How much weight is too much for balancing wheels/tires? Need advice please.

[stevec5000]

I've read in some other threads where people recommend the dealership balance their wheels with the road force machine.. I don't know if I trust those guys by me.. and besides I'd imagine it would be astronomically priced and I'm not sure they'd do aftermarket wheels. I really need someone who knows what they're doing and talking about. Time to do more research, I Will check back in here later :lookout:

The road force machine seems like overkill if you aren't trying to hit 200MPH. I just use my bubble balancer and it works fine for normal highway speeds up to 80-100MPH or so. I took my new tires off that were installed and balanced by Discount Tire and checked them and they were perfect but that doesn't seem to be the case for everyone.

 

[stevec5000]

Wow thanks for all the responses guys. I really didn't think it was this complex to have a set of tires balanced. :dammit: These are actually my first set of aftermarket wheels, ever for any car i've owned.

Will it be safe to say I have to find a shop with this road force machine? Is this the same machine that people refer to as the hunter 9700?

It would be ideal if someone in the North Jersey or even central jersey area had a GOOD shop I can go to and have this done RELIABLY. I'd be forever grateful :hatsoff:

Hell, I'd even drive out to PA or NY to have it done correctly. anyone? Bueller? lol

It's not hard at all! Get yourself a balancer and you can do all 4 of them in 20 minutes!

 

[sandwich]

This issue has been resolved by going to a dealership and having them road force balanced using the right flange plate adapter (Haweka or whatever it's called)

Man, what a week. She ride smooth again now, very smooth. Awesome.

If anyone turns up this thread in a search just know that with aftermarket wheels on a 4Runner that are lug centric need to be done this way, and no other way.

Finding this thread:
(Click here) also helped a lot and I wish I found it BEFORE I bought my wheels so I was informed. Searching this forum is very difficult for some reason.. it's not like searching other forums. For some reason you get a lot of junk when searching here. I actually found that thread when I was searching for information about TPMS, and NOT when I was searching for balancing information.

Thanks everyone for being a great help and giving great advice! :cheers:

 

[mapdash]

Good news. I will have this done ASAP.

 

[mapdash]

Ok. So i went today to have the roadforce balance done and the owner asked me if the original wheel installer used hub rings? I said i did not know.

He pulled off one wheel and there were no hub rings. He says there is your problem. He says that even a road force balance wont work if the wheel isnt on straight. (This shop is a performance tire and wheel specialist and is known for solving balancing/alignment issues) So I leave there with no balancing done on a search for hub rings.

After researching i find our trucks hubs are 106mm. The wheels hubs are 106.25 mm. Then i dig further on here and find somebody who measured their 5th gen LE wheel (wheels i had on previously) and it was 106.29 mm. After one more call to a local wheel place they tell me this wheel is hub centric to my truck.

So now I am planning to go back tomm AM and have the roadforce balance done.

Wheels are XD addicts, 20X9. Are these hub centric to our trucks? If they are not then they are pretty damn close.

Let me know what you guys think.

 

[sandwich]

Mapdash,
The addicts are not hub centric to the truck as far as I can tell. They sit on the protrusion from the hub ALMOST snug but even if it's 1mm off, technically they are lug centric right?
From reading other threads on the forum I don't believe you need hub centric rings and they would be very thin anyway.
The shop needs to use the flange plate adapter, if they don't have one or seem to not know what it is, start calling dealership service dept's until you find one that knows. That's pretty much what I did

 

[mapdash]

Mapdash,
The addicts are not hub centric to the truck as far as I can tell. They sit on the protrusion from the hub ALMOST snug but even if it's 1mm off, technically they are lug centric right?
From reading other threads on the forum I don't believe you need hub centric rings and they would be very thin anyway.
The shop needs to use the flange plate adapter, if they don't have one or seem to not know what it is, start calling dealership service dept's until you find one that knows. That's pretty much what I did

Yeah thanks after i posted i read the thread you linked and it really shed light on the situation. I called my local dealer and asked specifically if they had the lug adapter and they did and knew what i was talking about. So my truck is there right now getting it done i will know at lunch time if it solved the problem.

Thanks for the help.

 

[FERAL 4R]

Most aftermarket wheels for the 4runner (stock wheel is hub centric, meaning the hub centers the wheel) and others, are lug centric, meaning the lugs center the wheel. IMO...This is where lug nuts become the critical factor....And proper lug torque.

I highly recommend extended length "ET" style lug nuts from Gorilla lugs for all aftermarket wheels. They have a lip past the acorn bulge that helps center the wheel.

The spline drive chrome or black (you'll need the spline drive socket as well)...you can get them from here: http://www.wheelersoffroad.com/4runnertoyblackalloys.htm

 

[mapdash]

Just got the truck back:

It seems better but i was only able to take a quick jaunt on the highway. I will know for certain when i drive home because i am all to familair with certain speeds that caused the worst vibration, and it happend every day on the way home.

This is what the tech commented in reference to the balance:
Found that the balance was only off by a very slight bit, but the road force is causing the vibration L/F 29 L/R 48 R/R 36 R/F 28.

They moved the problem wheels to the back.

Will report back tomm after some more seat time.

 

[nevada]

its been a few years now, and i know technology has changed. but ive balanced a lot of tires over the years, and the older toyota's with the OE aluminum wheels were always a PITA. you had to use a lug adapter, or they wouldnt balance correctly. the machine would zero out, but there would be vibrations.

this was long before road force machines were available.

 

[NHinAK]

I had my 285 AT3's balanced 4 times; twice with the Hunter 9700. I ended up getting pissed off and selling the tires and picking up a set of Revo 2's in the stock 265. Again, it took three times to get them balanced; twice at the dealer on the Hunter 9700. I believe the Revo's balanced perfect on the 9700 the first time but a few of the weights fell off shortly thereafter. At least that was their excuse. It seems plausible because they don't remove the previous weight residue, or clean the wheel prior to sticking them on the rim.

 

[mapdash]

Update. The vibration is better but still there at highway speeds. It isnt jaw shaking but i can see my hand shaking on the steering wheel at those certain speeds. I guess i am just going to have to live with it.

 

[453030]

Little commentary on my brand new 285/70/17 Duratracs I had installed on Tuesday. They ride absolutely great, no shakes or pull of any kind. Still, when I crawled under to move my front fenders, I noticed my two front tires required far more weight than the two on the rear (which are only 2-3 ounces each). So I asked my regular guy, who was out when I had the original install done. I took it back tonight as he wanted to check them himself. He removed all of the weights and started fresh. On the first tire he was able to get it from 8 ounces down to 5. On the other tire, he tried the same process but could not keep the weight down. So he rotated it 180 degrees on the wheel. It required even more weight after that. So he yanked the tire and put on a replacement. Took all of 3 ounces to balance. Now they all sit between 2 and 5, which seems pretty reasonable.