[Zeke]

@afterburn, that's what I was saying, but tire truing is shaving, same thing. Yes, the old Hunter floor type machines did that. Tires and rotating components were worse then and needed that. Now it's the final step.

You guys know how to balance a ceiling fan, right? Best way is before it's hung but with blades installed and mounted vertically and doing a static balance. If already on the ceiling any clip on like a tie clip, hair clip, clothespins, the tool in the box and magnets all work as long as you weigh them in advance. You can do it by random chance on the ceiling moving and adjusting your temp weight CC or CCW until it starts to balance out.

Tires can be like that. Just a spin on a computer balancer to the equivalent of 20 mph is not good enough. But it's faster, much more safe, and pretty darn accurate. However, tires do change a lot at much higher speeds. This is why the standard computer balancer is used for most cars. Shoot, here in L.A. there are no roads smooth enough to even know.

But you will know on that road trip where you are hitting 80+ on a good highway. The harmonics may come at 65, 70 (common) or more. At 55 mph all is well if you've had even a half assed job. Hand tuning on the car takes care of the last little bit.

If I was buying a bubble balancer I would buy an oldie and go through it. No HF cheap siht. The HF will do some of the work but not enough to justify even the measly $100 they get. Again, no input on where WRT to the vertical weight centerline is available with a bubble. BTW, the old Hunter floor model did not address the center of the mass either. You need the computer, old analog or new digital.