Posted on September 4, 2019

Properly-balanced tires ensure the safety of drivers and their passengers, as well as maintaining the optimal fuel efficiency.

Wheel balancing allows the tires and wheels to spin without causing vibrations. The tire and wheel assembly are placed on a computerized tire balancer, which checks for heavy spots on the tire-wheel combination and compensating for it by placing a weight on the wheel opposite the heavy spot, vibrating usually at 45 mph and up.

Tires are not just balanced when they are first installed on a vehicle as brand new equipment. Many manufacturers recommend rotation and balancing after a period of time or a range of miles of usage. Such preventive maintenance often depends on the type of vehicle (passenger car, commercial vehicle, semi-trailer truck, etc.) and the usage of the vehicle.

The fact is tires are subject to stresses that can cause tires to experience a change in the distribution of weight. This change in the tire can affect the way the vehicle drives, how it handles (particularly on wet roads) and the rate of wear and tear. The term “balancing” therefore refers to the proper distribution (balance) of the weight in a tire.

At TINA'S Tires, we not only test the tires for balance, but also to determine the stiffness of a tire, the wheel’s radial runout and other critical points of integrity that can have an effect on a vehicle’s performance. Furthermore, we treat every vehicle as if it was our own to ensure it will be roadworthy and safe to drive in the most demanding conditions.