flange, then the only thing that needed correcting was the static balance.
 
CarLuver said:
ok i apologize for which may be a error on my part . when i say static , i thought it meant spin balance with the weight in the middle of the rim. capri racers link seems to state static as non spin balance using a bubble type machine.
Click to expand...
No, you're correct. When you use a balancing machine (spin balancer) you either run the machine in static or dynamic.
 
Maybe you've got a bent wheel that found its way to a sensitive position, probably in front.

Did you downgrade your tires, lower speed rating for example?

Maybe you need to burn off the wax preservative on your tread.

Maybe they set the air pressure wrong.
 
Agree. A balance problem will shake. If it’s not shaking, it’s probably not a balance issue. Out-of round can be another.

New tires can be squirmy and weird for 500 miles.
 
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