jeff makes a good point. There are two reasons I don't do periodic wheel rebalance. I only do it when I feel an imbalance.

First reason, it only takes me two and a half months to see 10,000 miles go by, I'd spend too much time at the tire store which I indicated in a previous reply is not my favorite place to go.

Second reason, it only takes me two and a half months to see 10,000 miles go by, so they're all road miles at 65 to 75 mph(unless I'm in my 300E, then who knows how fast I'm going). If you don't know the sections of road you're driving on well, then many times you don't know if what you're feeling is road or tire vibration.

If I have weights that have stayed on, my wheel balance is silk smooth with no rebalance while I'm driving to the tire store for a new set of tires.

jeff makes a second good point, and that is that extreme wheel imbalance is not healthy for your front end. I must have kept the wheels balanced on the old 240D, because the front end went about 515K miles before I put a whole front end under it. When I tore it apart it was amazing how tight everything was. I did have one ball joint that was gone. I took the entire front end in very tight condition out from under a relatively low mileage parts car I bought.

If you drive short hops and especially over rough roads and drive the mileage per year of the average driver, which I understand is 13K miles per year, 10,000 mile wheel balancing would not be a bad idea. You would only have to fight the kids at the tire store only once a year.

For those readers who are in the tire business, I don't hate all tire stores, I've just had some experiences at a few tire stores that have been very trying. As in all businesses, I'm sure that there are some great tire stores out there. Maybe one of these days I'll be lucky enough to find one of you guys.

Have a great day,

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Larry Bible
'84 Euro 240D, 523K miles
'88 300E 5 Speed
'81 300D Daughter's Car
Over 800,000 miles in
Mercedes automobiles