Wheel balancing and Wheel Alignment are two different but very vital part for any car. On the basic level, wheel balancing ensures that the car is driven smooth on the road. But do you know when you need to visit a wheel alignment center?
What Is Wheel Balancing?
Modern tyres are made with immense precision to make them last longer. Still, all the effort put by the manufacturer, tyres can have a weight imbalance which is removed by visiting a balancing shop. The weight imbalance is removed by placing the wheel on a machine. The machine then spins the wheel which eventually shifts the weight imbalance towards the outer side. After that, pressure is applied on the opposite side where the weight lies in order to remove the imbalance. This whole process will make your car drive smooth and remove the bounciness.
What is Wheel Alignment?
Wheel Alignment is a process that helps bring the car suspension in an optimal position which can significantly reduce uneven tyre wear. The car is attached to a wheel alignment machine and lifted up. The machine with the help of a computer makes precise calculations, this way the car wheels are made truly perpendicular to the ground while keeping them parallel to each other. During the process, the wheels and axle of the car are moved in one direction while the mechanic gets busy adjusting different angles of the suspension. The mechanic also makes sure that the steering wheel is also centered to avoid miss-alignment.
When You Need Balancing?
In most cases, you can detect wheel imbalance while driving a car. Mostly at high speeds you can feel the steering wheel vibrating or the other tyres bouncing. This is enough to remind you to visit the wheel balancing center as soon as possible.
There is no fixed time to get the wheels balanced. Depending on the driving conditions you may need to get the wheel balancing as often as once a month. Avoid hitting pot holes and respect your car’s load capacity. These are two basic things you can do to minimize your visits to wheel balancing center.
Keep in mind that wheel imbalance can cause uneven wear to the tyres, shaky and a bouncy ride will eventually hurt the suspension and cost you money. Each wheel balance can cost you around 500 rupees but can save you a lot of headaches later on.
When You Need Alignment?
You may be wondering that why and when you need a wheel alignment. First of all, wheels can get miss-aligned due to many reasons such as:
- Road accident
- Hitting pot holes
- Height Modifications
- Worn-out Suspension Components
Here are some symptoms:
- Uneven or rapid tyre wear
- Steering wheel not returning back easily
- Screeching Noises coming from tyres
- Car drifting towards one side
These are clear indications that your car wheels need an alignment. If for some unforeseen reasons, you decide to ignore these symptoms then chances are that your car’s performance will be greatly compromised, more fuel will be consumed, tyre wear will accelerate forcing you to spend more money. If that is not enough then consider the fact that tyre wear can put you and your loved ones in a risk due to chances of a trye blowout.
