Alignment & Balance

Wheel alignment and Wheel Balancing are two totally different things, but many people often get them confused.  
In a nutshell, wheel alignment consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other.
The purpose of these adjustments is maximum tire life and a vehicle that tracks straight and true when driving along a straight and level road.   
Wheel Balancing, on the other hand allows the tires and wheels to spin without causing any vibrations.  This is accomplished by checking for any heavy spots on the wheel-tire combination and compensating for it by placing a measured lead weight on the opposite site of the wheel from where the heavy spot is.
The symptoms of a car that is out of alignment are:
  • Uneven or rapid tire wear
  • Pulling or drifting away from a straight line
  • Wandering on a straight level road
  • Spokes of the steering wheel off to one side while driving on a straight and level road.
The symptoms of a wheel that is out of balance are:
  • Vibration in the steering wheel at certain highway speeds.
  • Vibration in the seat or floorboard at certain highway speeds.
  • Scalloped or cupped wear pattern on the tires
Wheel Alignment: To find out if you need an alignment, first check each tire and look for uneven wear patterns. however, it is a good idea to have your alignment checked periodically. 

Wheel Balance: Out-of-balance tires will cause a car to vibrate at certain speeds, usually between 50 and 70 mph. A tire is out of balance when one section of the tire is heavier than the others. One ounce of imbalance on a front tire is enough to cause a noticeable vibration in the steering wheel at about 60mph. To balance a wheel, the technician will mount it on a balancing machine which spins the wheel to locate the heavier part. He will then compensate for the heavy part by attaching a lead weight on the opposite side. Many people are pleasantly surprised at how smooth their car drives after balancing all four wheels.
Most high quality tires will hold their balance fairly well and go out of balance very gradually. If you notice a vibration that wasn't there the day before, it is possible that one of the lead balancing weights fell off. If you feel the vibration mostly in the steering wheel, the problem is most likely in a front wheel. If the vibration is mostly in the seat, the problem is probably in the rear.
For those of you who are very sensitive about vibrations and your shop can't seem to get that last bit of vibration out, check to see if you have locking wheel lugs. Some locking lugs are as much as 1.5 ounces heavier than the other lug nuts which translates to about 1/2 ounce at the wheel rim. Try putting a 1/2 ounce weight opposite the locking lug and see if it helps.

Comments

  1. Unknown18 May 2018 at 14:33

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown18 May 2018 at 14:38

    Very helpful and educative information

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jones Offei18 May 2018 at 15:09

    Thank you Ms Jojo

    ReplyDelete
  4. Unknown19 May 2018 at 10:38

    Very informative. Thank you very much

    ReplyDelete
  5. Unknown24 May 2018 at 21:14

    Great information,.
    Please what impact does different tyre pressures have on vehicle steering.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jones Offei24 May 2018 at 21:46

      It influences how much control you have while driving, how quickly you can stop, how accurately you can take turns, and even how quiet and smooth your ride is.

      Delete

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