The Truth About Tire Balancing: Do You
Need It?
Tire balancing is often seen as a necessary evil by many drivers. It needs to be done, but it’s
often a waste of time and money. However, there are some benefits to tire balancing that you
may not be aware of. In this article, we’ll look at what tire balancing is, why it’s important, and
whether or not you really need it.
How to tell which tire is out of balance
If you notice that your vehicle is pulling to one side while driving or the steering wheel is off
center, this is a good indication that your tires are unbalanced. Other signs of unbalanced tires
include vibration in the steering wheel, floorboard, or seat and premature tire wear. To check for
unbalance, first, jack up the car and remove the wheel in question. Spin the wheel slowly and
look for any areas where it wobbles. If you see any unevenness, use a tire balancer to fix the
problem.
The process of balancing the tires is a bit more complicated than it may seem at first. There are
a few different ways to balance the tires, but the most common and effective way is to use a
machine called a tire balancer.
First, the machine will need to be calibrated to your specific vehicle. This is done by inputting
the make, model, and year of your car into the machine. Once the machine is calibrated, it will
be able to spin the tires at the correct speed and measure the amount of weight needed to be
added to each tire to achieve perfect balance.
Next, the machine will need to be attached to each tire. This is usually done by clamping the
machine onto the tire’s rim. Once all four tires are attached, the machine will begin spinning the
tires. As the tires spin, the machine will slowly add weight to each tire until the perfect balance is
achieved.
The entire process usually takes less than 30 minutes and will ensure that your tires are
balanced correctly. This will help to improve the handling of your vehicle and also reduce wear
and tear on your tires.