What does an unbalanced rear wheel feel like?

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I got new tires today, which of course came with a wheel balancing. Once I got back to work and got out of the car I gave the wheels a look-over to see what had changed (I probably should've done it at the shop). They used stick-on weights, the kind that come in sections that you can break up to add more or less weight.

One of the wheels has three sections, and then some white sticky residue. I'm not sure if half of it flew off while I was driving back to work or if they just added too much weight and then took some off.

If a rear wheel is out of balance on a FWD car what does it feel like? At freeway speeds, will I be able to tell if there's a problem, or do I need to take it back and ask them about it, and possibly get that wheel rebalanced?
 
You'll feel it, it's hard to describe but if the steering wheel isn't shimmying and you can feel a vibration in your butt, it's likely an out of balance rear wheel.
 
Originally Posted By: mstrjon32
You'll feel it, it's hard to describe but if the steering wheel isn't shimmying and you can feel a vibration in your butt, it's likely an out of balance rear wheel.


Great description! Very accurate. I'd also add that you may feel a slight steering wheel vibration when braking.
 
Yep. If it is bad enough, you'll feel it in the seat of your pants.

To be sure, go back, point out to the shop foreman what you observed, If there's not a good explanation for it, ask them to respin that one to be sure.
 
I'll see how it feels on the drive home tonight. The "links" in the weights are connected by metal so it's not terribly likely that a few would just fly off without taking the rest. I called and the manager said that it's commonplace to add some weight and then remove it based on what the computer says.
 
I had a busted belt in a 31" tire on my S-10. On the front, the steering wheel shimmied and the front end vibrated badly at any reasonable speed. On the rear, you couldnt notice it!
 
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