Wheel balancing, also known as tire balancing, ensures that mass of the tire is evenly distributed around the tire's circumference.
In essence, wheels and tires never exactly bear the same weight all around - they will be slightly heavier in certain spots. Even a tiny unevenness in weight, at high speeds, can easily cause a large imbalance in centrifugal force. This usually translates into a vibration in the car as well as uneven and damaging wear on the tires and poor fuel economy.
The important things to know about balancing are as follows:
- Balancing Is Necessary: Tires and wheels do not have precisely equal weight distribution. They will be slightly heavier in some spots.
- Balance Changes Over Time: Day-to-day tire treadwear causes changes in the distribution of weight around the tire and wheel assembly, and eventually, they get out of balance again.
- Balancing Only Fixes Balance: Balancing will not prevent vibrations from a bent wheel, a damaged tire (which cannot be fixed by balancing), worn suspension parts or other aging components. If you feel a vibration, get it examined at the earliest.
- Balancing vs. Alignment: Wheel alignment and wheel balancing are separate services. Alignment is about correcting the angles of the tires so they are properly positioned in relationship to each other and the road. It gets the wheels all traveling in the same direction and makes sure the tires make contact with the ground as they should. Wheel balancing is the process of equalizing the weight of the combined tire and wheel assembly so that it spins smoothly at high speed. Both of the services are important and necessary for enhancing the life and performance of your tires. Wheel balancing should be performed more frequently, while a wheel alignment should not be needed as often.
When to balance your wheels:
- When new tires are mounted;
- When tire and wheel are moved to another wheel position
- When used tires are installed on existing wheels and
- After a flat is repaired or any time a tire is dismounted and mounted.
How to tell if your tires require balancing:
- Steering wheel vibrates while driving
- Uneven tire tread wear
- Ride that becomes less smooth over the life of your tires and
- Pulling to one side.
The advantages of tire balancing:
- A smoother ride
- Improved fuel efficiency and
- Extended life of tires and drive train components.
Right Way Auto Repair offers Computerized Wheel Balancing for passenger cars, SUVs, pick-ups, light trucks and other commercial vehicles. Count on our expert team to provide you with professional wheel balancing whenever you need it. Please contact us online or call us at (905) 381-9285.
