Quote:
Probably the guy running the machine.
No wiser words have ever been penned.
Bought some Michelin LTX's last year for my Expedition at a large national chain. They gushed over how smooth and quiet the tires were going to be, and how they would road force balance them on their Hunter 9700. I notice that the tech they give them to has Clearasil stains on his shirt collar. I left the store and these things feel terrible, vibrating badly at 45mph. The manager has another (little older) tech check the balance and
they were way off. After reworking, they were better, but not what I expected from Michelins.
On a whim, I stopped by a local mom-and-pop tire store that does TV advertising late at night. I think their newest tech has 15 or 16 years experience. They throw my tires on a Coats machine so old that most of the letters on the side have rubbed off and it says "C--TS". This guy takes the time to zero out the balance and sometimes moves a weight a quarter-inch to get a better reading. Bottom line- extreme smoothness, not even a wiggle at 80+mph.
It's the guy, not the equipment.