Shake It Up in Bryan College Station!: Why Wheel Balancing
Our vehicles are not massage chairs. While we may enjoy a good vibration in an overstuffed recliner, us Bryan College Station auto owners generally want as smooth a ride as possible in our vehicles. One way to achieve this is to keep a vehicle’s wheels in balance.
When a tire is mounted onto a wheel, it is usually out of balance. This means that as the wheel spins, there is a slight wobble to the path of the tire. For best handling performance and safety on the road, Bryan College Station auto owners want to minimize this wobble as much as possible. So we balance our tires. To balance a tire, your honest and friendly Superior Auto Service service professional spins it on a machine or drum to determine where it is off-balance. He then attaches weights that counter-balance the uneven weight. Most Bryan College Station motorists are surprised at how much balancing improves the smoothness of their ride.
High-quality tires generally hold their balance well. But over time, wear and tear take their toll and tires can become unbalanced. Bryan College Station car owners can tell when a front tire is unbalanced if they feel a vibration in the steering wheel. If a back tire is unbalanced, you’ll feel a vibration in your seat. You may not notice these vibrations until they get fairly serious — or until someone else drives your car or SUV — because they usually develop slowly. If a vibration starts abruptly, it usually means you’ve lost a balancing weight.
The average tire rotates at about 850 revolutions per minute at 60 mph. When a tire is out of balance, it actually hops down the expressway, rather than rolling. So at 60 mph it is slamming into the pavement 14 times a second. That’s what creates the dangerous vibration. When Bryan College Station auto owners’ tires are out of balance, they wear out more quickly. The lack of balance also causes extra wear on shocks, struts, steering components and important suspension parts.
Getting a balance job at Superior Auto Service in Bryan College Station can prevent pricey repair bills and even an accident. It will improve the safety of your car or SUV as well as its handling performance, and it will improve your gas mileage. When you change your rims or get a flat repaired at Superior Auto Service, you’ll need to get your tires balanced as well. When you rotate your tires, you may want to have them balanced as well.
Some Bryan College Station vehicle owners, however, only balance their wheels every other rotation. You can check your owner’s manual to see what the recommends for your car or SUV. Balancing your tires is part of important preventive maintenance. It keeps your vehicle in good repair and prevents damage to many of its components, including some pricey ones. So practice good car care and make it a point to keep your tires balanced. It’s quality auto advice from Superior Auto Service. Massages chairs may vibrate away our worries, but unbalanced tires will just rattle Bryan College Station auto owners’ nerves.