Will the dashboard let me know when to get the balancing done

I drove for an unknown amount of time (not the Prius) with a broken wheel bearing, and I thought I was good at detecting abnormal vibrations. I could have been killed if the wheel had come off.

If you can get a balancing thrown in for a reasonable price, I'd do it. In fact, the more times you can have a mechanic inspect your car, the safer you are.

 

Nobody really cares what the chrome plating looks like on the inside of the rim, but if you're *that* worried about corrosion just make sure that the tire place (or you) use an air compressor with a drier.

You know what???
Most of them already do.
That's because air tools aren't free, and they don't like moisture either.
Besides.....a tire is a fairly rigid structure.
That means that once they mount it on your rim, there's going to be a significant amount of air (with all of the icky O2 and moisture!) in your wheel BEFORE they fill it with whatever you're supposed to be buying.
How do they get it out before they fleece you for the nitrogen?

Some places claim to "purge" your tires a bunch of times before they put the nitrogen in place, and for what they are making off of the poor saps, I'm sure that some of them do.

 

i'm guessing the answer is 'no'.

 

Wow, I do like the chrome inside my wheel to stay shiny.

 

I've got both digital and several stick-type. They all read about the same, and never had a problem with my favourite stick gauge. I do have one stick gauge that's nearly impossible to get sealed properly, but other than that one, no problems. They last for years, give consistent readings, as far as I can see.

 

You know those desiccant packets they put in packages to eliminate excess moisture? Why don't they put something like that in tires?

 

You could...
But I'm thinking that if you put enough in to make a difference then it would begin to effect balance.
You could also invent a combination desiccant/balancing beads product that might eliminate the thumpity-thumpity-thumpity from having desiccant in the wheel voids I guess.
Since all of the cars that I drive have alloy wheels?
I don't sweat it.

I let my tire place worry about all of that.

 

Well, I wasn't going to suggest throwing a couple of packets of silica gel into the tire. I was thinking more along the lines of fastening some canisters to the inner rim in such a way that it wouldn't throw the wheel out of balance, like maybe two, opposite each other.

 

For motorcycles, they make "balance beads." Naturally balances a tire. Put them inside the tire, and as it spins, they position as needed.

I wonder if a similar concept could be done with something that negates moisture for car tires.

 

No need to balance at all unless you start picking up vibrations either in the steering wheel, front wheel out of balance or not true (not round, usuall spec is .060") or in the seat, rear wheel true or balance issue. If the ride is smooth, no need to waste the money. Not even at rotation time.