Have you thought about having your tires balanced?

Today’s tires are the product of decades of work. Generations of scientists, designers and engineers have worked to perfect the automobile tire. However, even the best of tires, after a long period of use, will eventually deform. How to cure it? By balancing the tires! Let’s look at this together.

What good is tire balancing?

A well-balanced tire is like a comfortable shoe. The balanced sole, conforming to the shape of the foot, allows you to keep your weight and move where you want, comfortably. Tire balancing is based on the same principle.

As you drive, the wear on your tires changes the shape of the tread and alters the distribution of weight across the tire and wheel. By balancing the tires, you will be able to reduce the wear of your tires, maintain good handling and reduce the vibration that can be felt when rolling. Tires that are not balanced regularly (during an oil change or a tire rotation, for example) can result in vibration of the steering wheel and/or seat, in addition to exerting poorly distributed pressure on certain parts, which could lead to mechanical deficiencies later.

How do we balance?

It is always best to entrust the balancing of your tires to a professional mechanic. The process is usually done when replacing a tire, when a balancing weight has shifted, or when you get new tires. Balancing itself is not very complicated. The mechanic will demount the tire and then install it on a wheel balancer to determine the location of the heaviest (most deformed) areas of the tire. Balancing weights are then deposited on the outside or inside to combat the centrifugal forces that deform the tire horizontally or vertically.