What is the best tire/wheel balancing machine?
#21
I've used the Road Force balancer and while it is a very, very, sophisticated machine, it is not always that accurate. I've found that it will often given different results after repeated testing on the same tire 2-3 times, even with the tire secured properly. Now usually, it is in .25 increments but a difference is a difference.
#22
Melting Slicks
It's the tech. I had a problem with another car when I bought new tires. They tried to balance one wheel 3 times using new Hunter equipment before I went somewhere else. The second shop had 20 year old, who knows who made it, beat to crap machine. 15 minutes later the vibration was totally gone to well over the speed limit.
I have pretty good balance, but still not as good as factory. Very infinitesimal shimmy at 80-85mph.
#23
Racer
Member Since: Oct 2009
Location: Valley Center CA
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A significant point is being missed in this thread. New tires are mounted using some nasty, slimy, slippery crap. When the tire is inflated this stuff dries very slowly. If you hit a pothole or drive fast over rough surfaces the tires will move on the wheel without regard for what machine, proceedure or witchdoctor used in balancing the tire and wheel are no longer in balance.
Some road racers make the tire shop use a clean bucket of water with a few drops of soap in it for mounting. Others mount and balance their own tires. I drive home very slowly and park it for two weks.
Some road racers make the tire shop use a clean bucket of water with a few drops of soap in it for mounting. Others mount and balance their own tires. I drive home very slowly and park it for two weks.
#24
A significant point is being missed in this thread. New tires are mounted using some nasty, slimy, slippery crap. When the tire is inflated this stuff dries very slowly. If you hit a pothole or drive fast over rough surfaces the tires will move on the wheel without regard for what machine, proceedure or witchdoctor used in balancing the tire and wheel are no longer in balance.
Some road racers make the tire shop use a clean bucket of water with a few drops of soap in it for mounting. Others mount and balance their own tires. I drive home very slowly and park it for two weks.
Some road racers make the tire shop use a clean bucket of water with a few drops of soap in it for mounting. Others mount and balance their own tires. I drive home very slowly and park it for two weks.
That said, even with a fully dry surface you are going to get rotation from hard braking and sticky tires or a high horsepower cars acceleration.
#25
Instructor
I purchased a new set of Goodyear Eagle F1 EMT's today. Haven't had one issue with any Goodyear tire, ever; only with the technician who did a poor job on my alignment.
#26
Safety Car
The Hunter Roadforce is the way to go. They showed that the shop that balanced my C-4's tires were four oz. off. They kept telling me that my rims were bent. That's what's great about the Hunter - it can tell you how the wheel is even with the tire mounted.
#27
Racer
Thread Starter
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Location: naples fl
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#28
If you don't want to here it, don't post.
I didn't even say your tires were cheap, I don't even know what tires you got for your car, YOU said they were cheap and stated more expensive tires are not better.
#29
Tech Contributor
You said a more expensive tire doesn't make a better tire. I've mounted and balanced tons of tires, and I can tell you that the more expensive tires balance out much better with less wights and less runout where as the cheap ones take a lot of weight and have visually apparent runout almost all the time.
The Nitto Invo's probably are not in this class and have really good reviews and feedback from everyone using them. It appears to be a newer design so I suspect it is a very lightweight design. Less material = lower cost?
I'd be curious if the OP could post how much weight was used per wheel (inside and outside each rim).
Last edited by StKnoWhere; 01-16-2011 at 02:31 PM.
#32
Instructor
Tire Balancing
2013 GS I purchased a set of Bridgestone 050 RF from Costco. The car drove like it had square tires. I found a shop that did a lot of new car dealer aftermarket tires and wheels that has a Hunter RF machine, still had the same issue. Went to another shop that checked the tire runout and found 3 of the 4 were significantly out of round. Went back to Costco and they replaced them with Michelins which cured the problem. Bottom line, a incompetent operator with the best equipment still produces poor quality work.