Is it important to balance the spare tire?
While it is not necessary to balance a spare tire it is recommended. You do not have to balance a spare if you don’t mind having a vibration if you have to put it on the ground. Typically a spare tire is not left on the ground for a long period of time so irregular wear occurring from an out of balance tire should not be an issue. There is no easy or cheap way for you to balance your own tire. The reason your mechanic can only balance an aluminum wheel may simply be that he only has the wheel weights for aluminum wheels. You should be able to find a tire shop in your area to balance your spare for $6 to $10. In our shop tire balancing is $7.50 per tire if bought here and $10.00 if they were not bought from us. To have the tire mounted on the wheel and balanced would cost you $12.50 here. Hope this helps!
