I could have swore I read here about a wheel balancing machine that was a cut above the rest. I have searched and searched but cannot find any posts on that topic. I think boxboss had posted it originally. Do any of you remember what i am talking about? TIA for any pointers.

Here's the link Nish. This message is from a thread called "Shimmy, shimmy ..."

Good Luck!

You're looking for ... http://www.gsp9700.com/ ... i.e. Hunter Road Force balancing.

All the high-end dealers in my town have this machine, and I bet your Mercedes dealer does, too. You can check at the Website.

Thank you both. That is exactly what I was looking for.

Two things:

Make sure you ask for the full 'Road Force' balance when you go. This entails potentially moving the tyre on the rim if the imbalance is severe enough to warrant it. More labour/time intensive so costs about $10 more per tyre, but worth every penny;

I would not have your MB dealer do this. Why? Because the dealership does very few tyre installations/balances compared to a stand alone wheel/tyre store. Find a store close by with the Hunter machine and ask the manager to get the most experienced tech to perform the balance for you.

Bish

I both completely agree and completely disagree with this. I agree because three uses of this machine by Phoenix Motor Company (a 40+ minute drive from my house, if traffic's good, each way) resulted in no reduction of "shimmy," and I disagree because a single use by Schumacher Mercedes resulted in complete elimination of the shimmy.

It's a little like the old argument that a MIG-15 can beat an F-22, depending on the pilots. If the people who are running the machine know how to use it and know what they're doing, it's terrific. But it's also very hard to find this type of machine anywhere outside of the major dealerships specifically because it is such an expensive machine.

STP

Bish and Steve - thanks for the advice. Fortunately in my area there are quite a few places, including MB dealerships, that have this machine installed. I was planning on using a non MB place, anyways, to get an unbiased opinion.

I think if you search the Hunter web site you will be surprised how many tyre stores now have the Hunter machine; I believe as a result of the extra large wheels many people are placing on their 'rides' and the need to have them carefully balanced.

As for your analogy re: 'pilots' and their respective skill set. The problem is that very few places have really experienced wheel/tyre techs, (pilots). Therefore it is a higher yield activity to find the right machine, and hope that the shop doing the most 'procedures' will produce the best results; this is not usually a dealership. But your example proves the exception to the rule.

Bish