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Tire Balancing and Its Impact on Your Vehicle
The only thing standing between your car and the surface of the road is a thin layer of steel-reinforced rubber. Your tires play many different roles. They help provide traction on the road. They aid in comfort, too.
Of course, they also need to be maintained properly. Chances are good that you’re familiar with the need to make sure your tires are properly inflated. You likely also have them rotated from time to time to even out treadwear. However, when was the last time you had your tires balanced? Many people fail to understand just how important balancing is, not only to the life of their tires, but to their own comfort and safety. Below, we will explore the impact of tire balancing on your vehicle.
Why Is Balancing Necessary?
Tires must be balanced when they are initially mounted. This is because wheels are not perfectly round, and tires may have uneven weight distribution. This results in a rough, bouncy ride. By putting the wheel/tire assembly onto a balancing machine and spinning it, a mechanic is able to identify where these imbalances are located, and alleviate them by attaching lead weights to the edge of the wheel. This reduces vibration during driving.
However, tire balancing is also necessary throughout the life of your tires. You do not need them balanced with every rotation, but they should be balanced at every other rotation. Why, though? As your tires roll over the surface of the road, small amounts of rubber are worn away. However, the wear pattern is not even. Eventually, it will create imbalances that must be addressed through balancing at a tire/mechanic shop.
5 Things Impacted by Balancing Your Tires
Tire balancing might sound like a relatively simple thing. It is, at least in terms of concept. You’re counterbalancing imperfections in wheel and tire weight and balance by adding and removing lead weights. Simple enough, right? However, the impact of balancing on your tires, your vehicle, and your ride are anything but simple. Let’s break things down for you.
1.Tire Performance
As you might imagine, one of the most obvious impacts of tire balancing is improved tread wear for your tires. If your tires are properly balanced, they will roll more smoothly, which helps to ensure even wear across the entire surface of the tire. An unbalanced tired will bounce and bump on the road, leading to uneven treadwear. Of course, there are numerous other things that also affect treadwear, from the air pressure in your tires to whether or not you’ve had an alignment performed, and even the condition of your suspension components.
2. Vehicle Maintenance
Tire balancing has many impacts on your vehicle. Remember that balancing is all about smoothing out your ride and reducing vibrations. With unbalanced tires, those vibrations translate to reduced ride quality for you, but they also affect the vehicle itself. While all vehicles are subject to some degree of vibration while driving, significant, ongoing vibrations can lead to rapid deterioration and damage of many components. Unbalanced tires affect your suspension components, but also your drivetrain components. They also have an impact on your brakes, and virtually every other part of your car.
3. Ride Quality
Ride quality can be greatly diminished by unbalanced tires. The vibrations can come through in the seats, leading to an uncomfortable ride, but they can also translate up the steering column and into the steering wheel. This makes gripping the wheel more difficult and will lead to driver fatigue. Serious vibrations can also aggravate (or even cause) conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome.
4. Fuel Economy
Your tires have a huge impact on your car’s fuel economy. For instance, if the tire pressure is too low, the tires will be softer than they should be, causing the engine to work harder to turn them. The same thing applies to balancing your tires. If your tires have uneven treadwear, they will not turn smoothly. This causes your engine to work harder, using more fuel and decreasing your fuel economy. Simply balancing your tires can help you save money at the pump, and who couldn’t benefit from a bit more cash in their pocket?
5. Safety
Tire balancing is not all about reducing vibration. It’s also about keeping you safe, as well as protecting those around you. If your tires were never balanced, the tread wear would be extremely uneven. This could lead to weak sections and a dramatic increase in the chance of experiencing a blowout. Even a minor blowout while driving can be catastrophic.
Signs That You Need to Balance Your Tires
How do you know when you need to balance your tires? The best option is to simply stick to a schedule as recommended by your mechanic. Most shops will recommend balancing your tires at every other oil change. However, if you do not have a regular mechanic, you can tell if you need your tires balanced by looking for the following signs:
- You notice vibrations in the steering wheel while driving at speed.
- You notice vibrations in the seat bottom or seat back while driving at speed.
- You notice vibrations in the floorboard while driving at speed.
- You notice scalloped edges on your tires (also called cupping).
These are all signs that your tires are out of balance. However, the treadwear issue is concerning. Vibrations while driving at highway speed can be alleviated through balancing, but if your tires are badly worn, you may need to replace them rather than balance them. However, if the scalloping is mild, balancing your tires now will help improve treadwear and ensure that you’re able to get your money’s worth out of those tires.
In Conclusion
When it’s all said and done, balancing is one of the most overlooked, yet essential aspects of vehicle maintenance. Our recommendation is not to wait until you notice vibrations, or see scalloping on the tires. Have them balanced with your next service.
Source:
https://www.dunloptires.com/en-US/services/tire-balancing https://masterclassauto.com/the-benefits-of-tire-balancing/ https://www.goodyear.com/en-US/services/tire-balancing