What is tire balancing and why is it important to you?
When a tire is installed on a wheel rim, it is usually followed by a balancing process. Have you ever wondered why?
The purpose of the balancing is to eliminate any vibration which might be caused by any mis-match between a tire and the wheel.
First, you may wonder why there might even exist a mis-match
requiring tire balancing when you're buying new tires and possibly
installing them on new wheels or even used ones which are in
good condition.
Tire Balancing can correct vibration caused by as little as 1/4 ounce
To begin, it is important to realize that the amount of weight
difference which could cause vibration can be extremely small.
Most tire balancing machines today are set to detect and correct
vibration caused by as little as 1/4 ounce. Just 1/4 ounce ... that's
less than the weight of the pat of butter you put on your morning toast!
Why this tiny weight can be important is based on the principle that a
small force, repeated rapidly and frequently can cause serious damage to
almost anything.
Remember how just one tiny drop of water, dripping on a piece of solid
rock over hundreds of years can wear that rock forming fantastic shapes
and formations which we marvel at in nature.
Next take into account that 1/4 oz. (which is the minimum
a tire balancing machine corrects) is many times heavier than that tiny
drop of water which can wear away a mountain and you can start to
realize that this small weight imbalance can be important.
Now add to this, the knowledge that a car's wheel which is traveling at
60 mph is making approximately 4 revolutions every second, and every one
of those revolutions is producing a tiny shake which is passed on to
every part of the vehicle connected to it.
