I can attest that a balance can make a huge difference because I had no idea that tires can "get out of round". I know that tires wear differently, which is why a rotation and alignment should be regular maintenance along with proper air pressure. Anyway, I have driven nothing but Rangers since 98', and I can tell the difference when pressure gets low because of how the vehicle feels. One thing that could have saved some aggrevation is a good tire gauge and not those cheap $1 ones that resemble a pencil. Even the $5 or $6 dial ones at Wal-Mart are so much more reliable. Glad you got everything figured out.