Have you ever wondered just what is so important about tire balancing anyway? Autoworks has some answers for you, because this is a tire service that you really should not be skipping at all.
Older Tires Do Not Stay in Balance Over Time
As you drive, the balance on your car’s tires changes incrementally. You may have started out with a brand new set of tires that were perfectly balanced. But over time, they quickly end up out of balance. There’s a lot out there on the road that chews away at your car’s tires, and over time the tread wears way down.
And New Tires Don’t Start Out Balanced
If you think you can skip tire balancing with new tires, that’s not quite how it works, either. New tires aren’t perfectly balanced over time. As they get mounted on the wheels, that balance changes even further. Only balancing the new tires properly on the wheels ensures that the tires are ready to go.
Driving Affects Balance in the Tires
Your own driving habits also affect how well the tires stay in balance. If you have a habit of speeding or stopping short, that wears away tread only in certain spots. Where the tires experience tread wear minutely changes the balance constantly. Eventually, you have a situation in which the tires are more dramatically out of balance.
It’s All about How the Tires Handle
But what’s the big deal, really? Well, first of all, out of balance tires and wheels make for a tougher time for the tread on the tires. When the tread is wearing away too fast, that means you’re going to have to buy new tires a lot sooner than you expected. Tires that are out of balance also affect how the car handles, and may even impact things like how the steering system functions. Over time, seriously out of balance tires can cause damage to the suspension system, and that can cause even bigger problems.
Has it been a while since the last time you had your wheels balanced? Give us a call at Autoworks in Kittery, ME. We’ll be happy to make sure that all four of your car’s wheels are properly balanced. And if you need any other tire or wheel services, we’re always happy to handle those for you, too. Happy tires and wheels help to protect the car’s engine and might even save you in repair costs, too.