Lengthen the Life of Your Tires
Balancing Tips
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Balancing Tips
At the first sign of vibration or irregular treadwear, your vehicle should be thoroughly checked for wheel balance and alignment, and for worn or broken mechanical parts.
Why Balancing Is Important
Balancing means compensating for both the weight of the tire and wheel after the tire is mounted. A wheel is out of balance when one area is heavier or lighter than the rest. This:
- Can cause off-center treadwear
- Can cause vibration
- Can increase stress on front-end parts
- May cause front-end parts to wear prematurely
When to Balance
Have your wheels balanced when:
- A tire is replaced
- A balance weight is moved or removed
- You purchase new tires
How a Wheel Is Balanced
To balance the wheel, your mechanic will use a balancing machine to determine where the heavy spots are. Weights are then attached to the exterior or interior of the wheel to counteract centrifugal forces acting on the heavy areas when the wheel is turning. This will eliminate vertical bouncing (static balance) and side-to-side wobble (dynamic balance).
