Identifying and solving tire balancing problems

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Whether you’re an amateur or an expert, car tires can give you headaches.

At some point, every driver faces an issue with their tires. As an automotive service professional, you’ve probably seen your share of tire issues roll into the shop.

But with a little maintenance, you can help your customers extend the lifespan of their wheels. Early-stage tire inspection is more than enough to keep the health of your customers’ tires strong for a long time.

The best place to start? By identifying and solving the tire balancing issues.

First, why do tires show balancing issues? There can be a number of reasons for tire balancing problems such as old tires, tire wear, bent rims, and so on. If a customer suspects their tires are out of balance, look out for these symptoms:

• Vibrating steering wheel, floorboard, or seat
• Worn-out tires or uneven tread wear on one side
• Hard handling
• Decreased fuel economy
• The car gets pulled onto one side
• Grunting or rattling noises

Now let’s talk about the reasons for tire balancing issues.

Tires Imbalance due to internal components

If the tires are not the right size from the start, then it’s obvious enough that they won’t be balanced well.

Sometimes, choosing the right automotive tires can solve all of your customers’ worries about uneven wear and tire and other balancing issues. But that still doesn’t guarantee that your tires will be smooth forever.

Furthermore, tires can fall victim to improper or uneven weight distribution. If the tires have different amounts of weight, then they will become unstable.

Tires can also go out of balance from constant damage received. If a customer’s normal commute requires them to go through unkempt roads, then their tires will get damaged easily, consequently resulting in an improperly balanced tire.

Imbalanced tires due to external issues

There can be numerous external factors such as bad driving mechanisms, improper installation or uneven tire pressure. A driver may not even realize that their tires are badly inflated until something happens to them.

Moreover, camber wear and old tires also fall under the external issues that can cause tire balance to go off the charts.

How to solve tire balancing problems?

There can be a number of ways to troubleshoot tire balancing problems. Starting with the very basic tire rotation process up to the full tire replacement process.

Step-by-step troubleshooting can lead you to solving a customer’s tire balancing issues

Tire Rotation: The process of tire rotation is very simple yet needs proper caution. The rotation process mostly depends on what kind of tires and cars you’re using. The uniform and one-directional cars usually get more benefits with  X-pattern and forward cross rotation patterns.

However, for high-performance and directional tires, it’s best to stick with side-to-side and front-to-back rotation patterns.

Tire rotation not only can keep your tires safe from excessive wear and tear but also provide a smooth and jerk-free riding experience.

Proper tire inflation: It’s really a no-brainer that many car users tend to forget that it’s equally important for your tires to be inflated properly. If your client isn’t checking tire pressure, then you can be sure they’re wearing out their tires sooner than they think.

First of all, check the car’s manual to understand what the ideal tire pressure should be. If your customer will doing this themselves, remind them to make sure they keep their tires cool and steady before they start to inflate them.

Always be cautious not to overfill the tires with too much air pressure. After you add air to the tires, check the conditions of the tires thoroughly.

Tire replacement and tread depth adjustment: Oftentimes, it’s just old wear and tear that becomes the reason for tire balance to go off the rails. In such instances, there is only one thing that to recommend: Change the tires completely. To assess whether you need to recommend a full tire replacement, check the tread depth first.

Use a tire tread depth gauge to measure the depth more accurately — record the data to show the customer. While you are inspecting it, check for unevenness, which can also be the cause of uneven treadwear.

If you notice such issues, then it’s best to recommend the customer replace the tires as soon as possible.

Tire maintenance

Here are several tips you can share with your clients about tire maintenance to ensure long-lasting health:

• Regularly check tire pressure and maintain the recommended levels.
• Rotate your tires regularly to ensure even wear.
• Avoid hitting curbs or potholes that can throw off tire balance.
• Ensure proper wheel alignment to prevent uneven tire wear.
• Avoid excessive speeding or aggressive driving that can affect tire balance.
• Use a tire balancer or seek professional help to balance tires if needed.
• Replace worn or damaged tires promptly.
• Avoid overloading the vehicle beyond its recommended capacity.
• Inspect and replace damaged or missing wheel weights.
• Be mindful of tire maintenance and check for any signs of imbalance regularly.

Abdullah Anas is a veteran of everything related to tires and works professionally with tires