Best Auto Repair News & Updates

Tire balancing is often neglected as a routine maintenance item. However, this should not be the case, as tire balancing ensures a smooth and safe driving experience. The tires are your only direct contact with the road, and thus serve as a critical link between the vehicle and the road surface.

To balance tires, a balancing machine is used. This machine spins the wheel and tire assembly to find any point in which the weight is unevenly distributed. Once those points are identified, a technician applies weights to those areas with adhesive or clip-on methods, depending on the type of wheels you have, and aftermarket wheels often require clip-on weights. Given the necessity of a specialized machine to accomplish the task, it is best to take your car to an automotive service center to have the tires balanced.

Let’s go over some reasons why tires become unbalanced, the symptoms this can cause, and why it is important to restore the balance.

Causes of Tire Imbalance in Cars

The ultimate cause of tires going out of balance is the weight being unevenly distributed across a tire. There are two primary types of imbalances which are known as static and dynamic.

In static imbalances, there is a spot on the tire that is heavier, leading to vibrations in the car in an up and down motion. In dynamic imbalances, the weight is uneven on one side, or in some cases both sides of the tire, leading to vibration in a side-to-side motion. Both are due to uneven weight distribution, the difference being in how said unevenness manifests in terms of tire behavior.

Some of the symptoms that your tires are no longer in balance include the following:

• Uneven tread wear: Tread naturally wears over time as you drive your car. However, if the wear appears uneven across the tire, it is possible the tire itself is out of balance. Also, underinflation or overinflation of the tires can also lead to uneven wear, so it is important to also ensure each tire is running at the correct pressure, often denoted as PSI. Increased weight in one or more areas will lead to the tire being unable to roll evenly across the surface, meaning some areas of tread will have more contact than others with the roads, resulting in uneven wear.
• Faster wear: In line with the above symptom, you might notice your tread wearing faster than usual, especially in certain spots. If some areas of tread are making significantly more contact with the road than others, those spots will clearly wear down quicker.
• Reduced fuel efficiency: You might notice a reduction in the miles to the gallon of your vehicle. This is because a car’s ability to maintain fuel economy is dependent upon it being able to drive smoothly. When tires are out of balance and lead to a rough ride, it cannot move along as easily as before, making not only the drive less comfortable, but also less efficient.
• Vibrations: You might notice vibrations in the steering wheel, seat, or floorboards of your car. This vibration is likely to increase the faster you drive. These vibrations signal that the car is not rolling evenly along whatever surface you are traveling on.

Although these symptoms help identify when tires are no longer in balance, it is optimal to prevent this from occurring in the first place. This is done by having regular tire balancing performed, anywhere from every 4,000-6,000 miles, or sooner if patterns of uneven wear are discovered. Customers often schedule tire balancing when other services are being performed, for example, oil changes, wheel alignments, general inspections, etc.

Huron Automotive for Your Tire Balancing Needs

Huron Automotive in Green Bay, Wisconsin has been your excellent dealer alternative for over 10 years. Our ASE certified mechanics will handle your car’s tire balancing needs as well as other service and repairs. We offer a 24-hour drop-off and a free shuttle service, as well. To schedule an appointment, please call 920-315-9239. We look forward to earning your repeat business and servicing your vehicle for years to come. Don't hesitate. Allow us to maintain your car so you can drive it with confidence.