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Hey guys I have a question about tire balancing because I dont know a whole lot on the subject. I have an 01 Civic EX. Anyways im switching my winters over back to all seasons again and I really would do the tire switching myself in the driveway but do I really need a balancing? I have to do both my civic and my wifes civic so if I could save myself the $60 to having someone else do it that would be nice because I have some debt I need to pay off. Anyways guys Im guessing I will just have to pay it but let me know what you guys think. Also if I need the balancing would it be cheaper to install the tires myself and just get the tires balanced? Or probably same price?

 
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Balancing the tire on the rim has nothing to do with install. They do it before the rim/tire is put on the car, and you can basically put it on any axle you want. Just be careful they are not directional treads (only installed one way). This would be indicated with an arrow on the tire. So, Install away!

 
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yea completely different subject. basically 'balancing' a wheel means they balance out the rubber tire in relation to the rim. once thats done, that wheel is 'balanced' and can be put on any car.

if you remove it from your car and put another wheel on, your old ones dont lose their 'balance'. typically the only way you lose a balance is if you need new tires on your rims and they have to remove the old worn out tires to put the new ones on your rim. anytime you get new tires put on a rim, it requires balancing.

if youre just switching the wheels on the car then you dont have to worry at all. you just need a jack, tire iron, and some beer. save the money.

 
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Thanks guys and one last thing. It doesnt matter that they are different rims? My winters are steels and all seasons are alloys. Still ok I would assume?

 
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Yep your good.. Go ahead and do your thang. With this knowledge, you can save yourself 20 bucks and rotate your own tires every 3000 miles Just be careful when jacking the car up

 
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tbohar is right, keep them rotated, but it is good to balance them after you have worn some of the tread off, tread wear def affects the balance