Tire Balancing

Maintaining the tire balance on your vehicle is critical to receiving satisfactory service from your tire investment. In addition to providing a smooth ride, balancing is a key component in tire wear. The focus of this article is to help you understand the balancing process and to know why it is important to keep your tires balanced throughout their tread life.

For those of you who think that tire balancing isn’t that important, consider some industry trends that may help you rethink the issue. Perhaps the most compelling argument for precision balancing comes from an obvious fact: vehicles are being made lighter and lighter. The heavier cars of yesterday actually helped smooth out the ride by dampening many vibrations before the driver could feel them. The softer suspensions also had the same effect. Another factor is tire technology. Generally, more responsive tires with lower profiles (which send more road feedback to the driver) are being used in today’s style- and performance-oriented market. As a result, the slightest imbalance (as little as half an ounce) can be felt in most modern vehicles. This is significantly less than the average of ten years ago. For those of you who have plus-sized your tires and wheels, balancing is even more critical.

The Balancing Act

Perhaps the best way to begin is to discuss the lack of balance. When a tire is mounted onto the wheel, two slightly imperfect units are joined to form an assembly weighing forty pounds (this is the average for cars). The chance of this assembly having absolutely precise weight distribution about its radial and lateral centers is virtually impossible. Remember that all it takes is half an ounce of uneven weight distribution for a vibration to be felt. The illustration below shows how an imbalance creates vibration.

The static imbalance creates a hop or vertical vibration. The dynamic imbalance creates a side-to-side or wobbling vibration. Most assemblies have both types of imbalance, and require dynamic balancing (commonly referred to as spin balancing) to create even weight distribution. The balancing system directs a technician to place counter weights on the rim’s outer surface to offset the imbalance. When the balancing system tests for virtually perfect weight distribution, the assembly is in balance and will not vibrate. Your tires will ride smoothly and wear evenly with regard to balance.

Keeping Your Tires Balanced

For the sake of example, assume you have driven your tires 5,000 miles since their purchase and it’s time to rotate. Over the miles, turning left and right, hitting bumps and holes you could not see or avoid, and driving down uneven road surfaces have led to uneven tread wear on your tires. Perhaps a pothole has knocked-out your vehicle’s alignment (this creates uneven tire wear). Well, besides rotating the tires and getting an alignment to set things right, you should also rebalance the tires. Even if you can’t feel vibrations, they are present. The uneven tread wear has created an imbalance that generates excessive heat and wear on your tires. Considering the hundreds of dollars you spent on your tires, a rebalance is a wise expenditure. If you live near one of our stores, you should ask about the Lifetime Balancing program. For a nominal, one-time charge you can have your tires balanced at every rotation.