Mounting fits a tire to a wheel, balancing corrects the weight distribution so it spins smoothly, and rotation moves the tires around the car so they wear evenly. AutoTech Clinic does all three at 24100 Michigan Ave in Dearborn, usually while you wait.
Rotation is the cheapest thing you can do to get the full life out of a set of tires. Front and rear tires wear differently on every car, and moving them around evens that out.
- How Long
- About 30 minutes for a rotation, 1 to 2 hours for a full mount and balance.
- Same Day
- Usually finished the same day.
- Vehicles
- Foreign and domestic, cars through trucks.
Signs You Need Mount, Balance and Rotation
- A vibration through the steering wheel or seat at highway speed
- Front tires visibly more worn than rears, or the reverse
- It has been more than 8,000 miles since the last rotation
- A new tire has just been fitted and needs balancing
- The car pulls or feels unsettled after a tire change elsewhere
- Wheel weights missing from the rim
What We Do
- 01
Measure Tread on All Four
We record tread depth at each wheel before rotating, which tells us whether wear is even and whether an alignment issue exists.
- 02
Rotate in the Correct Pattern
The right pattern depends on whether the tires are directional, whether they are staggered sizes and whether the car is front, rear or all wheel drive.
- 03
Balance Properly
We balance each wheel and use road force balancing where a stubborn vibration suggests the tire and wheel assembly is not perfectly round.
- 04
Inspect While the Wheels Are Off
With the wheels off we check brakes, suspension joints, CV boots and brake lines. It is a free look at the parts that are hardest to see.
- 05
Torque and Set Pressures
Lug nuts go on with a torque wrench to the manufacturer specification, never an impact gun alone, and pressures are set to the door placard.
Why Torque Matters More Than People Think
Lug nuts tightened with an impact gun alone are frequently over tightened, and uneven clamping force is one of the leading causes of warped brake rotors. It distorts the rotor hat slightly, and you feel it as a pulsing pedal a few thousand miles later.
Over tightening also stretches the studs and makes the wheel very difficult to remove at the roadside. We use a torque wrench on every wheel, every time, and we recommend having the torque rechecked after the first fifty miles following any wheel removal.
Vibration at Speed: Balance or Something Else
A vibration that appears around 55 to 70 mph and is felt in the steering wheel usually comes from the front wheels. A vibration felt in the seat usually comes from the rear. That alone tells us where to look.
If a standard balance does not cure it, the assembly may be out of round rather than out of balance, which is what road force balancing measures. A bent wheel, a separated belt inside the tire or a worn CV joint can also cause it, and we check those rather than adding more weights.
What Affects the Cost
We quote your vehicle specifically after inspecting it, because these are the things that move the number up or down:
- Rotation alone versus a full mount and balance
- Road force balancing for difficult vibrations
- TPMS service kits and sensor relearn procedures
- Larger wheels and low profile tires, which take more care to mount
- Seized lug nuts or swollen lug nut caps, which are common on some vehicles
Call (313) 277-7200 with your year, make and model and we will tell you what to expect before you come in.
Why AutoTech Clinic
AAA Approved
An inspected facility that has to meet AAA standards for equipment and training.
Photos First
You see what we found and approve the price before anything is taken apart.
Same-Day Service
Parts on hand for the vehicles we see most, so you are not waiting on a delivery.