So, it was a tire. Nevertheless, the discussion about balancing the drive line was a good one. It is worth mentioning that trucks taken off road frequently come back with damaged out of balance drive shafts.
It is not easy to rebalance rotating components once they have been damaged. The old trick of using two hose clamps to balance a drive shaft is clever, but dangerous. Balancing the drive line of a vehicle is tedious work. Each component must be balanced one by one.
As vehicles age, rotating components tend to loose balance. Clearances open with wear and vibrations increase. To the contrary, if one wants to know if a mechanic really knows what he is doing, drive a high mileage vehicle after he does a major repair. If it has the smoothness of a new vehicle, you have found an unusually competent mechanic.
John D
It is not easy to rebalance rotating components once they have been damaged. The old trick of using two hose clamps to balance a drive shaft is clever, but dangerous. Balancing the drive line of a vehicle is tedious work. Each component must be balanced one by one.
As vehicles age, rotating components tend to loose balance. Clearances open with wear and vibrations increase. To the contrary, if one wants to know if a mechanic really knows what he is doing, drive a high mileage vehicle after he does a major repair. If it has the smoothness of a new vehicle, you have found an unusually competent mechanic.
John D
