Balance rear wheels - yes or no?
Poll: Balance rear wheels - yes or no?
Total Members Polled: 73
Discussion
For the record I say "yes".
I've had my car swapped over onto it's winter tyres and the place I get them changed at is a proper little back street place - however the tyre machines they have are really nice kit and they do (usually) a very careful and "proper" job, Ironically their Hunter balancer is the finest I have ever seen.
It's a father and son outfit and usually the son does them, but this time it was just the old boy. However he insists that rear wheels don't need balancing. I think you do, more so on these stupid rubber band tyres on big rims on cars with rock hard suspension (car is a 66 plate Merc E class "AMG" line with 255/30/19 rears). There's also stresses on joints and bearings etc.
So I have a motorway speed vibration through the seat of my pants.
So PHers - settle this argument for me - do they need balancing?
I've had my car swapped over onto it's winter tyres and the place I get them changed at is a proper little back street place - however the tyre machines they have are really nice kit and they do (usually) a very careful and "proper" job, Ironically their Hunter balancer is the finest I have ever seen.
It's a father and son outfit and usually the son does them, but this time it was just the old boy. However he insists that rear wheels don't need balancing. I think you do, more so on these stupid rubber band tyres on big rims on cars with rock hard suspension (car is a 66 plate Merc E class "AMG" line with 255/30/19 rears). There's also stresses on joints and bearings etc.
So I have a motorway speed vibration through the seat of my pants.
So PHers - settle this argument for me - do they need balancing?
TooMany2cvs said:
I think that's answered it for you.
BTW - you really get the tyres themselves swapped over each year? You don't have a second set of rims?
I'm one of those peasants who cannot afford the car and really ought to know my place and buy an old banger that befits my status, so I lease my cars, so it'd work out a bit steep getting new wheels ever couple of years!BTW - you really get the tyres themselves swapped over each year? You don't have a second set of rims?
You're right, though, it's a total ballache.
Dog Star said:
I'm one of those peasants who cannot afford the car and really ought to know my place and buy an old banger that befits my status, so I lease my cars, so it'd work out a bit steep getting new wheels ever couple of years!
Can't believe a set of used Merc alloys would be that hard to find - or lose that much value by the time you resell them after three years.Wouldn't need to be full-fat AMG, or even 19", and having a taller tyre than 30 profile wouldn't be a bad thing for winter rubber use.
I went to my normal tyre shop.. queue out of the door, so decided to try a back street garage.. First thing I asked was how much to repair a slow puncture and re-balance. The guy tried to convince me that the same tyre won't need balancing again (even if it is removed from the rim).
I said thanks and walked away. I went back to my normal tyre shop and again, asked him the same thing about whether they will re-balance the tyre. He laughed and said "ofcourse, we are a proper tyre shop".
Balance them! It should be included in the fitting cost imo. If its not, walk away. Its not an 'extra' , its simply part of the job.
I said thanks and walked away. I went back to my normal tyre shop and again, asked him the same thing about whether they will re-balance the tyre. He laughed and said "ofcourse, we are a proper tyre shop".
Balance them! It should be included in the fitting cost imo. If its not, walk away. Its not an 'extra' , its simply part of the job.
tejr said:
I went to my normal tyre shop.. queue out of the door, so decided to try a back street garage.. First thing I asked was how much to repair a slow puncture and re-balance. The guy tried to convince me that the same tyre won't need balancing again (even if it is removed from the rim).
I'm sure he's 100% confident of getting it in exactly the same rotational position on the rim... And the extra weight of the plug won't make any difference at all.On a related note...
Anybody else tried the "dynabead" little ceramic beads? You feed them through the valve, and they settle into position as you drive, dynamically balancing.
I fitted some new tyres myself the other year, at a mate's workshop - so access to a proper fitting machine, but he doesn't have a balancer. They were way out. So I thought "What's to lose?"...
For me, they made a difference, but nowhere near as good as "proper" balancing. I'd more or less forgotten they were there, until Mr MOT said "Why do your tyres sound as if they've got something in them?"
Anybody else tried the "dynabead" little ceramic beads? You feed them through the valve, and they settle into position as you drive, dynamically balancing.
I fitted some new tyres myself the other year, at a mate's workshop - so access to a proper fitting machine, but he doesn't have a balancer. They were way out. So I thought "What's to lose?"...
For me, they made a difference, but nowhere near as good as "proper" balancing. I'd more or less forgotten they were there, until Mr MOT said "Why do your tyres sound as if they've got something in them?"
always
there's nothing wrong with swapping tyres, just because people abroad aren't allowed to re-use tyres removed from rims, doesn't stop us doing it. It's a good opportunity to inspect the tyres and wheels, just don't get ripped off for it. I'd only have spare rims if they were identical, I wouldn't want ugly rims for the sake of saving a few quid, or smaller tyres, especially as the need for winter tyres here is marginal anyway imo.
there's nothing wrong with swapping tyres, just because people abroad aren't allowed to re-use tyres removed from rims, doesn't stop us doing it. It's a good opportunity to inspect the tyres and wheels, just don't get ripped off for it. I'd only have spare rims if they were identical, I wouldn't want ugly rims for the sake of saving a few quid, or smaller tyres, especially as the need for winter tyres here is marginal anyway imo.
CarsOrBikes said:
just because people abroad aren't allowed to re-use tyres removed from rims, doesn't stop us doing it.
<raises eyebrows> Which particular bit of "abroad" is that, then?Apart from anything else, fitting and removing tyres as skinny as 30-profile is bloody difficult, with a lot of sidewall deformation involved. The risk of damage to rim and tyre is relatively high. Why do it more than you have to...?
Yes - rotation parts need balancing. This is also the case for caravans. When I towed mine it vibrated the whole car - It was difficult to find someone prepared to balance the 'van wheels - they just said "they're small so don't need balancing" and other such drivel. Eventually got someone to do it - and vibration ceased.
One year I bought 4 Hankook tyres for a Honda CR-V I was driving. I have always had the habbit of watching them do the work, not because I don't trust them but because I'm fascinated by the mechanics of it. I could also be on the spectrum, but that's another story.
Anyway I had the YTS lad changing my tyres. He done them all fairly well, then it got to balancing. He got it down to 5g of weight on the one side of the tyre, and he was adding bits off and taking them off, he just looked like he couldn't be bothered so started to take the wheel of the balancer. I asked him what he was doing, and he said they were balanced. I told him they weren't and that it was missing 5g off.
"That doesn't matter" he said. "It does if you're driving it on the motorway" I replied. I heard him mutter something under his breath as he wheeled it to the car, I told him not to bother putting it on the car and to get his manager. He mutters something again, manager comes out asks what's wrong and I tell him what the clown was trying to do. He took the tyre back on the balancer, saw it for himself, rectified it and sorted it out. He apologised for the apprentice, but I didn't bother going back there.
Anyway I had the YTS lad changing my tyres. He done them all fairly well, then it got to balancing. He got it down to 5g of weight on the one side of the tyre, and he was adding bits off and taking them off, he just looked like he couldn't be bothered so started to take the wheel of the balancer. I asked him what he was doing, and he said they were balanced. I told him they weren't and that it was missing 5g off.
"That doesn't matter" he said. "It does if you're driving it on the motorway" I replied. I heard him mutter something under his breath as he wheeled it to the car, I told him not to bother putting it on the car and to get his manager. He mutters something again, manager comes out asks what's wrong and I tell him what the clown was trying to do. He took the tyre back on the balancer, saw it for himself, rectified it and sorted it out. He apologised for the apprentice, but I didn't bother going back there.
Fastpedeller said:
Yes - rotation parts need balancing. This is also the case for caravans. When I towed mine it vibrated the whole car - It was difficult to find someone prepared to balance the 'van wheels - they just said "they're small so don't need balancing" and other such drivel. Eventually got someone to do it - and vibration ceased.
What speed were you towing at...?Out-of-balance doesn't really start showing up until north of 70mph - unless they're WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY out.
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