Tire Balance Wheel Alignment

A tire is out of balance when one section of the tire is heavier than the others.

Tire balance wheel alignment.

Surprisingly wheel alignment has very little to do with your wheels and more to do with your car s suspension system. Wheel alignment and balancing is an essential part of automobile maintenance. Tire balance wheel alignment weights are applied to planes on the tire rim inside and out. Sign it s time for one.

You should have your wheels balanced whenever a tire is replaced when a balance weight is moved or removed and whenever you purchase new tires. Tire balancing is typically performed when tires are rotated on the vehicle which is usually every 5 6 000 miles or 6 months. To balance a wheel the technician will mount it on a balancing machine which spins the wheel to locate the heavier part. Wheel alignment is the term for how your wheels sit when mounted to your car and wheel balancing is what s done to perfectly balance the weight of a tire and wheel assembly so that it travels evenly.

It is similar to wheel alignment but there is a slight difference. Adjusting angle of wheels including caster angle between upper and lower ball joints and camber the angle between the tire and the axle. Of course at the first sign of vibration or irregular tread wear your car should be thoroughly checked for wheel balance and alignment and for worn or broken mechanical parts. Often wheel balancing and alignment happen during one service but they shouldn t be confused for the same thing.

Wheel alignment is sometimes referred to as front end alignment or tire alignment during this service your technician will adjust the. The machine spins the tire and wheel assembly to measure the imbalance so that a technician can precisely install the correct tire weights to achieve a properly balanced wheel and tire assembly. Shaking or vibrating at 60 70 mph. Improperly balanced wheels will be adjusted to the proper balance.

Not only is correct wheel alignment and balancing important for safe driving but also it will extend the life of your vehicle s chains sprockets and belts. Operating a vehicle is a. The main problem with having a poor alignment is uneven and premature tire wear but it can also lead to suspension failure bad steering control driver fatigue and more.