How do you PROPERLY mount tires and balance wheels (can it possibly be done as a dIy)

bluebee · Feb 17, 2013

Q1: What are the specs for E39 mounting & balancing & rotating wheels & tires?
Q2: Can tire mounting & wheel balancing possibly be done at home as a DIY?

In a vibration diagnostic thread today, RDL kindly posted the wheel runout & tire balancing spec.

I wasn't sure WHERE to specifically archive that information so others find it instantly, so I searched for E39 threads with "mount balance" or "mounting balancing" in the title, and none popped up, surprisingly.

Likewise, typing /mount F3 into the bestlinks nets only this:
- BMW wheel specs (1) & BMW & replica wheel styles (1) (2) (3) (4) & the difference between cast vs forged wheels (1) & where to find the wheel markings for proper match mounting (1) & how to choose the right size wheel spacers (1) (2) & where to go when you bend or otherwise damage your wheels (1)

So, I decided to open this thread SPECIFICALLY to define procedures & specifications for proper MOUNTING and BALANCING and Rotating tires & wheels.

Since almost nobody likely mounts and balances at home, this thread has a dual purpose (so we at least KNOW the proper procedures, even if we don't do them ourselves):
Q1: What are the specs for E39 mounting & balancing & rotating wheels & tires?
Q2: Can tire mounting & wheel balancing possibly be done at home as a DIY?

See also:
- Which of the dozen alignment specs are adjustable on the BMW E39 (1) (pdf) & cn90's front alignment DIY (1) (2) and cn90's rear wheel alignment DIY (1) & what tools measure rear camber at home (1) (2) and what tools measure front/rear toe at home (1) & what tools lock the steering wheel & brake pedal at home (1) & why does BMW recommend weights to set the normal ride height (aka nominal suspension position) prior to any alignment (1) & how to diagnose uneven tire wear on the inside edge due to camber and toe alignment issues (1) (2) & how to select a replacement tire strictly by the numbers (1) & what are the most common bimmerfest user's tire recommendations (1) & where do people buy their tyres anyway (1) & how many miles do you get for every 100 UTQG points (1) & what are the recommended tire pressures for front and rear (1) & what are the claimed benefits of nitrogen gas (1) what tire mounting tools do you need to change your own tyres at home (1) (2) (3) & where are the match mounting marks on the wheel and on the tire for precise tire mounting based on radial runout and heavy spot considerations (1) & what tools do you need to balance a wheel at home to eliminate shimmy or vibration at speed (1) & how do you properly dispose of your old worn out car tires (1) & how to measure bent wheel dimensions such as rim runout and wheel eccentricity at home (1) & where to get bent or damaged wheel rims repaired (1) (2) & what winter driving ice and snow tire chains to use (1) & what are the most recommended products for cleaning BMW BBS wheels (1) & where to buy E39 wheels online (1) & what are the main causes of vibration while highway driving (1) & vibration while highway braking (1) & how to diagnose a violent shudder while slow speed braking on bumps (1)

bluebee · Feb 17, 2013

Here are the tire mounting & balancing specifications that prompted this query on whether or not you can possibly mount & balance tires at home (and, even if you don't, how to make sure the wheel shop does it properly):

rdl said:
TIS specifications for rounout and balancing wheels & tires.

rexgo · Feb 17, 2013

Q2: Can tire mounting & wheel balancing possibly be done at home as a DIY?

A2 - Not correctly without the proper equipment. Tire & wheels should be balanced dynamically - that is spinning them.
Also, my tire shop wire brushes/cleans, and seals the mounting surface of the wheel to prevent oxidation. No rim leaks allowed.

HTK12 · Feb 17, 2013

Not on E39 wheels, because any imbalance on wheels can cause issues. Not even every tire shop can do it. They need to have good enough equipment to do it properly.

Fudman · Feb 17, 2013

I concur. Mounting cannot be done without risking damage to the rim and balancing requires highly specialized equipment.

The challenge with mounting or dismounting any tire is getting the tire bead (that extra stiff inside tire edge) over the edge of the rim without damaging the rim. A tire shop uses a mechanical tire rotator to rotate the tire while the wedge sets the bead. The stiffer the bead, the more difficult this is to do. The bead stiffness appears to be directly related to operating pressures. The lower the tire pressure, the stiffer the bead. This is why bicycle tires (90 psi) are easier to mount than an auto tire (36 psi). I have removed and mounted a trailer tire (50 psi) and this was not easy. I used bicycle tools and multiple screwdrivers to get that bead set. This was on a steel rim and I scratched the heck out of the wheel. If I tried this on an alloy rim, I would have left many tool marks on the rim. Hence, I do not even recommend trying it unless this is a sacrificial wheel.

Dynamic balancing speaks for itself.

Topaz540i · Feb 17, 2013

bluebee are you writing the wikipedia version of the e39 shop repair manual?

mda185 · Feb 17, 2013

I agree that mounting today's modern tires on alloy rims is not a DIY unless you can afford your own pneumatic tire changing machine. It is challenging to mount 50, 45, and 40 series aspect ratio tires even with good equipment. I have been mounting and balancing motorcycle tires for several decades and also was taught how to mount and balance automotive tires while working for a place called "Sports Car Preparations" in State College, PA back in the 1980's. A static balance can be very effective if done slowly and carefully. IMO, the biggest advantage of a dynamic tire balance machine is that it is fast and it tells you how much to put in the inner rim and outer rim. A static machine will not do this but on a motorcycle, one does not have to worry about putting weight on the inner and outer rim.

The biggest problem I see today, is that few tire shop workers can be bothered to take the time to do a proper mount and balance job. Proper means that an excessive number of weights should not be necessary to get the tire/wheel assembly balanced. I was taught that if I needed more than 2-3 oz. of weight in one location to achieve balance, that I should unmount the tire, rotate it 180 degrees on the rim, and remount it. This usually resulted in smaller amount of weight necessary to achieve balance. If rotating 180 did not work, I was supposed to unmount, rotate 90 degrees and try again. No one seems willing to use this level of care and precision today. It is all about getting cars in and out of a service bay as quickly as possible. I notice that the TIS spec sheet has a maximum imbalance for each side that would also lead a dealership tech to unmount and rotate a tire on the rim if out of spec. 90 grams is approximately 3 oz. so the factory spec is a little more liberal than what I was taught. This may be one service that is worth going back to the dealer for if you can't find a tire shop that will follow this guidance. If you do find an independent tire shop that does this properly, let him know you appreciate the care they take to do a good job. I am still searching for one in my area.

bluebee · Jul 11, 2015

I had forgotten about this thread, which was posted about 2 and a half years ago.

For the latest on mounting and balancing your tires at home, please see this thread filed recently:
- What tire changing tools do you need to break the bead on the rim and set the bead back on the wheel when changing tires at home (1) & where are the marks on the wheel and on the tire for proper tire match mounting and wheel balancing to eliminate vibration (1)

Knowing what I know now, what I'd recommend in the future is simply the following algorithm, when your tires are worn:

Buy new tires online, having them shipped to your door
Meanwhile, run a dynamic balance test, on the old tires, at 40 to 80mph on a straight level highway
When the new tires arrive from UPS, unmount your old tires
Wash the rims but keep the old wheel weights on
Match mount the new tires (note that the red radial force variation spot on the serial size has preference over the yellow heavy spot)
Fill with the desired air pressure
TEST STATIC BALANCE
- If perfect - leave it alone
- If heavy - DEFLATE NEW TIRE - rotate the red spot toward the yellow spot (as needed) - RE-INFLATE NEW TIRE!
  - If perfect, leave it alone
  - If heavy, remove old weights, as needed, until balanced
- When all old weights are removed, add new weights as needed, until balanced
Mount the best 4 wheel rims on the car, leaving the worst for your spare
Run a dynamic balance test, at 40 to 80mph on a straight level highway
Dispose of your old tires at Costco (or any other local tire retailer who accepts used tires

NOTE: In the future, I will set up a test jig with dial gauges for measuring wheel runout and eccentricity.

Rough cost analysis (all numbers rounded to even figures):

New tires (approximately $75 each plus $15 each shipped to your home)
HF manual tire mounting tool (I paid $40 plus about $5 tax)
HF static bubble balancer (I paid $80 plus about $10 tax)
HF wheel weights (I paid $9 plus about $1 tax)
Tire disposal fee (I paid $1 each plus 8.75% tax)
Comparison to the recommended tire installer program (run by Allen, at Tire Rack, since 1992):

See also:
- One users quest to diagnose uneven tire wear on the inside edge due to excessive and uneven alignment camber & toe (1) (2) & how one user selects a tire (1) & what are the most common bimmerfest tire recommendations (1) & where to buy your tires in the USA (1) & how many miles do you get per every 100 UTQG points (1) & recommended tire pressures (1) & the claimed benefits of nitrogen gas (1) what tire changing tools do you need to break the bead on the rim and set the bead back on the wheel when changing a tire at home (1) (2) (3) & where are the marks on the wheel and on the tire for proper tire match mounting and wheel balancing to eliminate vibration (1) & what tools do you need to balance a tire and rim at home to eliminate shimmy or vibration at speed (1) & how do you properly dispose of your old car tires (1) & where to get bent or damaged wheel rims repaired (1) (2).

How do you PROPERLY mount tires and balance wheels (can it possibly be done as a dIy)

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