Snoopy

That appears to be absolutely true.

I have had an arrangment with a Discount Tire Shop, for lifetime balancing, for years.....on many vehicles. I've had my 2006 HHR back 4 times for RE BALANCE, within 1000 miles. They just could not correct it to my satisfaction.

REMARKABLY, the Chevrolet dealer corrected it in one visit using varible force balancing (which they recommend), indicating the HHR IS super sensitive to balancing.


The Discount Tire Shop returned my original money and offered an apology........probably because of the long time relationship.

Old Ray

Thanks snoop.

Note to Captain Howdy. The “variable force balancing” snoopy is talking about is not the same one that you and I use as we travel in hyper time warp in outer space.

Goose

That happened to me when I put alloys on my Matrix...with steelies and hubs no issues...one winter with the alloys and found that slush likes to freeze inside the wheels...felt like the damn car was gonna fall apart or I bent an axle!....That stuff is packed in there hard!



Goose

dektowt

Let me tell you people a story... I bought a 06 hhr regency conversion with shiny foose 18" wheels and dunlop fm901 tires on them and the shimmy is persent and it pulls to the right. I've been in to my dealer SIX TIMES over the past 10 months and four of them were in the past three weeks. Thus far I have gotten new wheels, two new tires, five alignments, and a sore throat from the shouting match with the service advisor, manager and GM of the dealership. I can't take it anymore... I paid near 30k for this car and have almost a 500$ month car note. This crap shouldn't be going on!! Anyone think about the lemon law here? I made the call and had the firm send me the paperwork to get the ball rolling. Sorry friends this P.O.S HAS TO GO!!!

tim_tenn

It pays to go to a good, reputable tire shop that deals with custom wheels. These locations are better suited to do precise balances. Things to keep in mind (I used to write technical manuals for Coats, the nations largest producer of electronic wheel balancers): Avoid a Static balance- this uses weights on only one side of the wheel, usually the inside to hide the weights. This does not evenly balance a wheel. Dynamic balance is better, measuring variances on both edges of the wheel, and applying weights on both sides. This is not usually good for some custom wheels that do not have a good flange on the outside edge to attach a weight to. Nor is this cosmetically appealling. Hidden weight balancing uses adhesive weights placed as close to the center plane of the wheel as possible. Good balancing method with no visible weights and no damage to visible wheel surfaces. If a tire/wheel combination requires a large weight, the tire should be removed from the wheel, rotated a quarter turn and remounted. Balance again to see if weight requirement drops. Dealers that can perform a Match-Mount can determine the best position for the tire to be mounted to the wheel so that the minimum amount of weight is needed to balance. Expensive, but worth it -- and necessary with some performance wheel and tire combinations. If you have a balance done and there are two or more weights on the wheel and they are at different spots on the wheel -- TAKE IT BACK! The tech muffed your balance and didn't place the first weight in the proper place, thus requiring a second weight to offset the first.

MWG2

Last week I had brand new Michelin Pilots installed. The balance was a "bear" according to my mechanic. (I too have the 17" polished chrome wheels.)

Regarding the shimmy at 60 MPH. I had this on a Honda Odyssey Van right after the wheels were rotated. Turned out that the tires needed to be rebalanced. In fact, each time the tires are rotated, they have to be rebalanced.

Peace,

rob-cyn

No problems like that, but the tires suck in the snow.

MWG2

If you have the stock Firehawk tires, YES, they suck in the snow.

May I suggest Michelin Pilots. I just put them on Car 11. They have an excellent snow rating. I had them on another car and they wer GREAT.

Tire rack sells them.

Peace,

dektowt

see I don't have a set of stock wheels to compare to and when the tech at my dealership swapped wheels the shimmy was less evident but still there. So I went and filed my lemon law papers and dropped them into the mail lastnight. we"ll see what happens from here

wingfeather

I've got a shimmy starting about 45 MPH, up to about 70 MPH.

Stock steelies & hub caps.

Dealer balanced the wheels & it is now worse