Wheel Balance

Also referred to as tire unbalance or imbalance, describes the distribution of mass within an automobile tire or the wheel to which it is attached. When the tire rotates, asymmetries of mass cause the wheel to wobble, which can cause ride disturbances, usually vertical and lateral vibrations. It can also result in a wobbling of the steering wheel. The ride disturbance, due to unbalance, usually increases with speed. Vehicle suspensions can become excited by tire unbalance forces when the speed of the wheel reaches a point that its rotating frequency equals the suspension’s resonant frequency. Tires are inspected in factories and repair shops by two methods: static balancers and dynamic balancers. Tires with high unbalance forces are downgraded or rejected. When tires are fitted to wheels at the point of sale, they are measured again, and correction weights are applied to counteract the combined effect of the tire and wheel unbalance. After sale, tires may be rebalanced if driver perceives excessive vibration.

Does your wheel vibrate at certain speeds?
Unbalanced wheels vibrate at certain speeds. Let’s say your wheels vibrate between 50 and 70 mph. That vibration is one sign that you may need wheel balancing. The vibration is caused when one section of your tire is heavier than the other. This “heavy spot” is there because that part of the tire has received more exposure to road friction and heat.

Do you really need a wheel balancing?
It’s not something we can diagnose over the phone. If you notice vibrations in the steering wheel, seat, or floorboard at certain speeds, then please come in and we’ll thoroughly check for wheel balancing red flags, such as a scalloped or erratic wear pattern on your tires.