Are you familiar with the art of tire balancing? It has an impact on vehicle performance and safety. Proper balancing enhances the driving experience with Sailun tires. It’s one thing to purchase quality tires. It’s another to take good care of them so they last as long as they can.

What is tire balancing?

Balancing tires is a common maintenance practice. But is it really that important? Can you do it yourself? In theory, you can if you have the right equipment. Ideally, you leave it to an auto body shop with the skills, tools, and expertise to do it properly.

Tire balancing uses weights to ensure the wheels are vertically and laterally balanced. The key is to have each wheel and its tire level with one another, taking the same amount of pressure while on the road.

First, the tires and wheels are placed on a balancing machine. Second, the machine spins the wheels and measures their vibrations. These results tell mechanics if the weight is equally distributed. To address the differences between the tires, weight can be added to or removed from the rim, or the tire can be removed and reinstalled in a different position.

While driving, if you experience vibration or shaking, usually at higher speeds, it’s likely the tires need to be balanced. Other indications can be a pull to one side when steering and suspension problems.

The benefits of quality tire balancing

1. Avoid uneven wear. This applies to more than just the tire. Yes, improperly balanced tires will put added pressure on one tire over another and cause them to wear out at different rates. However, the imbalance will start to affect the rest of the vehicle as well, such as steering, the suspension, the vehicle’s frame, the breaks, and more.

2. Increase stability while driving. Without the vibrations and pull while steering, properly balanced tires increase stability (and safety) while driving. The wheels will meet the road with the same amount of force and ensure they provide the intended amount of traction.

3. Better fuel efficiency. As with many factors in vehicle maintenance, tire balancing improves fuel efficiency by allowing the vehicle to drive without extra effort. With everything aligned, the tires work as a set to move the vehicle.

How to balance your tires

There are a few ways to do this in an auto body shop but you can do it at home if necessary.

At home: static balancing

The at-home version of tire balancing won’t be as accurate or as easy as sending the vehicle to a mechanic. The at-home version of tire balancing uses a post that holds the wheel up and a bubble within the circle of the wheel to show any imbalances. These are the steps to accomplish static balancing.

1. Take the wheels off the vehicle.
2. Take out any weights already in the wheel so you can start fresh.
3. Ensure the wheel isn’t dealing with anything that would affect the balancing, such as punctures, debris, or bulges.
4. The balancing post will come with instructions to follow. Do so on a level, solid floor. If the floor isn’t level, the balancing post will have screws to use to calibrate it.
5. Ensure the bubble is perfectly centered within the circle before placing the wheel.
6. Place the wheel onto the balancing post. Once it’s still, check if the bubble inside is off-center.
7. Use weights on the side closest to the bubble to pull it away from the center. Work with the weights until the bubble is as centered as possible.
8. Follow the directions that the weights came with, such as hammering them onto the wheel lip or sticking them on with adhesive.

In-shop: Road force balancing

Road force balancing is the most accurate option. This process uses high-tech machinery that resembles a large roller to press against the tires as it spins, mimicking the force of the road. While it spins against the tires, it detects imbalances as well as unhealthy treadwear.

In-shop: Dynamic balancing

This process mounts the wheels on a machine that spins them at high speeds. It will detect imbalances, including how severe they are. This method isn’t as accurate at road force balancing, but it’s still a tried-and-true method that pinpoints imbalances so a mechanic can adjust the wheel weights.

Sailun for quality tires and increased safety

Performance tires only do well when they’re maintained (rotated, balanced, inspected), purchased from a reputable brand, and affixed to the right rims. Get your pick of quality tires at Sailun to boost your safety on the road and make drives to the store and cross-country equally enjoyable. Check out our tire lineup here.