Some people say that re-balancing at each rotation is not necessary.

Some people recommend re-balancing at each rotation.

What is your opinion?



I just rotated my Michelins at Sears for free. I asked them to check balance (not road force balance) too. It was free too.

On the Sears document, it reads that the balancing job goes like this: remove old weights and then put the wheel/tire on the machine . . . . However, I do not know whether they really remove old weights when checking balance at roation (not at tire installation).
Anyway, next time, I will ask them to check balance without removing old weights, because I want less scratch on my MB wheel.


Below is an example where balancing is recommended at each rotation.

Keeping Your Tires Balanced
For sake of example, assume you have driven your tires 5,000 miles since their purchase and it's time to rotate. Over the miles, turning left and right, hitting bumps and holes you could not see or avoid, and driving down uneven road surfaces have led to uneven tread wear on your tires. Perhaps a pothole has knocked-out your vehicle's alignment (this creates uneven tire wear). Well, besides rotating the tires and getting an alignment to set things right, you should also rebalance the tires. Even if you can't feel vibrations, they are present. The uneven tread wear has created an imbalance that generates excessive heat and wear on your tires! Considering the hundreds of dollars you spent on your tires, a rebalance is a wise expenditure. If you live near one of our Discount Tire stores, you should ask about the Lifetime Balancing program. For a nominal, one-time charge you can have your tires balanced at every rotation.

discounttire.com

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1992 300D 2.5 turbo diesel. 319 k miles.
124.128 chassis, 602.962 engine, 722.418 tranny.

I say if you cannot feel the vibration then rotate without doing a balance.
One thing I try to do at each rotation - and is stated in the Mercedes manual - is clean the inside of the wheels.

I had a mild vibration then I cleaned the inside of all the wheels, retorqued the bolts and vibrations disappeared.
I do coat the inside of my wheels with petroleum jelly to prevent brake dust from imbedding into the finish and make cleaning easy, the jelly may also make small road debris stick to the inner wheel and make it easier to get out of balance.

Often, the tires become out-of-round. This produces some "vibration" that can be felt at low speeds, but this cannot be solved by rebalancing.

I've also had balancing weights fall off the wheels after running over unpaved roads. From that point on, I regularly check if the weights are still there, though it is a bit difficult to check those on the inboard side of the wheels.

Everytime after I rotate the tires, I take the car for a high-speed test, to check if any vibration manifests in any speed range. If I feel no vibration within the speeds I normally drive at, I don't have them rebalanced.