If you’re thinking about skipping out on tire balancing, please don’t. It’s important to keep your wheels and tires balanced to keep your vehicle running well.
What Is Tire Balancing?
Also known as wheel balancing, tire balancing corrects any uneven distribution of weight in your tires. It’s an important maintenance service you should never skip out on unless you want your tires to suffer the consequences.
A tire balancing machine gives your tire tech the information they need to determine whether or not your tires need balancing. It reads the weight of your tires, if the weight is distributed evenly, and how much weight to add and where.
To give you a better idea, here’s a brief guide on how to balance tires:
- Mount the tires and wheels, and place them on a tire balancing machine.
- The tire balancing machine spins the wheel and measures the resulting vibrations.
- In most cases, your mechanic will just add or adjust your tire’s weight to even out any imbalance detected by the machine. In some cases, however, your mechanic will have to remove and remount the tire in a different position to balance out the weight distribution.
What Causes Tires To Go Out of Balance?
One of the most common causes of tires going out of balance is driving over rough roads. Another is manufacturer defects on the tires that can cause your them to wear faster in certain spots, making them prone to tire imbalance. Improper installation can also cause your tires to go out of balance.
No matter how careful you are when driving, there’s still a chance for your tires to go out of balance. Sometimes, the weights fall off as well. In fact, not driving your car at all can also lead to unbalanced tires. Leaving your vehicle parked somewhere without moving it for too long can give your tires flat spots.
What Are the Signs That Your Tires Need Balancing?
Determining whether your tires need balancing isn’t always easy, but that certainly doesn’t mean it has to be hard. Here are some signs you can look for to make it easier:
Vibrations
If your vehicle’s overdue for a tire balancing, then you’re likely to feel vibrations coming from your steering wheel or seats.
Unbalanced front tires can cause your steering wheel to vibrate, and these vibrations can feel even more intense when you accelerate or turn faster. If your rear tires are the issue, then you’re likely to feel the vibrations on your seat.
Uneven Tire Wear
All that vibrating can cause your tires to wear prematurely and unevenly, which are things you definitely don’t want to happen. Premature and uneven tire wear can damage your axles and other related parts, leading to expensive repairs.
Vehicle Pulls to One Side
Is your vehicle constantly pulling to one side even as you try to drive in a straight line? There are a couple of reasons why this is happening, and one of them is because your tires are out of balance.
How Often Should You Balance Your Tires?
How often you should balance your tires can vary depending on several factors, including your vehicle’s make, model, and year. In general, however, it’s a good idea to go in for a tire balancing every 6,000 miles or as soon as you notice any of the signs that indicate your tires are unbalanced.
Other Tire Balancing FAQ
Can You Balance Your Tires at Home?
Yes, you can certainly balance your tires at home if you want to, but you’ll need a tire balancer to do it properly. You can do it manually, but it’s an exhausting process of trial and error that might be more trouble than just going to the nearest mechanic.
What’s the Difference Between Tire Balancing and Wheel Alignment?
People often confuse tire balancing with wheel alignment, but who can blame them? They’re both maintenance services that concern your wheels and tires, so it’s all too easy to mistake one for the other.
Tire balancing is all about correcting your tire and wheel assemblies’ weight imbalance, while wheel alignment focuses on correcting the angles of your tires. Despite its name, you don’t actually have to adjust the tires or wheels.
To perform a wheel alignment, you have to adjust your vehicle’s suspension to fix and set your tires to the correct angle. Doing so keeps your car from pulling to one side while making it easier to handle.
How Much Does Tire Balancing Cost?
It all depends on which tire shop you go to, but you can expect to pay anywhere between $15 and $75 for a professional to balance your tires. In some shops, you can even get the service for free if you buy tires from them.
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Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication.
