The Difference between Tire Balance and Tire Alignment
There is a distinct difference betweenbalancing of vehicle wheels and the alignment of wheels. Both balance and alignment are vital to the safe operation of the vehicle and both will save the vehicle tyre wear. Steering is vital to the safe operation of the vehicle and should be attended to immediately a fault becomes apparent. Both out of balance wheels and misalignment have their distinct symptoms.
Wheel balancing
A balanced wheel will revolve straight and true. If there is any vibration in the wheel this will be transmitted to the vehicle’s steering. If a wheel is in need of balancing what the driver will notice is a wobble in the steering at certain speeds and not others. An out of balance wheel will cause premature tyre wear. It will also make the vehicle harder to control.
Normally when the vehicle owner buys new tyres he is asked if he wants the wheels balanced at the same time. One should always agree to have the wheel balanced. The mechanic places the wheel with its new tyre on a machine and a lazar light will reveal where the wheel is out of balance. The mechanic will attach a small piece of lead on the wheel rim, in the spot revealed by the lazar light, making the wheel run smooth and true. One may have noticed small pieces of lead on the rim of the vehicles wheels when checking tyre pressures. However, on alloy wheel the lead pieces are normally on the inside of the wheel where they are not visible.
Alignment
Alignment is the position of the two front wheels in relation to each other. The wheels need to be straight and true when observing from the front. They should not be toed inward or outward. This however, is an expert job and not something the average driver can see for himself.
If the wheels are out of alignment the car will pull to one side or the other and the steering will be erratic. There will also be rapid tyre wear usually noticeable on one edge of the tyre’s tread. Again the mechanic has a special measuring tool to detect if the alignment needs adjusting. It is a quick and inexpensive job that just requires tightening or loosening of bolts on the tracking rod. A vehicle that is badly out of alignment is dangerous to drive and may fail annual safety tests. As stated above it will also cause premature wearing of tyres.
