Have you ever experienced your steering wheel suddenly vibrating while you are driving your car at high speeds? That is what unbalanced tyres do. Tyre balancing is essential for smooth driving, stability, safety and even tyre wear, and it permits the tyres to spin without causing any vibrations.
Your car tyres are perfectly taken care of when they have a good wheel alignment, correct air pressure, scheduled tyre rotations and are properly balanced. Keep reading to learn more about tyre balancing and why it is important.
What is tyre balancing?
Tyre balancing, sometimes known as wheel balancing, is carried out to balance the weight of the tyre and wheel assembly so that it travels smoothly. It involves adding weights to the rims to ensure the even distribution of weight across the wheels. This combination of tyre and wheel can have more or less weight in one area, and even a tiny difference in weight distribution can cause shaking and vibrations while driving. So, it is important to regularly get your wheels balanced. It should not be confused with wheel alignment; it is a different service but is equally important.
Types of tyre balance
Tyre balancing is done in two ways: static and dynamic. The following points highlight what these imbalances are and how they affect the tyres.
- Static imbalance: This causes an up and down motion, and the tyre will not evenly roll. If your car has a static balance, then you’ll experience a vertical vibration.
- Dynamic imbalance: It occurs when there is unequal weight on one or both sides of the tyre assembly. It causes side to side or wobbly vibrations. If your car has a dynamic imbalance, then you’ll experience side-to-side wobbling vibrations or wheel shimmy.
Almost all wheel assemblies usually have both kinds of imbalances at different levels. They need spin balancing to create even weight distribution. Counterweights are placed on the rim’s outer surface to offset the imbalance. Hence, when the wheel balancing system tests for weight distribution, the entire assembly is in balance and does not vibrate.
You need tyre balancing when:
- You feel the steering wheel, floorboard and your seat are vibrating
- You buy a new tyre
- You get a flat tyre and repair it
- You notice uneven tyre wear
- You get them rotated every 5,000 kilometres
- You haven’t done them for the past two years (if driven on rough roads, then balancing should be done once a year)
- A weight from the rim falls off
- You have a poor fuel economy
- The tyres get noisy
Importance of tyre balancing
Points to consider when balancing your wheels
- Match mounting: High-performance tyres have features that allow optimum mounting. The minimum radial run-out spot (low point) on the bead seat surface is marked on the wheels. A high point spot is indicated on the tyres. Matching two points while mounting the assembly is known as match mounting. This technique reduces the amount of balance weight needed to fix any residual imbalance.
- Force variance: Tyres can sometimes be manufactured with slightly inconsistent sidewall stiffness (creating force variance), resulting in a ride problem. A new generation of balancers could detect this condition and help mechanics to remount the tyre in the best possible position, putting the assembly back into the specification and resolving the issue.
- Wheel weight placement: To achieve both precise balance and aesthetic impact, many of today's wheel designs need specific wheel weight placement. Your tyre dealer will advise you which method from standard, mixed weights and adhesive weights balance is best for your wheel design.
If you periodically balance your tyres, you can be assured of a smooth and safe ride every time. Tyre balancing can offer an array of benefits, including a smooth driving experience, protection from uneven wearing, control in vibrations of the steering wheel, longer life of tyres and reduced risk of damaging the vehicle. Find a local mechanic today, and get your car the wheel balance it needs.
You can also read, Tyres Care in Summer: 6 Tips for Smooth Driving On Roads
