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Many people ask what’s the difference between wheel alignment, balancing and tracking. That’s why we have put together this handy guide so you can understand exactly how our mechanics make your vehicle safer and help it to last longer. Next time you drive away after a car service, you’ll know exactly why its handling feels so good. It’s down to our excellent wheel alignment and balancing services.
What is wheel alignment?
Wheel alignment refers to the position of each tyre in relation to the road and wheel rim. Each one needs to be set according to the manufacturer’s specification to achieve the best miles per gallon, ideal wear pattern and least road noise and vibration.
How do I know that my tyres are out of alignment?
If your vehicle is starting to drift to one side, chances are your tyres are misaligned. You may notice other niggling handling issues while driving, such as your steering wheel wanting to pull to the left or right. If you notice your tyres wearing unevenly or unsteady braking, this can also be a warning sign that the tyres are out of alignment.
How do wheels become misaligned?
Driving over potholes and up kerbs are the primary reasons for tyre misalignment. You can easily alter your driving habits to minimise the effect of potholes and, to be absolutely sure your car is safe to drive, have the wheel alignment checked at least once a year.
What does the process of tyre alignment entail?
Using purpose-built machinery, a reputable auto centre will use various rigs and laser sights to make sure that your tyres are aligned properly. The lasers will give the technician a readout that indicates the alignment of the tyres and they will be adjusted from there if necessary to have everything running straight and true.
What is wheel tracking?
Tracking is simply another term used to describe the same symptom and process outlined above. Alignment and tracking are therefore synonymous terms and can be used interchangeably.
What is wheel balancing?
Wheel balancing considers how the weight of the vehicle is distributed around the wheel. This is to check whether it rotates evenly while the vehicle is in motion. If an imbalance is found towards one side of the wheel, balancing weights are added to the rim to correct the imbalance.
How do I know if my tyres are out of balance?
A typical symptom of unbalanced tyres is vibration through the steering wheel, or in serious cases the entire car. Extreme cases can occur at a particularly high speed and are often attributed to wheels being out of balance. Of course, this makes for uncomfortable driving, but it also causes your tyres, suspension and steering to wear prematurely. It’s therefore worth getting checked annually.
How do wheels become unbalanced?
Like the issues with misaligned wheels, unbalanced tyres are caused by hitting kerbs and potholes, resulting in uneven tyre wear and imbalances.
How do you balance a tyre?
Each wheel is removed and mounted onto another specialist machine. This machine rotates the wheel and is capable of calculating any imbalances. Detecting uneven distributions of rotating mass in specific spots on the wheel will enable the machine to tell the technician exactly what kind of weight needs to be added to the wheel and where.