Tires: tire noise, Hunter GSP9700, Tire Balance

Question
i have an 02 f150 and last week i put on 17" factory ford wheels with goodyear wranger at/s to replace my 16" wheels with hankook? tires... i bought these wheels and tires used (barely)... anyway im driving a few days later and i noticed a thumping noise as the tire rotates (i guess everytime it hits the certain spot)... i looked to see if there was a nail or stone in the treads and i didn't see anything... the lugs don't seem loose... i called the ford dealer where i bought and service my truck they said maybe a bubble in the tire... i could use your help

Answer
Jason,

First step would be to balance the tires.  Find someone with a Hunter GSP9700 balancer and have them tell you about the road force values of the tires.

Go to:

www.gsp9700.com

Read about how the machine works (keep in mind, this is a promotional web site, so there is some exaggeration).  In the upper right corner, there is a button - "LOCATE A GSP9700".  Click on that to help find one near you.

What you may be experiencing is irregular wear - which is caused by misalignment and aggravated by insufficient inflation pressure and insufficient rotation practices.