Best Place to have tires rotated and balanced?

[pickerdd]

I need advice on who does the best job of balancing tires on our 4Runners.

I had my dealer rotate and balance the tires on my 2 month old truck as part of the 5000 (actually it was 4600) mile service this morning. I changed the oil (Mobil 1) and filter (the Toyota Japan V8 filter) yesterday as well as installed a Fumoto valve.

It seems everytime I have my dealer balance the tires they use clip on balancing weights that scratches the rims on my truck and I'm tired of it. They don't use stick on weights, so it's time I found a service place that will use stick on weights.

 

[TechWrench]

I need advice on who does the best job of balancing tires on our 4Runners.

I had my dealer rotate and balance the tires on my 2 month old truck as part of the 5000 (actually it was 4600) mile service this morning. I changed the oil (Mobil 1) and filter (the Toyota Japan V8 filter) yesterday as well as installed a Fumoto valve.

It seems everytime I have my dealer balance the tires they use clip on balancing weights that scratches the rims on my truck and I'm tired of it. They don't use stick on weights, so it's time I found a service place that will use stick on weights.

You will probably have to do some calling around, to find a tire shop that is willing to use stick-on weights instead of clip ons. I am curious as to why you want to have the wheels re-balanced so often. If you are not having any vibration problem from wheel balance, why mess with it. Just because some places offer 'free' rotation and balancing doesn't mean it needs it. I totally agree with regular rotation, which includes the spare in the mix, but unless I feel I have a vibration problem, I don't let anyone touch the wheel balance. IMHO, it just gives someone, possibly lacking in proper training, or experience, the chance to mess up what was a perfectly balanced wheel. Wheels are dynamically balanced, so position on the vehicle shouldn't have any effect on how it is balanced, so just go with the regular rotation, and don't worry about the balance, unless you start to have a problem.

 

[pickerdd]

TechWrench,

Good question and good suggestion, thanks.

The reason I had the tires balanced and rotated is because I got into that habit with my previous 4Runner (a 2006 Limited). It greatly benefited from having the tires balanced every 5k miles when they were rotated. I'm not sure if it was a problem with the stock Bridgestone tires or what as I'm not an aggressive driver in the 4Runner and I don't do any off-roading. The Michelin Cross Terrains on my new truck seem to be a much better handling and riding tire than the Bridgestone tires that were on my previous truck.

Thanks,

 

[4by4th]

Discount Tire.

 

[fun4runner]

i get it done at samsclub for $15+ and satisfied with their service since 5 yrs

 

[cknsls@adelphia]

i get it done at samsclub for $15+ and satisfied with their service since 5 yrs

It's my experience that if you don't rotate and balance the wheels at least every other oil change you get the steering wheel vibration going down the highway.

I purchased some Michelins from another forum member, and have paid to have them re balanced several times. No tire shop here here wants to do a "life of tire" balance package if you don't buy their tires.

The last time I took it to a Franchise here-"Big O Tires" and they tried to sell me (among much other things) a cabin air filter for $49.00 dollars and then another $30.00 to install it.

I had changed it a week earlier myself-total cost $20.00 bucks and it took all of ten minutes.........

 

[MikesToy]

Discount Tire.

I second that. Or America's Tire (Discount Tire's sister).

 

[nated05]

I got a "free" lifetime balance and rotation package with my firestones. Just got them rotated and balanced on monday, had to go back on tues because I felt a vibration at 60mph+ They did a load balance on each tire and found one that needed adjustments. It seems to be good now.

My rims have marks on them at every point where they attached and removed a weight. I wasnt even aware of the stick on weights, not that it matters now.