What are wheel balancing and wheel alignment?

Both wheel balancing and wheel alignment may sound similar but have different methodologies. Let’s get to know about them.

Balancing and alignment are the two most common words you must have heard at car repair centres. Both wheel balancing and wheel alignment contribute to delivering smooth ride quality, but the servicing is very different.

Where wheel balancing corrects the weight imbalance on the tyre and wheel assemblies, wheel alignment rectifies the tyre angles so that they can have proper contact with the road. Let’s dive deeper into this car practice and know more about both aspects of wheels.

Wheel Alignment

The wheel alignment simply refers to altering the geometry or adjusting the front and rear wheel suspensions. The wheel can get misaligned when your car hits a deep pothole on an imperfect road, or meets with an accident, or can even happen when you install new tyres. Wheel alignment is the process of correcting the faulty angles of the wheels so that the car steers correctly during driving. The appropriate wheel alignment extends the life of the tyres and prevents them from early wear.

Wheel alignment can be corrected using three methods - caster, toe, and camber alignment. If there is a minor problem, it can be diagnosed and resolved at home, serious issue would require professional expertise.

Wheel Balancing

Wheel balancing, on the other hand, is the process of setting the perfect balance between the tyre, and the rim for seamless mass distribution. If the wheels are imbalanced, the driver feels vibrations on the steering, and seats at a certain speed on the highway. This imperfection in the rim can throw the wheel out of balance. Without the right wheel balance, the tyres and wheels won’t spin correctly, leading to uneven tyre wear.

The problem can only be fixed by computerized equipment. The device will check the heavy spots on the tyre, and puts proper lead weight on the opposite side. Here also, you will need professional help.

How often you should get this checked?

As is the case with most car maintenance services, there is no definite answer to the question as to how often you should get an alignment or tyre balance checked. Several factors come into play, including how frequent is the drive, driving style, quality of the roads, and quality of tyres.

The best way is to check the manual and get the recommended levels set by the manufacturer. But, typically, wheel balancing is required more often than wheel alignment.