On-car balancing sucks!

[Daniel Hussey <GY3WSX@VM.SC.EDU>]

     Just a warning.

     I bought a new set of tires for my 5000CSTQ about three months ago.  I bou
ght a set of Dunlop D60 A2's from Tire Rack and had them mounted by a local
speed shop (Gran Turismo East).  I paid to have the tires mounted, balanced,
and for a four wheel alighnment.  Anyways, ever since I'v had these new tires
I've had horrible road noise at highway speeds.  After conversing with the list
, I have decided that it is not the tires, but rather a balance/alighnment
problem.  This shop does lots of this sorta stuff for race and high performance
cars.  I also noticed after about two months of driving that the front right
tire was wearing out real odd...more on the outside edge.  And, the car has som
e shakes at highway speeds as well.

     So, last time I was home I took it buy Gran Turismo and asked them if they
 would check my alighnment and re balance the wheels (I said I was amazed that
such a shop could do such a shabby balancing job.  First, I was discouraged to
find out that I had to make an appointment to bring the car in and that the
work they did was in no way warranted.  Then the guy there asked me if I'd ever
had the wheels off the car.  I said "Yea, a few times.  Why?"  Then he told me
that the balance was lost by doing that.  He tried to explain it to me but I
was too upset to realy have payed attention.  I just thought I'd warn y'all
that if you are like me and have your wheels off the car a lot, on-car balancin
g is not the thing to get.

     I have decided that I can not afford to get this kind of work done without
a written warranty as well.  So, next time I am home (didn't have time this
past weekend) I will probably bring it into NTW and have the alighnment checked
and the wheels re-balanced off the car (the standard method).  It is also a rea
lly good deal because I get a year warranty on the alighnment and a lifetime wa
rranty of the balaning.  That way, if I ever have any trouble, I can just bring
it back under warranty.

     Granted I still have never had a perfect alighnment/balance on this car
yet, and it may be partially do to it's age and some tired bushings.  But, I
find it hard to believe that this simple work can be this hard when most of
these places have computers that basically do the alighnment for you.  But, I
still think this is the best deal for someone like me.  On-car balancing is sup
posed to be supperior, but I did not see it, and the wheels on the car act as o
ne unit and cannot be removed at all.  Once they are, the balance can be ruined
.  BTW, I drove all the way bake to S. Carolina with the car shaking the whole
way.  Also, I was dissapointed to hear that my friend who was manager of one of
the NTW locations in Atlanta (and also a 5kTQ owner) is no longer here.  I was
told that he moved back to New Jersey and is working for NTW up there.  Well,
I just thought I'd pass my experience concerning this matter onto the list.

                                                                Later,
                                                                Dan