Road Force Balance with the Hunter GSP9700.
I purchased Mastercraft tires for my wifes Continental at a small local family tire business. I've used Mastercraft before, and like them very much for the price paid. (they don't make one in Genesis size) Had a "shake" so I took them back to check the balance. Balance shows perfect. Took them to another tire place and again, balance shows perfect. Then I read about the Hunter GSP9700 and how it works, and I found out that my local Ford dealer had one of these machines. OK, went in and paid to have the Road Force Balance done. The tech, as lazy as he was, checked the Road Force but would not do the correction. All he could say was the tires were no good, and to take them back. Said for him to do a correction, it would take "hours" and I could not afford it. OK, I knew I was going up to Penfield (Rochester) a couple weeks later, so I called my favorate tire store there, (Dunn Tire) and found that one of their shops had the GSP9700, so I waited until I was there and went to that shop. First they spun the
wheel/tire and got a Road Force Number. Mine were anywhere from 48 lbs down to 21 lbs. Hunter says that anything under 18 lbs is OK. Some shops are very fussy and try to get the number down below 12 lbs.
Next, here is what they did;
1. Placed
wheel/tire on machine, slowly spun it with a small rubber tire pushing down on the tread of the tire. Laser light shines down on the tire and tech marks the spot.
2. Pushes a metal arm to the side of the
wheel, slowly spins the
wheel. Laser light shines down on
wheel and tech marks the spot.
3. Deflates tire, breaks bead, moves tire so both marks line up, then reinflates tire.
4. Spins tire making sure the Road Force is less than 18 lbs.
5. Spins tire fast and adds any weights that are needed.
Does this to all four wheels. After all four wheels/tires are done, the computer tells the technician which corner of the car to place the
wheel.
It was GREAT. From the time I walked in, to the time I left, was only an hour and a quarter. Took them 15 minutes for each
wheel and the last 15 minutes was when I went in, and to pay when I left. Their price started out at $72 but when they saw I was a Retired Navy guy, they gave me a military discount, and I ended up paying only $60.
I love Dunn Tire in Western NY.
BTW, when I returned to Florida, I went back to the Ford Dealer I mentioned above, and complained that I had spent all that money with them for nothing. Service Manager did comp me a free oil change.