Tire balancing fiasco

[Colt]

Having trouble getting my Bridgestone Dueler Alenza's balanced properly.
It not the tire...it's the shops.
The shops don't have the outside weights that fit properly on the edge of the '05 Explorer rim.
Tried the stick-ons and they don't work well.
The weights these shops that hammer on fall off.
I've been to 3 Different tire shops.
A Ford dealer will balance the tires weds.
I must pay dealer costs.

 

[eljefino]

Get your money back from the tire shops.

Explorers, even with alloy wheels, are common vehicles and they should know how to handle them.

The tire shops are just too cheap for the proper weights.

 

[wantin150]

Sounds like the tire shop needs to go to the dealer and get the appropriate weights. You can also have the tires "force balanced" at additional cost. This will sometimes result in no weights at all or very small ones if done properly.

 

[Colt]

quote:

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Originally posted by eljefino:
Get your money back from the tire shops.

Explorers, even with alloy wheels, are common vehicles and they should know how to handle them.

The tire shops are just too cheap for the proper weights.

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I did get refunds.
It seems the Explorer had an odd lip.
Standard type weight fly off.
The lip edge doesn't look any different to me though.
I'm not going to try any other tire shops.
I'll bite the bullet and go to the dealer.

 

[Colt]

quote:

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Originally posted by wantin150:
Sounds like the tire shop needs to go to the dealer and get the appropriate weights. You can also have the tires "force balanced" at additional cost. This will sometimes result in no weights at all or very small ones if done properly.

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No shop has suggested "force balance".
What it that?

 

[sxg6]

to my suprise all the dealerships i have dealt with offer very good prices on mounting/balancing. typically around $50 for all 4 wheels, vs as much as 90 at a tire shop like goodyear.

 

[wantin150]

The tires are "matched" to the rim using a Road Force Balancer. This machine applies a road force to the tire/wheel assembly and measures the out of balance or out of round conditions. The tire is then moved about on the rim to find the high spot/low spot "sweet spot". This is a basic description. This process usually takes awhile as the tech has to actually work a little at it to get it right. You can find a better explaination at Tire Rack under the Hunter Road Force balancer section. If done properly, you can get a really smooth ride. This process also can determine those tires which are out of spec and "defective" if you will due to an excessive out of round condition. Even if you choose not to have it done, read about it as it is a fairly interesting process.

 

[Colt]

Interesting,wantin 150.
Two of the shops I used had a Hunter machine but not that type I would think.
I guess they couldn't go with that technique or they would have mentioned it.

 

[wantin150]

I don't know how many road force machines are out there. A regular harmonic balancer isn't the same thing (I'm not up on the mfgrs but I know Hunter makes a regular balancer). My shop has to take the tires somewhere to use someone else's machine. This process works really well and I won't buy another set for my car without having it done. Just my humble opinion.

 

[Colt]

I'll call around and see if there's a shop that uses that technique.
Very interesting as I've never heard of Force balance.

http://www.trafficjams.com/hunter/baL1_info.htm

 

[CapriRacer]

To find a Hunter Roadforce machine try this link:

http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/search/findgsp9700.cfm

 

[Colt]

quote:

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Originally posted by CapriRacer:
To find a Hunter Roadforce machine try this link:

http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/search/findgsp9700.cfm

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Thanks for the link.

I went to one of those shops ...TWICE!

Still have the problem.
Nothing was said about any force balance.
Looked like the standard Hunter machine and they didn't have weights that would fit correctly on the rim edge.
I'll try the Ford dealer and get the correct fit weights and see what happens.
I have an appt for Weds.
I'll post the results.

 

[Eddie]

I think the tire manufactures try to do this with the colored dots they place on the tire. The dots represent the "high spot" and low weight spot and ? The color of the dots is described in www. tirerack.com I think. Any good tire man should know how to mount a tire with respect to the dots. As to your Fords balance problems I think you need to find a shop that knows what their doing and has the correct weights. You are not driving a special low volume vehicle.

 

[Colt]

quote:

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Originally posted by Eddie:
I think the tire manufactures try to do this with the colored dots they place on the tire. The dots represent the "high spot" and low weight spot and ? The color of the dots is described in www. tirerack.com I think. Any good tire man should know how to mount a tire with respect to the dots. As to your Fords balance problems I think you need to find a shop that knows what their doing and has the correct weights. You are not driving a special low volume vehicle.

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I've been to my mechanic and two big tire shops and all three can't get it right.

However all three somehow didn't have weights that fit correctly on the Ford 17" rim edge.
Tried non stickons and they flew off and stickons and that didn't work.
I know that sounds wierd considering there are plenty of Explorers on the road but that's the deal.
Mine is an '05 which I believe has the same 17" rim from 2002.
Weds Ford service will balance the tires.I figure they'll have the correct fit weights.
Could be a bad tire or two.
I'll see what happens weds and post.

 

[CapriRacer]

I keep thinking there is something missing:

1) Stickon weights should have worked unless they were placed on a vertical surface or on a surface that wasn't cleaned before applying the weights. Even duct tape won't hold when Armorall is applied.

2) Ford wheels are pretty standard and I can't imagine why the average tire shop wouldn't have weights that fit.

I wonder if the tires have a rim protection rib and that's driving the weights off!!

Also, are you using the stock size - P245/65R17?

 

[moribundman]

There are 22 places with Hunter GSP9700 within 10 miles of my zip code area. Thanks for that link!

 

[FowVay]

Nearly every tire shop that I visit has a Hunter 9700 but nobody knows how to use it. Fancy tools are only as good as their operators.

I got tired of screwing around with half illiterate car garage employees and bought my own tire balancer. It's amazing the poor service that has become the norm in the USA with regard to the maintenance of expensive automobiles.

I hope that the original poster will keep us posted on whether his wheel balance issue was resolved.

 

[Colt]

Picked up the Explorer from the dealer.
The dealer used the standard type hammer on weights.
Much better but still have a slight steering wheel shake.Barely noticable but I know it's there.
Will have to investigate a tire or tires problem.

BTW
sxg6 was right.
The dealer only charged $57 for the 4 wheel balance.
Same or cheaper than the tire places.

 

[Blue_Goose]

Road Force balancing usually will cost you upwards of 100 dollars to have it done...just a fyi

Goose

PS I've had some issue getting the tires on my car balanced but now I'm convinced that the Matrix just gives a busy ride and I am going to feel vibrations in the wheel no matter what...have not done a RF balance yet

 

[wantin150]

quote:

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Originally posted by Blue_Goose:
Road Force balancing usually will cost you upwards of 100 dollars to have it done...just a fyi

Goose

PS I've had some issue getting the tires on my car balanced but now I'm convinced that the Matrix just gives a busy ride and I am going to feel vibrations in the wheel no matter what...have not done a RF balance yet

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Don't settle for that garbage! Complain. My experience has been that my Matrix does better when the tires are Road Force Balanced (stock 17's). My local Goodyear does that for $19 each, yes, more expensive but worth it, IMO. My tires "balanced" ok with a regular machine but didn't ride right until they were RFB'd.