[Jazzcat]

How many here bother to check if their tires are balanced during rotation? While anyone can rotate tires, balancing requires greater skill for the do-it-yourselfer. How important do you feel tire balancing is for every rotation?

 

[Joenpb]

I rotate my tires every 5-6000 miles, but don't balance them (outside of new installation) unless they're giving me an indication of a rougher ride. Likewise I only have the wheels aligned when the car won't hold a straight line.

 

[RickAKATed10]

As needed. If things start to get a little shaky, it's possible they need to be balanced. That's about it.

 

[Joenpb]

On another note I would never try to balance tires myself. The tire shop has the high speed tire spinner needed. I've never seen anyone do it themselves, and would imagine there would be tons of trial and error involved, mostly error....

 

[RickAKATed10]

On another note I would never try to balance tires myself. The tire shop has the high speed tire spinner needed. I've never seen anyone do it themselves, and would imagine there would be tons of trial and error involved, mostly error....

This. I wouldn't even think it would be possible to DIY.

 

[hammergjh]

I rotate my tires every 5-6000 miles, but don't balance them (outside of new installation) unless they're giving me an indication of a rougher ride. Likewise I only have the wheels aligned when the car won't hold a straight line.

this. :bigthumbsup

 

[Yadkin]

Back in my motorcycle days I used to balance them myself. I saw a shop mechanic doing it and just copied his method. He'd take some picture hanging wire to suspend the wheel at its hub and place the weight at the high spot until it balanced level, and that was it.

With a wide car tire though weights get put on both sides so apparently there is some side-to-side dynamic that takes a machine to figure out. :?:

I'll give you one tip I learned though before taking the car in for a wheel balance take all four rims off and scrub them clean inside and outside. Brake dust and dirt gets on the rim and can affect the balance if you clean it off later. I sure as heck have never seen a shop mechanic scrub up a rim before he balanced it.

 

[jimmbbo]

I have been buying my tires from Discount Tire for several years. They have competitive prices, excellent selection with consumer reviews, online ordering and appointment making, and the purchase includes rotation and balancing every 5000 miles... no brainer...

 

[calgarybandit]

If you have big meats in the rear I highly recommend road force balancing the tire. Just make sure the tire/rim are chalked and lined up and then balanced. It knocked about 4 ounces a wheel off my rims :bigthumbsup

 

[Thereaper]

If I notice a bad vibration I will have them checked.