Wheel Balancing and the Performance of Your Car

1. Wheel Balancing and the Performance of Your Car

2. Table of Content • Performance of Your Car. • Difference between Wheel Balancing and Wheel Alignment. • How Wheel Balancing and Alignment Improves the Performance of Your Car. • Wheel Balancing Process. • Wheel Alignment Process. • Tire Shop Scams to Avoid.

3. Performance of Your Car Your car tires are literally the foundation of your car. They play a big part in the performance, handling, safety and look of your car. Wheel balancing is one of those inescapable tire repair terms that every driver comes across every so often. So, what exactly is wheel balancing? If you have ever felt strange vibrations on your steering wheel while cruising along the highway or unusual shaking on the car seats or floorboard when your car picks up speed, it’s likely that your car wheels are out of balance. Wheel balancing, also known as tire balancing, is a tire repair process that involves equalizing and balancing uneven weights of the combined wheel and tire assembly in such a way that the wheel spins smoothly even at high speeds. The process involves adding small counterweights at certain points on the wheel to remove weight inconsistencies on the wheel.

4. Difference between Wheel Balancing and Wheel Alignment Very often, you will hear many people using the term ‘wheel balancing’ and ‘wheel alignment’ interchangeably as if they refer to the same thing. The two, however, refer to very different aspects of the tire repair process. Wheel balancing is the process of adding small balancing weights to the rim to allow the wheel to spin without any vibrations. On the other hand, wheel alignment is the process of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground. Symptoms that your car wheels might be out of alignment include: • Rapid or uneven wire on your tires • Your car wanders on a straight level road • The car pulls or drifts away from a straight line when you let go off the wheel • You notice that the spokes of your wheels are off to one side when driving on a straight and level road

5. Wheels will generally become misaligned over time due to adverse road and driving conditions including hitting potholes, curbs or speed bumps. Wheel alignment is done by adjusting the tie rods and control arms so as to ensure correct alignment. Your car wheels should be aligned to their optimum positions according to the manufacturer’s recommendations by adjusting the toe, camber and sometimes the caster angles. Toe is term used to describe whether the front of the tires are closer or further apart than the rear part of the tires; ‘camber’ describes the inward or outward tilt of the tires while ‘caster’ refers to the angle between the steering pivot axis and the vertical that is usually adjusted by moving the suspension struts.

6. How Wheel Balancing and Alignment Improves the Performance of Your Car Wheel balancing and alignment are part of the routine maintenance procedures that need to be done periodically on all vehicles. As long as your car is in use, it’s inevitable that the wheels will become imbalanced at some point. Indeed, even the best tires are never exactly the same weight all around. Your tires will have slight weight imbalances or slight deviations in roundness (radial and lateral runout) at certain places. For instance, the valve stem hole subtracts a small amount of weight from that part of the wheel. Meanwhile, day-to-day tread wear causes cumulative changes in the weight distribution of the wheel assembly. In fact, your tires are no longer the same after the first mile of driving after leaving the factory. At high speeds, even small weight imbalances can translate to considerable imbalances in centrifugal forces that cause your wheel to spin in a heavy and uneven motion. This results in perceptible vibrations and uneven wear and damage on your wheels. That is why it’s imperative to have your wheels balanced periodically. Leading tire manufacturers recommend having your wheels balanced every 3,000-6,000 miles (5,000-10,000Km) of driving. Wheel balancing is also recommended after rotating your tires. Rotating your tires can prolong their lifespan and avoid a premature visit to your tire shop.

7. However, depending on your style of driving and road surfaces/conditions, you might find that you need the procedure done much sooner. If you are experiencing any or a combination of these symptoms, your wheels need balancing: • Your steering wheel vibrates at highway speeds • Your seats or floorboard vibrate at highway speed • Your tires display scalloped/cupped wear patterns Unnecessarily delaying tire repair procedures like wheel alignment and balancing can lead to an undesirable spiral effect of negative consequences. Here are the main benefits of wheel alignment and balancing especially in relation to your car performance: 1. Better fuel efficiency When your wheels are no properly aligned or balanced, your car has uneven traction which causes the engine to work harder thus consuming more fuel. TMC's S.11 Energy Conservation Study Group has published an updated RP1111 that outlines the relationship between truck/trailer components and fuel economy. The report says that properly balanced tires can save as much as 2.2% SAE J1326/RP 1102 Type II fuel.

8. 2. Better control Misaligned and imbalanced wheels compromise your ability to steer the vehicle. Wheel alignment and balancing can significantly improve vehicle handling especially on wet roads and when cornering. Unevenly worn tires are a recipe of disaster especially when they cause the car to pull to the right or to the left when braking. 3. Improve driving comfort Depending on the degree of wheel imbalance, your car can vibrate quite violently especially in modern lightweight vehicles which do not dampen vibrations caused by spinning wheels very well. Wheel balancing allows for a smooth and enjoyable ride for both the driver and passengers. 4. Save money on other repairs Purchasing a high quality set of new tires for your car is by no means a cheap undertaking. Unbalanced and misaligned wheels wear out much faster and need replacement sooner. But that’s only part of the problem. Unbalanced wheels also place a severe strain on other vehicle components including the suspension system, wheel bearings and other drive-train components leading to early wear and additional replacement costs.

9. Wheel Balancing Process Maintaining wheel balance is absolutely necessary to prolong the life of your tires and related components as well as ensure a smooth and safe ride. To diagnose and repair wheel imbalances, the repair technician uses a modern and highly accurate calibrated spin balancer that tests both static and dynamic aspects of balance. Advanced repair shops apply a technique known as road force balancing which, in addition to traditional spin balancing for vibrations and strange tire wear, also checks the wheels and tires for other conditions that might lead to vibrations. Most balancers achieve this by pressing a large roller against a slowly spinning wheel then reading out radial runout (deviation from perfect roundness) and tire pressure. This process is able to detect other wheel conditions such as belt separation (a situation where the tire’s steel belt delaminates from the surrounding rubber layers) and other match mounting issues. Road force balancers are able to do a precise job of marking the points to be matched. Consequently, less weight is required to balance the resulting assembly which is also able to spin straighter.

10. The next step involves fixing select weights at various spots on the rim to balance it. Lead weights with soft flanges and various denominations are knocked onto the edge of the wheel using a plastic hammer. This technique, however, does not work very well on alloy wheels as they do on steel wheels since they tend to break the expensive aluminum clearcoat. For alloy wheels, Tape-A-weights are preferable. These are strips of flat lead squares with a powerful adhesive each weighing about a quarter of an ounce. The weights are cut to size with clippers and stuck out of sight behind the spokes inside the barrel. Although the adhesive is strong enough and helps the weights to stay put in most ordinary driving conditions, duct tape is used by racing techies due to the excessive heat generated during a race that can melt the adhesive.

11. Wheel Alignment Process The process of wheel alignment essentially involves squaring the wheels and axles together to ensure they move in the same direction. The car’s manufacturer recommends the ideal suspension angles—toe, camber, thrust and caster—that influence tire movement and position. The exact type of alignment that your car needs mainly depends on the suspension and drive type. A four-wheel alignment is done on all-wheel drive vehicles or front-wheel drive vehicles with independent/suspended rear suspension systems. This type of alignment ensures that both front and rear axles are parallel, rectangle and perpendicular to each other. Four-wheel alignment machines incorporate a series of high-definition image sensors that measure multiple alignment angles on the wheels and compare the position and orientation of the wheel manufacturer data. Meanwhile, front-end alignments whereby only the front axle is adjusted are done on other types of vehicles that are not all-wheel or front-wheel drives. Once the alignment is complete, the repair shop will provide a printout that shows the images of the suspension before and after the alignment.

12. Tire Shop Scams to Avoid They say good mechanics are worth their weight in oil. Unfortunately, not all automobile repair shops or tire shops are honest. Some unscrupulous ones will cut corners just to make a quick buck while others will charge for services but fail to include them in the repair procedure. Tires are a highly competitive market, and some dishonest dealers will offer low prices to make a sale while scamming you on the other hand to recoup their losses. Do not, therefore, choose a tire shop on the basis of price alone. Common tricks of the trade include: • Reusing parts such as valve stems instead of replacing them or performing basic wheel balancing instead of dynamic balancing • The Rubber Manufacturers’ Association specifically states that an approved repair consists of a combination of plug and patch. Tire plugs used in isolation are not approved repairs. A crooked tire shop might charge you for a proper tire repair only to simply jam a plug into the tire

13. The mechanics might fail to rebalance your wheels after repairs. A chalk mark on the tire next to the valve stem is frequently a dead giveaway • The tire shop might upsell you by forcing you to buy new tires when your current ones can be easily repaired • The shop might lie about the state of your car and end up providing expensive and unnecessary repairs • The dealership might fail to inform you about applicable rebates on your new tires • Auto repair insurance scams range from claiming excessive supplies to claiming parts that go into someone else’s vehicle • Auto repair warranty scams usually take the form of falsified extended warranty claims especially when there is no one to verify that the claimed repairs actually took place

14. To avoid playing the fool to these shady businesses, you should always keep a close eye on the services that you receive. If possible, request a visual confirmation of any services or repairs rendered and compare it to the previous condition of the part. Carefully read online reviews before choosing a tire shop. Are they honest, timely and convenient? A good and reputable tire repair shop can not only save you a lot of money in the long run but also ensure the continued safety and peace of mind of you and your family. And when it comes to reputable tire repair shops, Autobahn leads the pack. Autobahn Tires pride itself to offer wheel balancing, tire balancing and rotation, tire repair, and other services that will put your car in top shape. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, the company can also help you select high-quality tire brands for a variety of car makes/models, including Audi, BMW, and Mercedes among others. What’s more, Autobahn Tires cares about the safety and look of your vehicle and therefore offers a wide range of quality car accessories including step bars, automotive lighting, truck bed liners, customized floor mats, and truck bed rails among others.

15. The End • Find out more at - https://autobahntires.ca/shop/tires/ https://autobahntires.ca/shop/wheels/ https://autobahntires.ca/services/tire-repair/