Round and Round (Wheel Balancing)
May 7, 2023
In a perfect world, all wheels and tires would be perfectly round and weigh exactly the same at every point of the wheel. Unfortunately, they're not, and if they're out of balance, they can reduce the lifespan of your tires, make your vehicle shake like a carnival ride, and maybe even damage a few suspension parts along the way. You don't want that!
Wheel balancing, sometimes known as tire balancing, is a process by which a technician makes sure your tire/wheel assembly has evenly distributed weight. If it isn't, it can give your ride bad vibrations. If you feel your vehicle's steering wheel shaking, it can mean unbalanced wheels in the front. If you can feel a vibration in your seats, it could be unbalanced rear wheels.
In addition to your vehicle vibrating at higher speeds, there are other signs that your wheels are out of balance. You may see uneven tread wear, or you may notice you aren't getting the kind of fuel economy you used to.
When you experience these problems, bring your vehicle in, and we can put your wheels on a machine designed to detect any imbalance. The technician will start your wheels spinning, and a computer will determine how much weight is needed where. Then, the technician can add small weights on the inside or outside of your wheel rim to precisely balance out the uneven weight. When the wheel is balanced correctly, it will spin evenly and smoothly.
Sometimes your vehicle will hit a pothole or object in the road that dislodges one of those weights, which can throw that wheel out of balance again. If so, you'll have to bring it in to have that corrected
Some drivers confuse wheel balancing with wheel alignment. Alignment is making sure the wheels are perpendicular to the road and parallel with each other. Sometimes your vehicle will need both balancing and alignment done at the same time.
No vibrations are good vibrations when it comes to your wheels. Bring your vehicle to us, and we'll perform a balancing act to keep your vehicle riding smoothly down the road.
South Side Garage
9117 S WALKER AVE
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma 73139
405-308-1514
http://www.thesouthsidegarage.com
More articles from Southside Garage

Fuel Saving Tip: Fuel System Cleaning Near OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma
September 24, 2023
A lot of fuel is wasted in the OKLAHOMA CITY area by dirty fuel delivery systems in vehicles.Let's start at the tank. The gas tank gathers dirt, rust and sediment over the years. That's why there's a fuel filter to clean the fuel after it leaves the tank. A dirty filter will rob the engine of the... More

Keeping Your Cool (Water Pump Replacement)
September 17, 2023
No matter what the temperature is outside, it's important for your vehicle's engine to remain cool, calm, and collected. Well, cool, anyway. If your vehicle has a gasoline engine, it's powered by a bunch of explosions involving spark plugs, pistons, gasoline, and air. And the by-product of all ... More

Refresh Your Brakes (Brake Fluid Exchange)
September 10, 2023
Brakes are one of your vehicle's most important safety components, and you may have noticed that they don't stop as surely as they used to. Maybe it takes you applying a little more pressure to them than before, or perhaps you get the feeling that they're not stopping you as quickly. Those could... More