Balancing and rotating tires

[jkestabrooks]

We have a Coachmen Beyond built on a 2019 Ford Transit 350 HD which has dual tires on the rear. There are currently no wheel weights on any of the rims. Is it worth having the tires balanced and rotated on a regular schedule? One tire shop said they probably already have balancing compound in them and another shop said it’s not worth rotating because it’s expensive to break down and rebalance every time you rotate. I’d appreciate any insight or advice based on your experience. Thanks!

[avanti]

It is certainly important to keep the tires balanced. It would be surprising if your's weren't balanced when they were installed. Who knows, though? Unbalanced tires are usually pretty obvious via shaking at specific speeds.

Routine tire rotation is a different matter. MAYBE you can squeeze out a few more miles, but IMO it is not worth the hassle. I always replace tires in pairs, and may rotate front/back when doing so. If you need more than that, you probably need a wheel alignment or other suspension work. Better to fix the problem rather than sweeping it under the rug via frequent rotation.

[Davydd]

I've never needed to balance two dually Sprinters in over 160,000 miles and four sets of tires. I have them checked at all MB service intervals and they have never been out of spec on tire wear other than just normal wear.

[terance13]

I own a tire and automotive repair store in Maryland. We road force every passenger and light truck tire we mount and we balance with weights, not something like Equal. I've only had a few dually customers that insisted on rotating all their tires. So yes, we break them down and remount them and yes, it is not cheap. In my experience, it is the front tires that one needs to focus on...especially the alignment. And replacing just the front tires, with the rear staying, is very common. I'd be surprised if you felt any out-of-balance vibration from the rear. I've had customers that didn't even know one of their inside tires was flat!!! Hope that helps.

[tiketyboo]

I have a 2004 sprinter and find rotating ties about 30 to 40k keeps the noise factor down and i do not breakdown only check balance and rotate..also then they find out if i need alignment

[terance13]

FYI...On most of the dual wheel setups, the inner wheel can not be used as an outer or on the front.