How hard is it to balance tires?!

[Colt]

quote:

---

Originally posted by ewetho:
As far as the weights not fitting there are more than just steel or aluminum weights.

We has color coded ones at sears that included
Black - Stick-on weights
Red - Steel Wheel
Yellow - Alot of FORD GM, Chrysler fairly standard alumininum rims
Orange - Larger rim edge width common in Japanese cars
Purple - Chysler wheel weights
Green - Thin rim edges on some *** and european cars
Silver - Truck weights (Not to the semi world yet but heavier stuff like F350s and some thin edgeded aluminum.

So wrong weights SUCK but some shops do not have a proper selection of weights. Heck where I work now does not but covers 99+% of what we do which is FORD!

Just a thought on visual checks which are fairly important if ou find larger problems but a Road Force balancer will check the loaded runout not unloaded which can be more or less than visual. Import as this is how the ires run down the road.

---

I went to three tire shops that didn't have the correct fit weights for a 17" alloy Ford Explorer Sport rim.

http://imagehost.vendio.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/inventexinc/.mids/3528b.jpg

Some of the weights they would put on would fall off and some would stay on which gave me the next day vibration.
Even had a new set of tires installed under warranty.

Stickons didn't do the job.
I had shops Force balance wheels and weights falling off.
Finally had the correct weights installed and things are fine.
Can't believe shops not having correct weights for the best selling SUV,the Explorer.
Although the XLT Sport 17" wheel isn't as common as the 16" wheeled Explorers,still plenty out there.

 

[Mr. Boston]

Many years of PAINFUL experience has taught me this... You MUST have a true running wheel and tire before any effective balancing can be applied.

 

[ewetho]

Was just checking today and alot of the Explorers actually use the TRUCK steel wheel weights on the aluminum rims. Have not had any problems from this arrangement at the dealership. If the rim edge is pointy then you need steel weights as the regular aluminum weights will fly off and just be a mess. Some tire busters may be afraid to use steel weights on an aluminum wheel but the truck size steel weights are the correct ones for alot of them.

 

[ewetho]

Heck looking at my hunter machine at work if you alloy wheel and need to use tape weights it has a function to allow you to hide the wieghts behind the spokes for apearance sakes. FUN FUN FUN

 

[Colt]

quote:

---

Originally posted by ewetho:
Was just checking today and alot of the Explorers actually use the TRUCK steel wheel weights on the aluminum rims. Have not had any problems from this arrangement at the dealership. If the rim edge is pointy then you need steel weights as the regular aluminum weights will fly off and just be a mess. Some tire busters may be afraid to use steel weights on an aluminum wheel but the truck size steel weights are the correct ones for alot of them.

---

Very interesting