Wheel Balancing
Wheel balancing might sound like something out of a circus act rather than something important for you to know about your car, but actually wheel balancing is very important if you want to maintain your car so that you get a good comfortable drive and a safe one.
Each wheel has to be balanced so that no vibration occurs and so that the treat is in constant contact with the road. If you have an unbalanced wheel and jack it up, when you spin the wheel it will always stop at the same point with the heavier part of the imbalance at the bottom of the wheel. On the road, that imbalance can actually lift the tyre from it’s contact with the road surface creating a vibration that if severe you can feel through the steering wheel which can cause steering and breaking problems, as well as high pressure stress in the hub assemblies, suspension and steering which will result in excessive mechanical wear, higher fuel consumption, and greater and often uneven tyre wear. If the imbalance is left unattended for longer, then damage to the suspension, wheel bearings and steering components will usually occur.
Wheel balancing is done with a computerised machine which spins the wheel and detects any imbalance in the wheel and tyre. Small lead weights are then added at appropriate points around the wheel so that it spins smoothly once more.
Whenever you get a tyre replaced or fix a puncture in a tyre, it’s essential that you have your wheels rebalanced. Many garages will include a rebalance as part of the cost of changing a tyre for you.
One sign that your wheels might need balancing is feeling vibrations through your steering wheel at certain speeds, although if you’re getting vibration at all speeds this could point to a problem worse than just the need for a wheel balance. If you’re uncertain, or have changed a wheel yourself, then take the car to the garage and get it checked, it’s an inexpensive job, and generally will save you money in the long run.