Notice any signs of unbalanced tires on your car? You should immediately make an appointment with your local technician.
Unbalanced wheels aren’t typically a reason to bring the car to a complete stop and call for breakdown recovery. However, in severe cases, they make your driving experience quite uncomfortable and, if left unchecked, could lead to tire blowouts.
In this guide, I will list all symptoms to watch out for. Tires out of balance are a comparatively common problem, so if it’s happening to you, don’t panic!
It’s a straightforward repair but must be done by an experienced mechanic or fitter.
Let’s jump right into it!
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What Is Tire Balancing?
Tire balancing is when minuscule weights are fastened to wheels to ensure they roll perfectly evenly. It’s done after a tire is attached to the steel or alloy wheel and inflated to the proper pressure.
If you roll something round (a reel of tape, for example) across the floor, you’ll notice how it often wobbles from side to side. The same thing happens to your car’s wheels when tires are imbalanced.
These “wobbles” are caused by imperceptible manufacturing flaws in the metal wheel itself. For instance, if one side is slightly heavier, it’ll naturally lean in that direction.
Before reattaching a wheel and tire to a car’s hub assembly, the technician will place the wheel on a special apparatus, conveniently known as a tire balancer (or wheel balancer). Most of these use laser technology to measure precisely how unbalanced the combined wheel and tire are.
Computers then calculate precisely how much weight should be placed in which locations on the wheel. These small wheel weights, ranging from 5 g to 50 g, counteract the defects, making the tire roll smoothly.
Mechanics attach specially-made self-adhesive weights onto the wheel rim when working with alloy wheels. Steel wheel weights are simply hammered onto the exterior or inside of the rim, just where it meets the tire. You should never use hammer-on balance weights on alloy wheels because they’ll do permanent damage.
Unbalanced Tires Symptoms
Tires could be imbalanced if weights fall off (as they always do with time). A mechanic could also have forgotten to balance a wheel before replacing it on your car – it’s simple to do when you’re in a rush.
Every wheel should be balanced as part of the installation process. Make sure you check with your tire shop.
Here’s how to determine if your tires are out of balance.
Steering Wheel Vibrating And Shaking
Will unbalanced tires cause shaking?
Yes, without question.
Think back to that reel of tape rolling off and how it quivers and wobbles. That’s literally what your tire is doing if it’s imbalanced.
When it comes down to it, the four wheels are the sole things holding your vehicle up above the road. If one (or more) is shaking, this will transfer up through the steering column, making your steering wheel vibrate. It’ll also transfer through the suspension, potentially making your entire car quiver as you’re driving along.
This steering wheel vibration and shaking will get worse the faster you go. Drive as slowly as you can safely to take your vehicle to a nearby shop.
Uneven Tire Wear
Unbalanced tire wear can show itself through your tires, especially during extreme or prolonged cases. You’ll notice an uneven wear pattern across an axle.
This uneven wear occurs because of the rocking movement when the wheel rotates. In typical situations, the pressure would be distributed evenly over the surface of the tire. However, currently it is exerting increased stress on a particular area of the tire.
For uneven tires, look for an unusual wear pattern.
You should also check the tires’ edges – the inside and the outside. If it’s been worn smooth on one of these, you should get the wheel balancing examined. However, bear in mind that it’s more likely to be caused by your tracking being out of alignment or additional suspension or steering issues.
You should swiftly check your car’s tire wear as often as possible. Simply check the tire’s edges or look down underneath the car for a better view. Turning the steering wheel to full lock can help you see the wheel from as many perspectives as possible.
The best way to precisely check tire wear is to remove the wheels. The simplest way to do this is to take your vehicle to your local shop, where the technicians can put it on a ramp and do a comprehensive once-over.
Difficulty Steering (Particularly At High Speeds)
You should still be able to steer reasonably well – however, it’s likely to feel heavy and sluggish, particularly when traveling at high speeds. Be extra vigilant on freeways.
The car is more demanding to drive because the tire isn’t planted firmly on the ground. It’s wobbling, so it has less traction and takes more force to turn them, pointing the wheels in a specific direction relevant to the vehicle. The parts in contact with the road are also dragging rather than rolling.
Again, you should drive fairly cautiously to a nearby mechanic who can diagnose the problem for you.
Trouble handling may result from a faulty power steering pump (or electrical setup), improper alignment of wheels, or complications within the steering mechanism.
Lower Fuel Economy
If you’re driving with unbalanced tires, you can expect lower fuel economy. It won’t be particularly drastic, though. The engine has to work slightly harder because the wheel’s not turning so efficiently, and thus the car’s not driving as swiftly.
However, it’s not likely to decrease by more than a few percent of your average. You might not even notice it as being significantly different. However, when combined with the other symptoms mentioned on this page, lower fuel economy could certainly be caused by out-of-balance tires.
It could also represent many other things: misfires, inadequate engine oil, inferior quality fuel, and so on.
A Note On Camber
When wheels are set to positive or negative camber, it can look impressive. Aesthetically, cars look fierce and ready for a race. Indeed, when fitted with racing tires on race cars, negative camber is great for increased cornering grip.
On the road, though, it’s a differing story. Road tires aren’t designed for negative camber and will wear down much faster.
At the same time, wheels are always balanced, assuming zero camber (with a margin for error). In fact, most road cars tend to have a slightly negative camber (less than -1°), although such a tiny margin makes little difference.
However, if you extensively modify your car and set the camber to absurd angles – let’s say -5° or more – it’ll immediately mean the wheels are imbalanced. The weights have been added assuming a completely straight (or as close as makes no difference) position.
Aside from the hazardous pressure on your tires, your ride might become much more unpleasant.
What Should I Do If My Tires Are Unbalanced?
If your tires aren’t balanced, or you suspect they’re unbalanced, take your car to a reliable mechanic you trust. Ask them to check each wheel and, if necessary, rebalance them. Once they’re back on your vehicle, check the tracking (alignment).
The issue will likely arise from your front axle, the wheels in charge of steering. This is where all the mass and power operations occur (in front-wheel-drive vehicles), so it has a significant impact on your driving.
Expect to pay between $20 and $30 per wheel. The material costs to the shop will be practically non-existent (just the wheel weights). Still, labor could take approximately 10 minutes per tire. Agree to a price before any work is performed.
As with everything, occasionally wheel balancing can take 5 minutes – at times, it takes an hour. Sometimes, tires are just difficult.
The longer it’s left, the more damage it’ll lead to. Get your tires rebalanced as soon as you notice any indications, and you’ll nip any future issues in the bud.
