Wheel balancing is necessary to expand the life span of vehicles. Suppose you got a nice car and it is degraded soon because of wheel imbalance fault. Definitely, you do not want to lose your expensive vehicle by neglecting it. Imbalanced wheels further lead to shaky and uneven rides that cause further wear and tears to your car.
So, how will you identify that your car needs tuning along with the wheel balancing services? Do you probably want to know how valuable this service is? And how it should be done? Are there any long-term benefits?
We will answer all of your requested questions today. In this article, we will be going to discuss everything you need to know about wheel balancing. Here we go!
Contents
How Would You Define Wheel Balancing?
Today’s technicians and manufacturers are trying their best to make precise and balanced tires that will be last longer and support the smooth running of the vehicle. Even after the evolution of modern technology, it is still impossible for car manufacturers to design perfectly balanced tires for a vehicle.
You can detect wheel unbalancing while driving too. Improper wheel balancing happens due to one part of the wheel is heavier while the other one is lighter. This thin and thick manufacturing fault leads to vibration in the car. An imbalanced wheel compels you to replace or remove tires more often than usual.
For this purpose, service centers use special wheel balancing machines. To increase the shelf life of vehicles this service is important.
Wheel Balancing Vs Wheel Alignment
Wheel balancing involves placing the special rims on wheels to ensure uniform rotation of wheels while moving. On the other hand, wheel alignment is something that deals with the car’s suspension setup. These terms are often mixed and people usually put more emphasis on wheel alignment instead of wheel balancing. In fact, both are important to keep your car up to date.
So, what is wheel alignment? How this term is in contradiction with wheel balancing?
Wheel alignment focuses on how the tires are placed when fixed or mounted to your car. It has more to do with the position or angles of the tires relative to the other tire and the road.
The wheel alignment is done with the help of a special alignment machine in which the calculations are executed with the help of a computer to position the wheels correctly. The machine is also responsible to put the steering wheel in the center to avoid miss-alignment in the future.
That is how wheel alignment is entirely different from wheel balancing.
For more details, you can have a look at our in-depth Wheel Alignment vs. Wheel Balancing Comparison.
Perfect Time to Attain Wheel Balancing Services
Your wheels need rebalancing services whenever you replace your tires with new ones.
Furthermore, during bumping and shaky rides, you might get the hint that it is a perfect time to get wheel balancing services. You can control uneven rides by yourself. But with time, these things get severe, and you will notice the following signs:
- The shorter life span of the tires.
- Wears and tears in the tires daily.
- Poor gas mileage.
- You will feel the vibration in your steering wheel too along with the other areas of the car.
After detecting the following symptoms, you should get the service done right away. It does not cost much.
Importance of Wheel Balancing
Keep in mind that if the imbalanced wheel is left untreated then it will cause permanent damage to your vehicle. You will never get rid of the sound or vibration while driving. Bumpy rides will eventually cause backbone pain. Significantly imbalanced wheel affects the health of the passenger too.
It is a minor maintenance task but will provide you with long-term benefits. Wheels should be balanced, for the overall well-being of the vehicle.
Here are some pros:
- The durability of your tire is increased through precise wheel balancing.
- Wheel balancing saves you from fatal accidents.
- Provides you better control over your car.
- An unbalanced wheel can lower your gas mileage. Through proper wheel balancing it can be increased.
Average Cost of Wheel Balancing
Wheel balancing and wheel alignment do not cost much. In fact, your four-wheel can get balanced within the range of $100. It cost $15 to $20 per wheel. But the cost depends upon your car model and the condition of your wheels.
By remaining within the budget, wheel balancing can be done from the nearest service centers, repairing shops, and as well as from car dealers.
There are several service centers and vehicle shops available that are capable of performing wheel balancing jobs. You do not have to look hard around your area for this purpose. Anyone who has been working in a car repairing center or has a little bit of practice in dealing with vehicles can do wheel balancing.
Well, the cost varies from service center to center. If you have decided to take wheel balancing services from car dealers instead of auto repairing shops, be ready to pay high rates. Car dealers significantly charge high as compared to repair centers. So, finding a good wheel balancing service center near you will be beneficial and economical too.
Car repairing centers can provide you a complete package along with the tuning at a discounted price. From tire mounting to tire rotation, they are responsible for installing them in your car with perfect alignment and accuracy. It significantly reduces the chances of accidents.
Furthermore, it is recommended to keep an eye on two to three service centers. On which you can rely. From time to time, you will get discount coupons as well as occasional discount offers.
Wheel Balancing Process
As we already know, improper wheel balancing has several disadvantages. Because of imbalanced wheels, car handling is difficult and your grip over your car will get weakened with time that will eventually lead to unpleasant bumpy rides.
Through wheel balancing, this issue can be fixed. The technician uses a special kind of mechanics that spin each tire by locating the uneven area precisely. By placing the weights at the unbalanced areas of tires, technicians make sure about uniform wheeling of the tires on the road.
How Often Wheel Balancing Should Be Performed?
This a million-dollar question that is often asked by most car owners. Yet, we are still striving to get an appropriate answer to this question. So, how often the job should be done?
A brief answer to this question is when you notice the above-listed symptoms in your then you must attain wheel balancing services. But according to the experts, acquire this service once every 5000 to 6000 kilometers or whenever you replace the worn-out tires with new ones. Delation may cause you higher charges.
Wheel Balancing At Home
As we discussed, wheel balancing is not as complicated as people think. In the car maintenance, it is one of the easiest tasks that a person can accomplish. And anyone having car maintenance experience can do it.
But the fact is that never try to do it at your home. Let the technicians do their duties because they have the right equipment and technical knowledge for this purpose.
If you try to do it yourself, you will probably end up with improper wheel balancing and mounting. Your wheels will be worn out more often than usual. And in the end, you will have to pay more for the car tuning and servicing.
Is It Worth Spend On Wheel Balancing?
Driving a car whose wheels are not balanced for almost two years is dangerous. Including your tires, all parts of the car will severely be affected. In short, it will decrease the shelf life of the car.
Moreover, during driving, you will observe a lot of shakes. It will be more difficult for you to control car steering. Lower gas mileage problem is arrived due to the unbalanced wheels. Because of imbalanced tires, your car will be continuously at risk.
So, if you are planning to keep your car around yourself in the future too; switch to take wheel balancing and alignment services on regular basis. it’s worth spending on them.
Related: Best Zero Turn Tires for Hills Reviews
Wrapping Up The Discussion
For the overall well-being and shelf life of the car, it is advisable to spend on wheel balancing. It is a small maintenance task that doesn’t cost high and can be done in no time. But it will provide your vehicle with numerous permanent benefits. Most car owners just focus on wheel alignment. But they should figure out that wheel balancing is equally as important as car alignment.
Monthly car maintenance will make your car speed efficient. Through the other repairing task, you can optimize your car for a long time.
Service centers near you are perfect for any kind of small maintenance task. keep your car safe from wearing tears by spending on the wheel balancing service today.