What Is Wheel Balancing?More properly called tire balancing, our service technicians will balance tires using a machine that spins the tire quickly as if it’s traveling 60 mph. The specialized machine measures any wobbles in the tire due to an uneven distribution of weight. Any time the weight is off, even just a little bit, it might cause a decrease in performance and less effective fuel efficiency. All tires need to be balanced because the rubber’s slight imperfections, which can’t be helped during the manufacturing process, can cause small amounts of weight to change. Service technicians will clip small metal weights at certain points around the wheel rims (where the rubber meets the metal) to balance the tires properly. These weights should stay on under normal driving conditions, even at high speeds. But sometimes they come off.
Why Have Tires Balanced?Unbalanced tires can cause the steering wheel to shake or vibrate. Your tires could develop uneven wear because one part of the tire is heavier than the others. Your tires become unbalanced when, for example, one of the tire weights comes off when you hit a pothole. We recommend getting your tires or wheels balanced when you get your tires rotated, which you should have done every 5,000 to 6,000 miles or every 6 months. Your vehicle will have better handling and improved gas mileage with properly balanced tires.
What Is Wheel Alignment?A wheel alignment is not necessarily a regular part of vehicle maintenance. Sometimes called a front-end alignment, the service technician aligns the wheels to make sure they are perpendicular to the road and turn as expected. A special machine gradually and slowly realigns the metal wheels on your car so they operate in the correct direction. A misaligned wheel is easy to detect because of how your car will operate when you turn. Wheels that are out of alignment could cause uneven wear on tires and issues when you try to steer your vehicle. If your car drifts to one side when you don’t turn the steering wheel, such as when your vehicle starts sliding into another lane, this could be a sign you need a wheel alignment.
Wheel Balancing vs. Wheel Alignment: Which Do You Need?Now you know the differences between wheel alignment and balancing. Which do you think you might need? A car pulling to one side is a clear indication of a wheel alignment. Is your steering wheel vibrating? Look into wheel balancing. The team at Salt Lake Valley Buick GMC can work on either of these issues and have you back on the road in no time.
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