Can a tire/wheel combo be balanced and still have a slight wobble?

JamesC

 

Yes. A wobble is not imbalance, just imperfection of looks.

 

Will this slight wobble affect the ride quality?

JamesC

 

It should not. If something is wobbling that you can feel while driving, get your tires spin-balanced again. If that doesn't work, then look to your ball joints and steering components (tie rods, centerlink, idler/pitman arms..)

 

Yes.

I had some tyres go out of round. They were balanced fine. However, the tyre literally was not round. You could jack up the front of the car, spin a tyre, and if you watched the tread at the bottom, it moved up and down as the tyre spun. I got them warrantied out and put Michelin Pilot XGT H4 235/60's on the car. They are tonnes better.

If you bought them (have receipt) and they are doing this, have them warrantied out.

 

Ah yeah, that's true too, forgot about tire out-of-roundness. Should be covered by manufacturer warranty. In any case, it wouldn't hurt to check out your steering and front suspension just to make sure everything is okay up there. When I bought my car, the driver's side outer tie rod end was VERY bad. In fact, once I removed it and played with the joint a little bit, the socketed ball actually came right out. All that needed to happen was for the end to turn just a tad, and I would've been in a huge mess. Anyways, I've replaced that tie rod end, my centerlink, and my idler arm all for under $100, and had a shop change a balljoint for around $100 as well. Car is tons better now after that, new tires, and an alignment.