Recently, a customer came in complaining of vibrations from the wheels while driving. They previously took their vehicle to a chain shop. The shop rotated and balanced the tires, but the customer was ultimately left unsatisfied as the issue promptly returned.  After a quick test drive at JAMHS Auto, the problem was obvious. The tires were not properly balanced. The cause of the tire imbalance was probably not due to any fault of the previous shop's technicians. The particular vehicle in question had cladded wheels. 

Cladded wheels are wheels that have aluminum rims that are coated with plastic, often chrome-colored. The plastic is relatively fragile and is easy to chip when balancing or changing tires.
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In older vehicles, it's easy to see the cracks and overall wear of the belts to assess their health. Newer belts, however, are made with more durable materials that generally will not crack. Common signs of a bad belt:

• squeaking from under the hood
• loss of A/C
• loss of power steering
• engine overheating
• loss of power

Technicians also have tools to check the wear on the belts, similar to how you check the tread depth on a tire. Generally, the belts should last anywhere from 60,000 up to 100,000 miles depending on the manufacturer. Check your vehicle's manual for specific intervals. If you experience any of the problems above, you should bring your vehicle in for a check-up immediately. JAMHS Auto will check for potential problems at every service to make sure you aren't blindsided by any issues that arise.