Balancing New Tires...

[KNS]

The tipping thread got me thinking about something I've been running into a lot lately. When buying new tires on my cars (my, DD, the Porsche, my wife's car) to get the tires to ride smoothly, as in no vibrations, no shaking steering wheel, I've had to pay extra for the "Road Force" balancing.

I had been using Discount Tires but I stopped going to them, using C & R now and they are better to work with but the problem remains. When I buy new tires I'm paying for "mounting and balancing", shouldn't I expect that charge to cover a smoothly riding car. If I don't have the Road Force performed, I get vibrations and always hear the same thing: "Well, to make it really smooth you need to pay extra". Didn't I just pay for that?

I've walked back with them to the balancing machine and they can make it zero out the less precise way and say that the majority of people are fine with that. It never seems to be enough on my (or my wife's) cars.

Am I alone in this? I've heard that BMWs (my daily) can be less tolerant of inexact balancing.

[strupgolf]

Ive had the same thing, but my shop did it for free. They said the same thing about "road force"balancing, and I had never heard of it. I had all four m&b for $60 bucks. This is probably a coming thing, like nitrogen filled tires. Yea right.

[onewhippedpuppy]

My local Firestone store is basically my sole source for tires, they never have any vibration from spin balancing. I talked to their manager about the RFB, which they offer for an extra fee. His explanation was that a good shop should only need RFB for bent wheels or poor quality tires because the tool can account for those imperfections. Per him, a good shop should be able to mount good tires on true wheels without a problem.

[RANDY P]

You sure your lower control arm bushings aren't smashed up? 40-60MPH vibrations you'll never get rid of and if you hit the brakes hard at low mph it jerks the wheel..

Oh and don't play that **** with them. Complain. if I notice vibrations it goes back, period. That's the whole idea of balancing- either it's the workmanship, the tire or the car.

rjp

[KNS]

On the BMW I've already changed the control arm bushings. The tires (and wheels) on the Porsche replaced a previous smooth riding set.