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Équilibrage des pneus

Tire Balancing: Why Balance a Tire

As a vehicle owner, whether you have just bought your first car or have owned a car for many years, you are well aware that you must regularly carry out its general mechanical maintenance. Indeed, whether your vehicle is new or used, it is an essential part of your daily life that allows you to get around and even work. You must therefore take care of it in order to avoid breakdowns or costly repairs. In addition, this ensures your safety and comfort on the road as well as that of your passengers and other users. Among the essential elements for the proper functioning of your vehicle, apart from the engine, we find the wheels and tires. The latter require special maintenance and attention, because they ensure the grip of your vehicle on the road. Among the various adjustments that are part of wheel geometry, tire balancing is essential. We explain why you should balance your tires and what it consists of in this article.

Tire balancing: what does it involve?

For good road grip, it is essential to equip your vehicle with high-performance, well-balanced tires. Thus, tire balancing consists of distributing the weight of each individual wheel evenly and equally around its axis of rotation and around the entire circumference of the tire.

Why balance a tire?

The wheels, and therefore the tires of your vehicle, when you drive, are subjected to many shocks and various vibrations that are due to the hazards of driving such as the aging of the tires by the friction of the road, the wear of the suspension, the loosening of certain parts, the shocks and jolts on the wheels if you hit a pothole or a curb chain, etc. In order to avoid vibrations of the car and prevent premature wear, the wheel and the tire must always be balanced. This allows the center of gravity to be exactly in the center of the axis of rotation and to distribute the mass evenly around it. Be aware that even new tires need to be balanced, because they always have a slight imperfection that requires balancing. In addition, poorly balanced tires can cause various problems such as:

  • Driving discomfort
  • Uneven tire wear
  • Premature wear of suspension components
  • Premature wear of steering components

When should you balance your tires?

It is recommended by professionals to have your wheels balanced as part of regular maintenance, every 10,000 to 15,000 km. In addition, for your safety, you should perform wheel and tire balancing when:

  • You have your tires changed every season. In fact, in Quebec, according to the law in force, you must have equipped your vehicle with winter tires between December 1st and March 15th at least for safety reasons on the road in the harsh winter conditions (snow, ice, black ice, etc.).
  • You buy tires or rims or wheels
  • You are having a tire repaired following a puncture, for example.
  • After driving into a large pothole or hitting a curb.

Causes of Unbalanced Tires

There are several causes that can explain the imbalance of your vehicle’s tires.
The most common are:

  • Normal wear and tear on your tires
  • Driving on rough roads
  • Sudden and repetitive braking
  • Turns taken too quickly
  • Driving into a big pothole
  • And many more

Symptoms of Unbalanced Tires

There are several symptoms that tell you that your vehicle’s tires are out of balance, the main ones are:

  • Your vehicle vibrates abnormally when reaching high speeds
  • The tread on one of your tires shows uneven wear
  • You are experiencing problems with your vehicle’s steering or suspension

How is wheel balancing done?

Professional mechanics can use two methods to balance the tires on a vehicle:

Static balancing, also called old-fashioned balancing, because it is the oldest of the methods used. This technique, relatively simple to perform, is appropriate in cases where the tire has only a slight imbalance. The professional places the wheel and the tire on a vertical support equipped with a laser beam to measure the balance of the tire in relation to its axis of rotation. Then, the specialist places small weights on the horizontal part of the tire, in the edge of the rim, opposite the unbalancing area, until the balance is restored.

Dynamic balancing is used in the most complex cases of tire imbalance. This technique, more effective than static balancing, consists of using a balancing machine with a digital display that can measure the tire on three axes. The professional mechanic places the wheel and tire on the balancing machine and rotates the assembly at various speeds. All imbalances will then be captured by the machine. Thus, once the analysis is complete, the balancing machine specifies the area and the weight that must be used to restore the tire’s balance. Then, the specialist precisely places small steel or zamak (a zinc-based alloy bonded to aluminum, magnesium and copper) masses on the internal or external edges of the rim in order to obtain maximum wheel balancing .

Do you find that your tires are wearing abnormally? Make an appointment with the professional mechanics at Pneus Groupe Unik in Dorval . These specialists perform precise wheel checks and balancing on all types of vehicles. In addition, this general mechanic shop offers the sale, installation, and alignment of high-end tires as well as quality storage service in their heated garage.