Wheel balancing question
Discussion
I recently had 2 new tyres fitted to my van. The new tyres had a little yellow circle printed on the sidewall and this was aligned next to the valve. I believe this is to match the lightest part of the tyre (yellow circle) with the heaviest part of the rim (valve) which will help to balance the wheel.
During balancing 80g of weights were added exactly next to the valve/ yellow circle. Some, or all, of these weights will be there to compensate for the adjacent lightest part of the tyre. If the tyre was deflated and rotated 180 degrees on the rim the amount of weights would be reduced or maybe there would be no weights needed.
If I had a balancing machine and was doing this job at home then this is what I would do - rotate the tyre on the rim to eliminate the need to add weights next to the lightest part of the tyre. I think this would be doing the job correctly.
The tyre fitter has not done this so I have a wheel with possibly 3 unnecessary weights on it.
Has he done a slightly shoddy job?
Would it have been asking too much to have him rotate the tyre on the rim and rebalance?
During balancing 80g of weights were added exactly next to the valve/ yellow circle. Some, or all, of these weights will be there to compensate for the adjacent lightest part of the tyre. If the tyre was deflated and rotated 180 degrees on the rim the amount of weights would be reduced or maybe there would be no weights needed.
If I had a balancing machine and was doing this job at home then this is what I would do - rotate the tyre on the rim to eliminate the need to add weights next to the lightest part of the tyre. I think this would be doing the job correctly.
The tyre fitter has not done this so I have a wheel with possibly 3 unnecessary weights on it.
Has he done a slightly shoddy job?
Would it have been asking too much to have him rotate the tyre on the rim and rebalance?
Endlessly rotating the tyre to try and achieve balance would be extremely time consuming and perhaps pointless. Although I guess if you wanted to pay for the time for someone to do this at your request you could
Whilst I have heard about the paint dot and valve....I've never really seen any evidence or truth around it.
Balance weights exist for a reason. They're needed.
Although some wheels I've seen with huge amounts of weights...I do wonder if they were really all needed.
Whilst I have heard about the paint dot and valve....I've never really seen any evidence or truth around it.
Balance weights exist for a reason. They're needed.
Although some wheels I've seen with huge amounts of weights...I do wonder if they were really all needed.
brake cleaner, sticky stuff remover, lots of elbow grease, blunt scraper, etc etc
Most tyre places have a spray which no doubt is something like the above. Although if the wheels are in decent order I do prefer to prep them myself before taking them to a tyre place rather than having them butcher at them to get weights off.
Most tyre places have a spray which no doubt is something like the above. Although if the wheels are in decent order I do prefer to prep them myself before taking them to a tyre place rather than having them butcher at them to get weights off.
Having a bit of an issue on this subject myself at the moment.
At a local decent inde' had new discs and pads all round, new front suspension arms, full Hunter geo' and rear wheels balanced while they had them off.
Took it back as there was obviously something out of balance, one wheel was OK other one needed re-balancing. Still not right, still a shake felt through the seat of the pants. Steering wheel was steady.
Took it to a kwik fit staffed by really nice blokes that did an excellent job last time I used them.
Balancing was quite a bit out, one wheel needed 15 and 35, other wheel needed a 20. Great I thought, happy days. Sorted.
Not sorted.
Better but still can feel a bit of shake at 70 ish.
Very annoying
Any opinions or ideas?
At a local decent inde' had new discs and pads all round, new front suspension arms, full Hunter geo' and rear wheels balanced while they had them off.
Took it back as there was obviously something out of balance, one wheel was OK other one needed re-balancing. Still not right, still a shake felt through the seat of the pants. Steering wheel was steady.
Took it to a kwik fit staffed by really nice blokes that did an excellent job last time I used them.
Balancing was quite a bit out, one wheel needed 15 and 35, other wheel needed a 20. Great I thought, happy days. Sorted.
Not sorted.
Better but still can feel a bit of shake at 70 ish.
Very annoying
Any opinions or ideas?
Edited by randomeddy on Sunday 8th May 19:41
Edited by randomeddy on Sunday 8th May 19:42
Edited by randomeddy on Sunday 8th May 19:43
stevieturbo said:
Endlessly rotating the tyre to try and achieve balance would be extremely time consuming and perhaps pointless. Although I guess if you wanted to pay for the time for someone to do this at your request you could
Whilst I have heard about the paint dot and valve....I've never really seen any evidence or truth around it.
Balance weights exist for a reason. They're needed.
Although some wheels I've seen with huge amounts of weights...I do wonder if they were really all needed.
The tyre would only need to be rotated once by 180 degrees so that its lightest spot was opposite to where all the weights have been applied.Whilst I have heard about the paint dot and valve....I've never really seen any evidence or truth around it.
Balance weights exist for a reason. They're needed.
Although some wheels I've seen with huge amounts of weights...I do wonder if they were really all needed.
Balance weights needed, not needed? You seem to be contradicting yourself.
js456 said:
The tyre would only need to be rotated once by 180 degrees so that its lightest spot was opposite to where all the weights have been applied.
Balance weights needed, not needed? You seem to be contradicting yourself.
There is no contradiction. Obviously every single wheel/tyre on the planet may not need weights added. Most will. So of course they are needed.Balance weights needed, not needed? You seem to be contradicting yourself.
randomeddy said:
Having a bit of an issue on this subject myself at the moment.
At a local decent inde' had new discs and pads all round, new front suspension arms, full Hunter geo' and rear wheels balanced while they had them off.
Took it back as there was obviously something out of balance, one wheel was OK other one needed re-balancing. Still not right, still a shake felt through the seat of the pants. Steering wheel was steady.
Took it to a kwik fit staffed by really nice blokes that did an excellent job last time I used them.
Balancing was quite a bit out, one wheel needed 15 and 35, other wheel needed a 20. Great I thought, happy days. Sorted.
Not sorted.
Better but still can feel a bit of shake at 70 ish.
Very annoying
Any opinions or ideas?
Fixed. After having the wheels checked by a re-furb place somebody finally spotted a dodgy tyre. Two new tyres this morning and it is back to how it should be. At a local decent inde' had new discs and pads all round, new front suspension arms, full Hunter geo' and rear wheels balanced while they had them off.
Took it back as there was obviously something out of balance, one wheel was OK other one needed re-balancing. Still not right, still a shake felt through the seat of the pants. Steering wheel was steady.
Took it to a kwik fit staffed by really nice blokes that did an excellent job last time I used them.
Balancing was quite a bit out, one wheel needed 15 and 35, other wheel needed a 20. Great I thought, happy days. Sorted.
Not sorted.
Better but still can feel a bit of shake at 70 ish.
Very annoying
Any opinions or ideas?
Edited by randomeddy on Sunday 8th May 19:41
Edited by randomeddy on Sunday 8th May 19:42
Edited by randomeddy on Sunday 8th May 19:43
While I was having the tyres done I read an interesting and shocking result from an independent test a magazine carried out.
They tested 51 makes of tyres, first test was wet weather braking to eliminate the worst performers.
Best tyres would be stopped while the worst tyres would still be travelling at nearly 50 kph. Shocking.
They tested 51 makes of tyres, first test was wet weather braking to eliminate the worst performers.
Best tyres would be stopped while the worst tyres would still be travelling at nearly 50 kph. Shocking.
randomeddy said:
While I was having the tyres done I read an interesting and shocking result from an independent test a magazine carried out.
They tested 51 makes of tyres, first test was wet weather braking to eliminate the worst performers.
Best tyres would be stopped while the worst tyres would still be travelling at nearly 50 kph. Shocking.
And that is why you should always buy the best you can.They tested 51 makes of tyres, first test was wet weather braking to eliminate the worst performers.
Best tyres would be stopped while the worst tyres would still be travelling at nearly 50 kph. Shocking.
They are the only thing keeping you on the road & the best brakes in the world won't help if the tyres don't grip the road surface.
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