Can tires become out of balance even with weights?

chrisgritz

Hey guys so i recently purchased a 2004 Ford Explorer and it drove smoothly till i hit the highway. Around 70 mph the steering wheel will start to shake, sometimes it will stop but it will only stop for about 3 seconds or so and return. The front rims do not have a dent however the left rear one has a really minor dent. The two front tires do have weights on them but i was wondering even with the weights on them should i go back and check for a balance? I also know that the two shocks in the back are not in good condition. The tires are not new but they have a lot of thread and look in good condition. The explorer also does have the motor mounts and there is no noise coming from the front or back end.

capriracer

Wheel end vibrations occur in the 50 mph to 70 mph range: Check!

Out of round assemblies can cause vibrations - even if they are perfectly balanced. Dent on the wheel = possible out of round!

But wheel end vibrations don't come and go. They will be there every time you reach that speed. The road bumps may make it hard to feel, but the vibration itself will be there always - IF the cause is out of round or out of balance assemblies.

But what you've described sort of sounds more like you are not able to feel the vibration because of some bump, but basically, the vibration is always there.

It wouldn't hurt to get the tires and wheels rebalanced (except for your wallet!). While you are there, have the tech look at the wobble on the balance machine. If the wobble is bad, or rebalance doesn't fix the problem, you are likely looking at new tires and perhaps a new wheel (or 2!)

chrisgritz

Thanks man! Turns out it was the balance, found a place that did them for 5 dollars a tire lol and now it is running smooth!