The Importance of Balancing Tyres Properly

Proper tyre balance is an important, yet often overlooked, aspect of vehicle maintenance. Over time, tyre imbalance can develop as the tyre tread may wear down due to regular use and weight distribution changes. Travelling on rough roads, harsh braking, and aggressive cornering can also severely damage the tyres.

Maintaining proper tyre balance is crucial to ensure an even distribution of weight around tyres to minimise vibrations while driving. Ignoring this can lead to uneven wear, compromised handling, and potentially unsafe driving conditions. Explore more about the significance of proper tyre balancing and its impact on vehicle performance in this article.

What Is Tyre Balancing?

Tyre balancing is the process of equalising the weight of a wheel-tyre assembly to ensure smooth rotation without vibrations. This involves placing counterweights strategically to offset any imbalance in load distribution around the entire tyre circumference. Tyre balancing reduces uneven or premature tyre wear, improves vehicle manoeuvrability, extends tyre lifespan, and protects various components of the vehicle’s suspension system.

Why Is Tyre Balancing Important?

Balancing your tyres regularly enhances the overall safety and comfort of your driving experience. With your car tyres balanced, you will enjoy:

• Improved Safety – Improper tyre balancing can develop dangerous bald spots and uneven tread wear, causing vibrations that impact vehicle steering and stability, particularly at higher speeds. Regular preventative maintenance, such as tyre balancing, can keep your vehicle in top condition.
• Better Gas Mileage – Balancing tyres can improve fuel efficiency by minimising rolling resistance and easing the vehicle's effort to move, leading to better gas mileage. Over time, this efficiency translates to cost savings as the engine performs more efficiently with balanced tyres in place.
• Tyre Longevity – With balanced tyres, drivers can maximise their investment in terms of the durability and performance of their tyres in the long run. This prevents the shorter lifespan and premature replacement associated with imbalanced tyres.
• Smooth and Comfortable Ride – When your tyres are out of balance, vibrations can be felt in your vehicle, especially at higher speeds of above 80 km/h. These vibrations can impact vehicle handling and potentially lead to a rough and unsafe ride. With professional tyre balancing services, drivers can eliminate these vibrations to enjoy a smoother, more secure ride.
• Improved Vehicle Performance – Imbalanced tyres can adversely affect vehicle handling, traction, and overall performance. Properly balanced wheels enable your vehicle to operate more efficiently, resulting in increased responsiveness and agility.
• Protected Suspension System – The out-of-balance tyres can generate vibrations throughout the suspension system, including the spring, shock absorber (damper), struts, and stabiliser bar. For optimal vehicle handling and stability, it is crucial to maintain proper tyre balance to protect your suspension system from excessive wear and damage.

What Are the Signs that Your Tyres Need Balancing?

The tyres on your vehicle may need to be balanced if you observe any of the following indicators:

• Vehicle Pulls to One Side – A vehicle drifting from one side often signals a tyre imbalance. The uneven weight distribution in the tyres causes the vehicle to veer off from its intended path, affecting driving stability. This issue can lead to potential safety hazards, especially when driving at high speeds.
• Uneven or Fast Tread Wear – Uneven or excessive tread wear patterns on tyres, such as cupping or scalloping, are a common sign of out-of-balance wheel-tyre assembly. This can impact the vehicle's performance and pose a high risk of flat tyres and blowouts on the road.
• Vibrating Steering Wheel – A clear indication of out-of-balance tyres is wheel chatter or vibrations when driving at increased speeds. Left unaddressed, the vehicle can become difficult to manoeuvre, resulting in the tyres veering left or right.
• Noisy Ride – Hearing a loud, unusual noise like humming or buzzing sounds while driving might suggest wheel balancing issues. These noises often occur when tyres hit the road unevenly due to improper balance. Neglecting this problem could cause additional damage to other vehicle components, such as the suspension system or steering mechanism.

What May Happen If Your Tyres Are Not Properly Balanced?

Failure to properly balance your tyres can result in the following outcomes:

• Shortened Tyre Lifespan – A severely unbalanced tyre will cause the tyre tread to wear down unevenly, a problem that not even multiple rotations can rectify. Furthermore, as the tyre loses its tread, rubber-to-road friction increases and generates more heat, which degrades the worn-out spots on the tyre.
• Loss of Warranty – If the tyres wear out prematurely, the warranty from the tyre manufacturer or the vehicle dealership may cover the replacement. However, a vehicle's warranty coverage may be voided if the tyres are not balanced and rotated according to the manufacturer's recommendations, leaving the vehicle owner financially responsible for any related damages or repairs.
• Damage to Wheel Bearings and Suspensions – Improper tyre balancing can exert undue stress on the wheel bearings, joints, and other undercarriage components that support the suspension system. As a result, it directly affects wheel/tyre alignment, and strained suspension parts may fail or break, resulting in more costly repairs.
• Unsafe Driving Conditions – Uneven weight distribution in tyres can cause vehicles to wobble or vibrate, compromising traction and overall control. This poses potential hazardous situations, particularly at high speeds or during emergency manoeuvres.
• Poor Fuel Economy – Improperly balanced tyres or decreased tread depth may lead to increased fuel consumption. This impacts the vehicle's overall mileage, leading to lower kilometres per litre (km/l) and increasing fuel expenses in the long run.
• More Frequent Flats – When tyres are not balanced properly, they are more prone to frequent flats due to irregular wear patterns and heightened stress. This imbalance also makes the tyres more vulnerable to punctures and blowouts, particularly on rough terrain or during sudden impacts.

As a good rule of thumb, tyres should be balanced every 10,000 km, or at least once every six months. Prioritising wheel/tyre balancing can prolong tyre longevity, enhance vehicle performance, and guarantee a comfortable and secure ride for drivers and passengers alike. When there are signs of imbalanced wheels, it is crucial to address them promptly by a skilled technician.

For all your tyre needs, AL Tyres delivers professional tyre balancing solutions to ensure your tyres are correctly balanced, promoting safety and durability. With a focus on precision and quality, our team of technicians strives to maximise the efficiency of your tyres and enhance your driving experience.

Additionally, we offer a wide selection of high-quality car rims at competitive prices. Contact us today at (65) 8418 1000 to learn more about our services.