Wheel balancing

Shocks, springs, anything to do with the running gear

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sergeantcortez
1.6 8v
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2021 9:02 am

Wheel balancing

Post by sergeantcortez »

MrsSE has taken Pugsley for some new shoes, all booked and paid for.

I'm only getting this second hand so don't know the details, but she's apparently been told that you can't balance the wheels on a normal balancer. They're the standard 15 inch alloys... Something to do with the solid centre meaning it won't go on the machine?

Anyone ever come across this before? It's not a place we've used before so I'm nervous anyway...

(As I post, apparently they've found the adapter to do it... We shall see!).
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Doggy
Mod with a 2.2 HDi, De-Fapped!
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Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 11:49 pm
Location: Northants

Re: Wheel balancing

Post by Doggy »

Yes, common problem.
Some places don't have a centre-less balancer/attachment so can't do them.
Others say they can, but screw it up becuase they don't balance the machine after fitting the adapter, (or don't do it well enough), so end up un-balancing your wheel(s) to compensate.
I got caught out with one useless shower doing exactly that and I couldn't get back there before a holiday weekend and trip to France, so had to get it re-done properly for another £40.

Oddly enough a year or two later I had a set of 4 fitted at a Formula One that couldn't balance them so just took the weights off and planned to get it done next day. Amazingly, it was pretty much perfect as it was, never got it balanced until the next set of boots!
2002 HDi 2.2 Exec Estate, (2008-12) (wonderful)
2003 HDi 2.2 6-speed Exec Estate (2012-19) (also a gem)
2009 Citroen C5 2.0 HDi VTR+ Estate (godawful heap)
2008 BMW E91 330i touring (great fun - murdered by a reversing SUV)
2007 BMW E91 325i touring (slower smoother quieter)
sergeantcortez
1.6 8v
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2021 9:02 am

Re: Wheel balancing

Post by sergeantcortez »

Ah, thanks for the insight! Glad it's not just one bad garage making excuses because they can't be bothered ...

I've had a truly terrible experience before when I took another car in for alignment and when I went to collect it the chap reckoned the camber was fixed. "No, just slacken those two bolts"... Drove like a pig on stilts...
GingerMagic
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Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2012 9:02 pm
Location: Bournemouth

Re: Wheel balancing

Post by GingerMagic »

It's a bit late, but worth asking before you go if the tyre place does centreless balancing ( a few Peugeot wheels have solid centres.. )
2003 2.2hdi estate - mine
1998 Volvo 940 auto estate - also mine
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PP2000 user, can help with faults / diagnostics in the Bournemouth area.
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