Tire Balancing
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Tire Balancing
I recently bought a GS with newer tires installed. When looking at the car I noticed what looked like too many weights on the front wheel.
I took the wheel to a tire place which had the Hunter equipment and could do a road force balance. They broke the tire from the rim so it could be moved on the rim and replaced a few weights. Cost was $20.
Went from a strip of 8 weights down to only 2. Car feels improved/smoother on the turnpike.
JB
I took the wheel to a tire place which had the Hunter equipment and could do a road force balance. They broke the tire from the rim so it could be moved on the rim and replaced a few weights. Cost was $20.
Went from a strip of 8 weights down to only 2. Car feels improved/smoother on the turnpike.
JB
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From: New Albany Indiana
Tire Balance 101
Sometimes when the tread splices (seams) and sidewall seams all line up it can add a lot of imbalance to the tire. The wheel also has some imbalance. When these all line up together it can cause a large imbalance to the tire/ wheel. Tire makers are supposed to have the splices 120 degrees apart, inside sidewall, outside sidewall, tread splice but sometimes doesn't happen. There should never be over 2 ounces of weight on a tire to balance it. Weights in the same plane on the inside and outside the tire shows static imbalance. Weights 180 degrees apart on the inside and outside shows a dynamic (road force) imbalance. Most tires have a combination of both but never over 2 ounces of weight. As in your situation the tire installer botched it up and you had it corrected.
Last edited by Judgebull; Nov 13, 2016 at 08:44 AM. Reason: Spell
Drifting
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For those with chronic a imbalance issue and steering wheel shimmy at higher speeds, don't ignore the brake rotors. I had mine checked and found that that both fronts were out of balance nearly an ounce. Balanced the rotors and the car now drives like a dream.
Safety Car
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There is a dot on the side of new tires, and the good tire installers know to place that dot close to the valve stem. The dot marks the lightest area of weight on the tire, and the TMPS sensor adds weight, so it is a balancing act by installing them at the same location. 
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Good point
There is a dot on the side of new tires, and the good tire installers know to place that dot close to the valve stem. The dot marks the lightest area of weight on the tire, and the TMPS sensor adds weight, so it is a balancing act by installing them at the same location.
