The new tires that shake
The most common balancing complaint is a vehicle that vibrates after a new set went on, and the assumption is always that the balance was done badly.
Occasionally it was. More often the new tires revealed something the old ones were masking. Worn tires are softer and more compliant and absorb a great deal; a fresh set with full tread and stiff sidewalls transmits what the old ones were swallowing.
The question then becomes what else is in the assembly. A wheel out of round. A worn suspension component. Hub or mounting surface condition. All of those produce a vibration that balancing cannot remove, and all of them were there before the tires were changed.
Monroe can answer the whole question
This is where a seventeen-service store is worth something specific.
The balance is checked here. If the wheel is suspect, wheel refurbishing is here. If the suspension is suspect, suspension repair is here, and Monroe is the only Purcell location in Washington offering it. If the geometry is suspect, alignment is here.
One visit, one chain of reasoning, rather than three businesses each confirming their own part is fine.
What balancing protects
Tread, first. An out-of-balance assembly wears the tread in patches and takes a set off early.
On a commercial tire it also costs the casing its retread life, which never shows up as an invoice and is a real loss all the same.
When to ask for it
The national tire and wheel balancing page lists the occasions. The one worth adding is right after a new set goes on, since that is when a pre-existing fault in the wheel, hub or suspension becomes audible for the first time.
A vibration at every speed, or a pull in the steering, is not balance. That is alignment, or something worn.
About this store
The Monroe store carries all nine Purcell tire categories, is open Monday to Friday, 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM, and is managed by JR Webster. Lacey and Renton also balance.
See the national tire and wheel balancing page for all 51 locations.