Where should I mount and balance my tires

[4Banger604]

Hello members,

I read all the postings about Michelin tires and I went out and purchased 4 Michelin Cross Terrains. I read your article above about the flange plate adaptor and the GSP 9700. My problem right now is that I'm not sure where to get my tires mounted and balanced. I live in Vancouver, Canada and the Toyota dealerships don't use the flange plate adaptor when balancing the tires. Isn't this required for Toyota? I located a few places (not Toyota) in my area that are equipped with the GSP 9700 but not the flange plate adaptor. Also I contacted some places which told me that they do have a flange plate adaptor but are usually only used for Volkswagens because of the way the bolts are positioned. If I am not able to find a location with both devices, which machine should I favor, the flange plate adaptor or the GSP 9700? or should I just go back to Toyota?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Thai]

Priority will go towards the adaptor. Ask your Toyota dealership if they have had any problems balancing Toyota wheels?? If they say no, then let them do it. Try to push them for a "money back" deal if they can't balance your wheels.

Good Luck.

 

[4Banger604]

Thanks for the advice Thai!!

 

[waskillywabbit]

Adapter

The adapter is used to mount the lugcentric factory rim to the machine instead of just mouting it in the "hole" and spinning the tire. The GPS 9700 is a waste of time without the adapters. If you do call back your dealership and talk to someone who knows what the heck they are talking about and not the person you talked to before, better yet go down there! If you talked to a service person, most of them are just customer service people who don't know jack about cars anyway. Find a mechanic, better yet the guy that balances the tires all day, and talk to him. A Toyota dealership is going to have the right equipment to do the job right, and if for some forsaken reason they actually don't, go see the general manager and complain and ask why the heck they don't!!!

Never call them up to ask them these type of questions either. Go down to the dealership and talk to someone who has grease under their fingernails, not the idiots who answer the phone!

Hope this helps!

Brian

 

[4Banger604]

Hey Brian,

I already mounted and balance my tires before I read your reply. Yah, I should have went down there and asked a real mechanic rather than the receptionist about the equipment they use. Well, I have my new tires on and I'm really happy with them. Too bad I can't tell if the balancing job is good or not. Next time I balance my tires, I'll be sure to ask management why they do not have the necessary equipment. Thanks!

Joe

 

[Thai]

Unfortunately, not all Toyota dealerships have the adaptor! In Houston, TX, about 50% of dealerships have it...the other do not.

If you do not have a shimmy in your steering, then they did a good job of balancing your tires.