Wheel Balancing

Out-of-balance wheels will cause a car to vibrate at speeds usually between 50 and 70 mph. When one section of the wheel is heavier than the others by even one ounce a noticeable vibration occurs in the steering wheel at about 60 mph. To correct this we would mount the wheel on a balancing machine which spins it to locate the heavier part. He will then compensate for the heavy part by attaching a lead weight on the opposite side. Many people are pleasantly surprised at how smooth their car drives  after balancing all four wheels.

Most high quality tires will hold their balance fairly well and go out of balance  very gradually. If you notice a vibration that wasn’t there the day before, it is most likely that one of the lead balancing weights fell off. If you feel the vibration mostly in the steering wheel, the problem is probably one of the front wheels. Problems in the rear wheels will likely lead to vibration in the seat.

Occasionally some wheel nuts are as much as 1.5 ounces heavier than the others which translates to about 0.5 ounce at the wheel rim and may lead to some vibration. Ask our staff if you have an questions about wheel balancing and how it affects your driving experience.