What is wheel balancing?
Balanced wheels provide a smooth driving experience while keeping your tyres and suspension system in good condition. As tyres wear, the distribution of weight around the wheel’s circumference can become uneven. This will mean that in order to provide a smooth driving experience, they must be rebalanced.
Also, if you hit a large pothole or the curb with any of you wheel, you can sometimes affect their level of balance.
A mechanic can use a wheel balancing machine to analyse the wear around your tyres, applying weights to the inside of the wheel to make the tyre balance evenly, giving you a smoother driving experience and avoid vibration damage to your vehicle.
Signs of unbalanced wheels:
Vibration is the most common sign of unbalanced wheels. If your vehicle is vibrating from the front, or your steering wheel shakes it is likely to be a front tyre that is out of balance. If the car is vibrating from the back, it is more likely to be a rear tyre in need of balancing.
An increase in fuel consumption may also be a result of unbalanced tyres. When the wheels cannot move smoothly, you will need to rev your vehicle to higher levels to reach the same speed.
Please note: It is really important that your spare wheel is also balance in case you get a flat tyre and need to use it on your vehicle.
When to get wheels balanced?
Get new tyres as well as punctures balanced upon purchase:
When your tyres are replaced, they should be balanced. Although a new tyre looks perfectly round, there are small variations in weight around the tyre that must be accounted for. New rims may also offset the balance of your car’s tyres.
Also, when a puncture is repaired the tyre is removed from the rim and the puncture is repaired. Therefore you need to make sure your wheel gets rebalanced once the tyre is fitted.
Get your tyres balanced over time:
Over time, tyres will wear unevenly, especially if they are not rotated. You may notice that your car is a lot more bumpy than usual, or the steering wheel may shake while you are driving. These are two common signs of unbalanced tyres.
Other causes of unbalanced wheels:
A direct impact on a tyre may offset its balance. Possible causes of a direct impact may include:
- Hitting the kerb.
- Driving over a speed bump at high speeds.
- Driving over a pothole.
- Hitting stones or other road debris.
Get your car’s wheels balanced in Hamilton
At Grimmer Motors, we can balance the wheels on your vehicle for you. This will reduce vibrations and steering wheel shaking in your vehicle. It may also slightly also improve your fuel consumption. For reliable tyre-related services by qualified, experienced and honest mechanics, contact Grimmer Motors today.