Do you remember when you last took your vehicle in to get a new set of tyres? As you waited patiently in the lobby, you may have seen the technician placing each wheel and tyre combination on a special machine, although you may not have paid too much attention to what he or she was doing. As it turns out, this machine is critical in helping you to achieve both comfortable and efficient motoring and is not simply a "one-off" procedure, either. If it's been some time since you bought new tyres, why should you make a return trip to the tyre dealer as soon as possible?

The Balancing Process

The machine in question helps to "balance" the wheel and tyre combination before it is fitted to the vehicle. This gadget rotates at high speed and measures whether there are any inconsistencies in the marriage of the wheel and tyre together. Every wheel is different and every tyre is also different and it's highly unlikely that they will be naturally in balance when they are fitted. Consequently, this machine finds exactly where the imbalance occurs and the technician will then add a special weight to the wheel rim in that location.

Once this process has been completed successfully, all the wheels and tyres are fitted on the car and you can drive away, knowing that the vehicle will be moving down the road efficiently.

Issues Arise over Time

However, as time goes by you can expect problems to arise due to the inconsistency of the typical road surface and (unfortunately) poor driving technique. All of this will gradually create an imbalance in the combination again and this needs to be rectified or it could lead to additional issues. For example, a tyre that is out of balance on its rim will start to wear in strange places and inconsistently. As the car will now be tracking down the road in a less than perfect fashion, the engine will have to work harder to get you to your destination and this will affect the efficiency of your fuel consumption, costing you more at the pump.

How Do You Notice a Problem?

You can tell if something is amiss as you will experience a strange vibration at a certain speed. Usually this will get better if you accelerate or decelerate from that specific speed, but it is a tell-tale indication of a balancing issue. You may also feel this vibration through the steering wheel if the issue is at the front, or through the foundation of the seat itself if the issue is at the rear.

Taking Action

Make sure that you take your car in to get the tyres rebalanced as soon as possible, if you notice any of these issues. For more information, contact a local car service.

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