Tire Truing

[Al C.]

While in Titusville, FL We discovered our original Goodyears were approaching 7 Yrs in age (Ouch) so We? purchased & installed new Bridgestones on our 2000 Pace Arrow.? I opted for a balancing product named "Counteract" which is supposedly one-up on the "Equal" , in that is is not prone to degradation from wet air....

Now, I'm not happy with the balancing.... I brought it back to the Dealer who seemed very anxious to please, but could not do anything to solve the front end vibration that appears at 65 MPH....? His 1st suggestion was that "It takes about 50 miles for the balancing product to dispurse", so We took a ride down I95 & back covering just over 50 miles

On our 2ND visit back and when asked if He could "True" at least the front tires, He responded;? 1. That He didn't recommend the process; 2? That it might void the Manufacturer's Warrantee; And (3) that He didn't have a machine for performing this procedure, anyway. (Lg Grin)

FWIW: We had our old Goodyears "Trued" about 3 Yrs ago while in Tampa, FL & had absolutely no vibraton going over I95 to the Dealer.... The new ones vibrate like crazy on the same roadway.? ?

Has anyone had any experience with this process of "Truing?"? Pro? Con?? How could this simple process "void a warrantee"?

Any responses would be welcome.

Al C.?

 

[Karl]

Al,

Based on your previous need for trueing, I suspect a problem other than the tires.

I would suggest you go to one of the large tire dealers and ask them to do a circumfrential run-out check on the tires, mark the tires and rims at the maximum run-out point, then dismount and remount them, but place the tire and rim marks opposite each other. Then have them do the run-out check again. If the maximum run-out point has changed, it's the tires. If not, then it's the WHEELS that are not true; not the tires! Tires are checked by the manufacturer for trueness and is indicated by colored lines around the circumfrence of the tire. One that fails this test should never have hit the market. If it is the tires, demand new ones.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Definitely sounds like you have at least one front tire that is significantly out-of-round.  If they don't want to true it by grinding off some of the tread, they should replace the tire(s).  The dynamic balancing powders can only compensae for so much off-balance and your new tires clearly exceed their capability.  Note that static balancing with large fixed weights could probably compensate for a greater aberration than the Counteract stuff, but that's not a good solution either.

Truing physically modifies the tire, so I can understand why the manufacturer would balk at warranteeing it.  There is no telling whether the job would be properly done in a local tire shop and they would not want to assume the risk.

Since you had no balance problem before, it seems unlikely that the problem is with your wheels, though it is conceivable one got bent when the shop dismounted.mounted the new tires.

Try insisting on a different pair of tires for the front. A tire that cannot be balanced is clearly defective.

 

[Karl]

Gary,

From his statement below, he did have a balance problem on the previous tires.

FWIW: We had our old Goodyears "Trued" about 3 Yrs ago while in Tampa, FL & had absolutely no vibraton going over I95 to the Dealer.... The new ones vibrate like crazy on the same roadway. 

 

[Terry A. Brewer]

Al

>>Has anyone had any experience with this process of "Truing?"? Pro? Con?? How could this simple process "void a warrantee"?<<

I always have my front tires balanced & trued while on the coach...not many places can do these large tire & wheel Assembly's anymore, I have mine done at Kaiser Brake & Alignment in Eugene, OR.

 

[Al C.]

Adding to my initial post; I was given the name of ?Josam? Frame & Alignment Specialist in Orlando, FL & this morning I drove the Toad over to talk to Barry Hampton, the Service Manager. Here I discovered;

1. Truing will (in fact) invalidate the Manufacturer?s Warranty. But impossible to enforce because the evidence is ?worn-off? in 2000 miles.

2. That in order to properly ?True? a tire, the weights must be removed. (In my case, I have the ?CounterAct? beads.)

3. That nearly EVERY new truck size tire is slightly out of round?. I could go back to where I purchased the tires, but with no assurance that the next tire would not also be slightly out of round. (The Tire Guy told me that initially.)

Now, I?m disinclined to drive 35 Miles form Titusville back to Cocoa to have the CounterAct stuff removed; Then 45 Miles back to Orlando to have the front wheels properly Trued/Balanced? I?m going back home to Mass at Mth End... ( Lg-Grin )

My vibration begins at 65MPH? And I don?t need to be going that fast anymore, anyway. Maybe, after 2000-3000 Miles my High-Spots will have smoothed off & my CounterAct Beads better distributed. If I remain unsatisfied, I?ll seek out a Truck/RV Shop near home.

Many Thanks to those took the time to respond to this.

Al C. 

 

[Karl]

Perhaps interesting to some? IndyCar/Champ Car teams do not own the tires they run on, but rent them from the manufacturer. They bring their wheels to the mounting area, then tires are randomly selectedfor them, mounted, and balanced with lead tape weights. The tires are then marked with a rubber stamp with the car number and name of the race, and given back to the crew. The number of sets is determined by the length of the race and track conditions, and tech inspectors check each stack of tires in the pits to make sure there are no other teams' tires there, and that they are the ones specifically marked for that car for that race. At the end of qualifying, qualifying tires are given an additional rubber stamp mark to ensure that the race is started on them (in most cases). When the race is finished, all tires - used and unused - must be returned to the manufacturer. The speed at which the tires are balanced? 40mph.

Don't know how NASCAR does it; maybe one of our NASCAR afficionados will jump in.   

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Al,
Anybody can remove your balancing powder - just need to dismount and remount each tire.  At your expense, no doubt.

 

[Al C.]

Chuckle, chuckle.... No doubt thats what I'll do, if the problem persists.

Al (Canary)

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Thinking about it further, there should be no need to remove the balancing powder, since it will automatically correct its distribution as the tire is trued.  Physical weights are removed because they become "wrong" the instant any rubber is ahved off and can cause the tire to shake violently on the machine.  That can't happen with the powder stuff.

Did you ask the tire truing shop about your auto-balancing or jsut assume it would be a problem?

 

[Al C.]

>>>Did you ask the tire truing shop about your auto-balancing or just assume it would be a problem?<<<

Gary;

I did ask the question, & the response was as I posted..? But Your new queston raises some legitimate doubt in my mind as well... I'll call Him again this morning & report back in this forum.

Otherwise, I'll be checking in with another shop, closer to home.

Thanks for the thoughts!

Al