Wheel balance refers to the even distribution of weight on the entire area of a car. A vehicle with unbalanced wheels might not be the best ride. Also, tyres are the only part that connects the car to the driving surface. But, how do you know when is the right time to get them balanced?

There are several symptoms and signs that indicate imbalances in the wheel. But, before learning about them, you need to know what is exactly meant by wheel balancing and how to prevent it.

Difference between in wheel alignment and wheel balancing

People usually confuse between alignment and balancing. However, they are both different. Wheel alignment is related to the angles of the car while balancing refers to the weight distribution. A wheel is said to be out of balance when one of them becomes heavier than the other. This means, one of the wheels is holding more weight of the car than the others.

Both have effects on dynamics and performance. Also, both have almost the same symptoms such as faster tyre wear and reduced fuel economy. Due to this, you may not be able to identify the issue.

Causes of Wheel Imbalance

There are various reasons for wheel imbalance. Regular driving causes car tyres London to wear which is one of the contributors. Furthermore, a new set of wheels coming straight from the manufacturer may also have defects. Tyres are not weighed equally and may be heavy at some spots even when they are brand new.

Next, extremely cold temperatures cause tyre deflation, excess of which leads to wheel imbalance. If you drive at high speed and hit a bump or pothole, steel tyre belts might break. This causes loss in weight of wheel or tyre that might end up in imbalanced wheels.

When to get a tyre balancing?

• Feeling vibration on the seat, steering wheel or floorboard is one of them. Even half an ounce of weight difference will cause vibrations. Nonetheless, vibrations may be a hint of other issues as well, so getting the car examined is required.
• If you are facing difficulty in steering and are not able to change the direction smoothly, imbalanced tyres might be responsible. Also, the response time of the steering will be impacted.
• Poor fuel economy is also a result of the issue. While most of us cannot recognize the change in fuel economy, imbalanced tyres put more pressure on the engine. Hence, engines take more fuel. If you feel that your car is consuming more fuel than normal, then maybe it’s time to get a balancing check done.
• Rapid wear of the tyres also indicates unbalanced wheels. In fact, springs and bearings are also under high stress in this condition. So, the lifespan of all these components will be reduced.

Even if you don’t see any signs and symptoms, it is beneficial to get the Tyres Colindale balancing done if you have rotated the vehicle over 5000 miles or less in case of rough roads.

Just like we get regular car servicing, it’s important to check the wheel alignment and balance as well on regular basis. Once in two years, you must get wheel balancing done to prevent accidents. Rebalancing is done by attaching a balancing machine to a wheel. The wheel is rotated and the vibration is checked. The technician will take care of where to add weight and how much is needed.