Balance rear wheels - yes or no?

[Dog Star]

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?

[Dog Star]

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!

You're right, though, it's a total ballache.

[Dog Star]

Blanchimont said:

I suspect he's got tracking and wheel balancing mixed up.

He won't have; I think he's just "old skool".

[Dog Star]

cb1965 said:

What speed does the vibration occur at?

The usual 70mph.

I know it's the balancing - I'll go down later and just ask him to do them, I just wanted to confirm that I'm not alone in believing they need doing.