John00

wmart also sold blems at one time. always get RF, even a square wheel can be balanced with standard method.

ASE

^ square wheel ... don't think so ... the reason I gave up after 30-years of being a BFG All-Terrain man ... round and true is apparently optional with these tires. Balancing can only do so much ...

John00

you could try it then know. its very easy to balance rotational mass, doesnt need any symmetry at all. a perfectly balanced wheel doesnt mean it will drive well, or even at all before breaking other things.
see if this link works, has a good explanation of radial force vs balance

https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/...ar-article.pdf
Star May/Jun 08 Fea.qxd:TheStar (3m.com)

ASE

Good article ... but have no clue as to your comment above ?

John00

just that RF is preferred because even square wheels can and have been balanced within spec. but they ride horrible then things break. Ive seen square wheels balanced myself as part of a presentation to a physics class at the factory to students. And ive also seen 2 vehicles ride on them. both times it looked painful and there was damage.

with the gx and 4runners ive always had to RF anytime ive gotten >16" wheels. even with quality tire brands. once they even had to adjust position similar to the factory with the dots. i think tirerack also does this.

m5rahul

Just got back from Costco, and as expected, they really can't do anything. The tire center blamed the issue on uneven wear on the tires ( due to a bad alignment or suspension issues), even though he clearly saw the real concern ( out or round ) I was complaining about. Said he couldn't file a tire issue with Michelin because of the wear. There has been some uneven wear (I've had to get this GX aligned a few times, and seems like the dealer just couldn't get it right.. ) So, basically, I'm SOL with $1200 tires that still have 8-9/32nd tread left in them..

I could just keep driving with these until they wear more or get new tires ( again ) and do an alignment ( not at a dealer of course ) or just trade the damn thing in ( don't really wanna.. but... I'm striking out now )

ASE

Sorry ... but an example of why any "savings" by going Costco is just not worth the risk. Their position IMHO is total BS ... alignment has absolutely nothing to do with out-of-round ... but what can you do !#!

I rotate and balance at Discount Tire (free with certificate) every 5-6,000 miles... that way if there are any wear issues, it's on them to flag so it can be addressed ... and the warranty maintained.

My daughter bought Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires for her car at Discount Tire ... 45,000 mile warranty. She is a speed deamon ... wore the tires down to the wear bars in 17,000-odd miles. DT worked the situation with Michelin ... tires replaced under warranty ... even though the edge of the treads were totally feathered ... clearly indicating extreme g-force cornering.

IanG

An option is to search for "tire truing shaving" at a location near you. A shop I worked at many years ago shaved tires and it worked well on truing out of round tires.

ASE

^ yes, I had racing tires shaved years ago ... but for me, should not be necessary for modern road tires that have actually passed quality inspection. Plus with shaving ... you lose that much tread ... reducing the life of the tire ... and voiding the warranty.

To the OP ... stop torturing yourself ... your GX is not the issue ... cut bait, and buy new tires at DT and move on with your life.

John00

look at the tire wear. it can actually be with some types that the out of balance is causing the wear, not the other way around. look at patch vs cup

m5rahul

Not going to go for tire shaving.. will be replacing them with new ones from DT.. They have a decent sale on the Michelin LTX M/S right now so that's what I'm thinking about instead of the Michelin Latitude HPs

ASE

Michelin Defender LTX ... best tire for the GX in my direct experience.

John00

jad to go see which tires i have, michelin defender ltx. went to those after having the michelin crossclimate suv+

m5rahul

Alright, so the Defender LTXs are on ( went with 265/65s and perfect fit! no rub, even at full lock ) .. Also had the vehicle re-aligned ( just in case ) and all good.. except, the tech showed me the leaky tire rods ( front outers ) so.. lol.. ( FML ! ) and is it true that I'd also need to change the upper control arms with these ( as stated by the tech ..) ? Or, could I just do the tie rods ?

The quote is crazy ... $80 ( parts only.. for 2 tie rods.. ) found the same part on Rock Auto for $22 !! UCAs, quoted $569 per.. Rock Auto ( same part ) $136 ! .. Amazing..

Total, with install, for the UCAs.. $1650 ( lol ) and for the tie rods ( $290 )

ASE

... why UCA's ? ... are the bushings or ball joints shot ?