I have a 2002 Pathfinder LE with the original wheels and 44K. I just replaced the OEM Bridgestones (which were terrible) with Michelin Cross Terrians and have had them back to the tire four times for rebalancing. Are Pathfinder wheels hard to balance? On the fourth trip they finally got it right.
Responses are appreciated.
Wheels hard to balance
Re: (Loveless)
Did they do a Dynamic balance? (Usually indicated by having weights on both sides of the rim. OR
Did they do a Static balance?Wheel weights are on the inside lip only. Static balancing can sometimes be ineffective at balancing a wheel on a truck or SUV.
There are a few factors a good tire installer must be aware of:
Tires are not prefect and many have internal heavy spots on them.Many wheels, no matter what they are made of may have a heay spot as well. If the heavy spots on a wheel and tire end up close to each other you end up with a wheel that may get a substantial amount of weight on one side to balance it out. Truck tires are famous for this problem. The only remedy is to change the tires position on the rim by rotating it 90 -180 degrees, reinflating the tire and try to balance the wheel again.
A bead that won't seat properly is another factor. This will make a tire wobble and almost no amount of weight will fix it. This is not always visible until the wheel get spun on the balancer.
Another item, although somewhat rare, is an off center hub opening. Many wheels are balanced using cones that allow the wheel to self center on the balancing machine. BUT a good tire shop should be using a stud plate that allows the wheel to be spun by the stud holes. This will ensure a tight straight and centered mounting position on the balancer.
The only other thing that would cause you your headaches is either installer error. ( AKA ROOKIES).
Or the wrong wheel weights were used and they got flung off shortly after you starting driving away.
If you have more problems find out if they balance wheels using just centering cones or if they use a stud mounting plate. As I said, the plate will give a better result
Did they do a Static balance?Wheel weights are on the inside lip only. Static balancing can sometimes be ineffective at balancing a wheel on a truck or SUV.
There are a few factors a good tire installer must be aware of:
Tires are not prefect and many have internal heavy spots on them.Many wheels, no matter what they are made of may have a heay spot as well. If the heavy spots on a wheel and tire end up close to each other you end up with a wheel that may get a substantial amount of weight on one side to balance it out. Truck tires are famous for this problem. The only remedy is to change the tires position on the rim by rotating it 90 -180 degrees, reinflating the tire and try to balance the wheel again.
A bead that won't seat properly is another factor. This will make a tire wobble and almost no amount of weight will fix it. This is not always visible until the wheel get spun on the balancer.
Another item, although somewhat rare, is an off center hub opening. Many wheels are balanced using cones that allow the wheel to self center on the balancing machine. BUT a good tire shop should be using a stud plate that allows the wheel to be spun by the stud holes. This will ensure a tight straight and centered mounting position on the balancer.
The only other thing that would cause you your headaches is either installer error. ( AKA ROOKIES).
Or the wrong wheel weights were used and they got flung off shortly after you starting driving away.
If you have more problems find out if they balance wheels using just centering cones or if they use a stud mounting plate. As I said, the plate will give a better result