nblexus15

my LS460 had a rough ride prior to the dealership performing a "road force balance". Since my tires needed this extra service...will this be something that will have to be done again as the tires wear down? Or is it a "do it once and forget it" thing?

CEOEngr

What is "road force balance" and how is it different then the normal spin method used by all tire shops?

rominl

iTrader: (4)

wheel balance can be off even during the lifetime of the tires themselves. however, i wouldn't say if there is a MUST period between each balancing. usually you tell by tire wear, ride, and also vibrations.

road force balancing applied road force on the tires as well (i believe) when you balance the tires, creating better and closer to reality results when balancing tires. i am not 100%, but i believe only higher end hunter machines can do it?

larrs

Here's some info on road force balancing

http://www.hunter.com/pub/product/ba...159T/index.htm

They say:

Solves Vibration Problems Balancers Won’t Fix
- Detects non-balance, radial force-related problems associated with: Tire uniformity.
- Tire and rim runout.
- Wheel-to-balancer mounting error.
- Improper bead seating of tire to rim.
Faster Troubleshooting & Repair
- Quickly calculates the contributions of the rim and tire to radial vibration problems and presents the technician with easy step-by-step repair instructions.

CEOEngr

Thanks for the link and the good info. I learned something new.

Ron_Texas

I have used the 'Road Force' balance on two different cars and have been very happy with the results. In both cases one tire/wheel was the problem. The tire was demounted, rotated to the position that the machine recommended, remounted and the vibration was gone. It is one amazing machine !

Of course, no machine can match the results from the good old "bubble" balancing we did 40+ years ago (just kidding).