Balancing Advice

[neildavies]

Just thought I'd offer some advice after problems I've had over the last couple of weeks.

To get to the point, I'd advise watching the fitter who balances your tyre and make sure the machine show '0' for both outside and in.

In the last fortnight, I've had issues with both the 406 and 307, and from past experience, I've seen them balancing the tyre, and when it's down to just 5 or 10, they allow this and put the wheel on the car. But it seems 406's especially are very sensitive to a perfectly balanced tyre.

After 6 visits to the garage, and 3 different tyres (2 were from a bad batch and were aweful, sounded like a wheel bearing gone), I can now drive the car at any speed and not listen to my watch rattling.

[steve_earwig]

That's like most jobs, if you want something done properly do it yourself. My dad ended up buying his own balancing machine.

[DaiRees]

Where did you go Neil? Mine's not perfect at the moment either.

[neildavies]

I took the 406 to Sardis Road tyres. I normally go to Meanies in Dowlais, but he doesn't balance centreless wheels, so while I've got the 406, my choices are a bit more limited.

I was surprised how much people charge for balancing thee days, I phoned Watts and they wanted £9.50+vat per wheel!! I didn'tget as far as asking if he did centreless Alloys!

I got the 307 puncture repaired at Meanies and the first time, it had a slight wobble at about 75mph. I took it back there on Friday and he showed me when it got to zero on both sides, the car is spot on now.

So from now on, I'll watch whoever balances my tyres and tell them to keep going until the machine shows zero on both sides.

[HimBigChief]

I always watch work being done on my car if I can, and if it's a big job, then I'll keep arriving randomly unannounced to have a bit of banter and check progress. I used to work at Halfords too, so I just go back there whenever I need any balancing done and they usually do it for free (or at least buy the fitter a McD's and he's happy).

[DaiRees]

Bought my last couple of pairs of tyres from Meanies and the front ones had a little wobble at just over 70 (I cruise in the 60's these days so it took me a couple of weeks to notice ). Took it back and the lad rebalanced it but it's exactly the same. I was wondering whether it's because I wouldn't let him put knock-on weights on the outside of the rims , he used the stick on ones in the middle instead. That said he also showed me the fine setting on the machine with both wheels reading 0 both sides, so maybe it's a dodgy tyre or something?

The previous set also developed a wobble (also just over 70 come to think of it ) and in a moment of weakness I took it to ATS for a wallet bashing. Anyway bit of banta with the lad about not putting weights on the outside and he said "I never put weights on the outside of alloys", so I asked him if he uses stick on weights and he said no, he just sets the machine up so that it only asks for knock on weights on the inside rim. I wasn't sure how that'd work but let him get on with it and it was absolutely perfect . ATS, expensive, but sometimes it's worth it.

[puggy]

I found a longer pole helped me

[DaiRees]

I found a longer pole helped me

Silly sod!

[neildavies]

I tell every garage to use stick on weights for the front of the wheel, it is possible to get it right. Not sure how yours could be still wobbling, possible it's a slight buckle in the wheel.

When I took the 307 to be rebalanced to Meanies last week, I saw him adding another weight then he told me there was a slight buckle in the wheel. I saw what he meant, but when I took the car back out, it was perfect. So it just needed that one extra weight to be spot on.

I that didn't work, I was going to swap it with the back wheel.

[Welly]

I have a wobble on the Volvo at (you guessed it) 70mph anyway I asked around on some forums about it and someone else had the same thing only the wheels had just been balanced (like mine) he took it to somewhere more 'sofisticated' with a newer machine, better equiped, etc. and they balanced the wheel spot on!

[puglover]

jesus!!!!!!!!!!! i must be realy lucky here i use a garage called bp tyres and exhausts its only a five min walk away and he offers me free balancing with any new tyre and if on the off chance i need them rebalancing its only a couple of quid for a pint...
i have also seen them do it to my wheels and others and they always wait until absolute zero until they say its balanced....
never had any vibration at any speed since i started going there about 13 years ago........
also if i'm doing a "home mech project" he will also lend me some tools if i need them............

[neildavies]

Sods law Welly, same with me, 70mph.

In the past, I've put up with a slight wobble, because I can't be arsed going back and think they won't be able to sort it.

Now though, I know it is possible, just watch them. If they still can't get it right after it's on zero, then it must be their machine, so find another garage with a better machine (Then stick with them)

Other advice, don't buy a car with centreless alloys!

[Welly]

I must admit one of the Volvo wheels must have been down a pot hole at some point and put a very slight buckle in it (like a flat spot on the inner rim when it rotates) they said they could only get it down to 10 grammes but maybe others could do better without having a mechano set of weights mashed onto the rim

[steve_earwig]

There's a place about 10km from here that'll straighten that for about 15 quid.

[Welly]

There's a place I know in Melton but it's an arse going there, going back, etc etc in fact I've used him before with the Honda.

It seems a lot of these wheels with low profiles get dented in on the inner rims, it's the poor roads we have I suppose.

Thinking about it I ought to get it sorted really