What Happens When Tyres Are Not Balanced?

When you leave your car for service, you often forget to ask for balancing the wheels. If your wheels are unbalanced they can get you into trouble, starting from minor vibrations leading to more serious problems such as uneven tyre wear, consumption of more fuel and difficulty controlling the vehicle. It is important to check your Car Tyres Reading regularly to avoid any unwanted wear and tear. 

What Is Wheel Balancing?

When a tyre manufacturer produces a tyre or wheel, no two are not the same. There are still some differences in weight even if it can be a fraction of an ounce. Those small differences can create a big impact on your driving experience.

There will always be some areas with tyres of thicker materials and the other side is lighter and thiner. When one side of the wheel is heavier or lighter than the other, the wheel will vibrate as it rotates and you may feel vibrations when driving. The faster you drive your car the more you feel the vibrations.

When you perform wheel balancing on your car, this issue will be easily resolved. In this process, the mechanic will use precision machinery to spin each tyre and wheel to test to check the spots at which the wheels are heavier than others. 

Then the technician performs the balancing service by using bonding cement to attach small lead weights to the lightest area of your wheel. These weights are stacked in one place of the tyre while others may be weights in different spots.

What Are The Symptoms Of Unbalanced Tyres?

Here are some common signs that indicate your car wheels may be out of balance:

Uneven Tyre Wear

When you inspect your tyres on a regular basis you will identify the wheel imbalance early on. If you see your tyres have uneven wear patterns across the tread of your tyres, it may show that your wheels are not balanced correctly. Some of the common signs of uneven wear are scalloping or cupping on the edges of the tyre tread which can be caused by vibrations.

More Fuel Consumption

When your tyres are imbalanced it can negatively affect fuel efficiency. The engine needs to generate extra power to move the vehicle which leads to increased fuel consumption. 

Steering Wheel Wobble

If you feel a wobbling sensation while controlling the steering wheel you may have an imbalanced wheel. The imbalance wheel causes the steering to swing back and forth. If you experience a tilting movement in the steering wheel, it is a clear sign that your wheels need to be balanced.

Vibrations

The common sign you may feel of wheel imbalance is vibrations felt through the steering wheel. These vibrations usually occur when you are driving at high speeds at 80 to 100 kilometres per hour. If you feel vibration when turning your steering wheel, it is more likely your wheels are imbalanced.

Increased Tyre Noise

If your wheels are imbalanced, your tyres will make noise when moving. You notice a humming or roaring sound coming from your car tyres when driving at high speeds. This noise becomes louder as you increase the speed, this noise is caused due to the uneven tread tyre's contact with the road surface. 

What Are The Causes Of Wheel Imbalance?

There are different factors which contribute to the wheels going out of balance. Let’s discuss some of the most common causes of wheel imbalance:

Tyre Wear

The tyres can wear unevenly because of different factors such as misalignment, improper inflation or suspension problems. Over time the tread wears down unevenly, which can lead to an imbalance in the wheel assembly. 

Wheel Damage

If your wheels are constantly hit by potholes, curbs or other road hazards, soon it will damaged. A minor impact on the wheel such as a slight bend or distortion can result in an imbalance wheel. 

Wheel Weights

It is used when the wheel alignment process is going on to balance wheels by counteracting any heavy spots due to variations or other factors. If for some reason the wheel weight becomes loose or falls off, it can disrupt the balance of the wheel.

Suspension Components

The suspension system is important to maintain the proper wheel balance of your car. If you have worn-out or damaged suspension components such as struts, shocks or bushings, it can result in unbalanced wheels.

Brake Rotors

Unevenly worn brake rotors can also lead to wheel balance. When the brake rotors are not in good condition, it can result in vibrations and affect the balance of the wheels.

Conclusion

If you notice that your wheels are imbalanced based on the signs and symptoms we mentioned above, you need to check your wheels from a professional mechanic. Just like checking other car components is important, the car tyres is also important to check to maintain the safety and performance of your car.