Imbalance is one of the situations many people don’t want to encounter while driving because it will make them have a bad driving experience. So, how to tell which tire is out of balance?
In fact, many ways will help you realize this situation, such as:
- The car will shake very vigorously
- Rapidly running out of fuel
- The vibration of the steering wheel
The following article will guide you in detailed information. Let’s follow along!
Unbalanced Tires Symptoms
One of the first signs that your new wheels are out of balance is that the car will shake very vigorously, especially when traveling at high speed. If not adjusted in time, these unbalanced wheels can affect you and even cause an accident.
Rapidly running out of fuel is the second sign of an unbalanced one. You will notice a sudden drop in energy as the engine has to try to use more power to move the vehicle.
In addition, you may also hear humming or hissing noises, and their levels will increase as the speed increases. It will reduce your driving experience.
Besides, if you notice that the car is tilted or the wheels are worn a lot, you should quickly bring the vehicle to the shop and have it repaired.
Finally, the sign that they are out of balance is due to the vibration of the steering wheel. The steering wheel is the part that needs stability to control the vehicle. If an imbalance affects the steering wheel, you will notice a slight vibration.
Causes Of Unbalanced Tires
Why does imbalance happen? There are many causes of this problem. It can be internal factors, or it can also be external influences.
Internal factors such as the car’s suspension system, due to uneven weight distribution on all four tires, cause this imbalance.
However, most of the causes of loss of balance will be due to the way the vehicle is controlled. Several bad driver habits can contribute to severe tire wear. Their constant stopping may reduce the weight of a part of the tire that also causes this imbalance.
In addition, due to driving techniques or the terrain of the road, many potholes can also cause your rims to fall off, losing balance.
Weather is also one of the reasons why your car is out of balance. When it’s cold weather, sudden low temperatures can cause the tires to be under-inflated and reduce the elasticity of the wheels when in contact with the road surface.
Conversely, if you inflate your car too much, you will also cause the tires to wear abnormally and make them unbalanced.
How To Help Balance Tires?
After knowing the causes and signs of an unbalanced one, the next thing you need to do is to fix it.
The first step you need to take is to double-check to see what is causing the imbalance. You should put the car on a flat surface and observe which side it tilts. For more convenience, if you want to perform other tasks such as wheel alignment, you can use a 4-post car lift.
Once you know which side it leans on, it’s up to you to start addressing it.
If these are simple errors, you can completely do the repairs yourself at home. For example, the cause of unbalance is a flat wheel.
You will only need to re-inflate to the tire’s recommended limit. Because as mentioned above, over-inflated tires can cause wear to happen faster.
For more tips to handle it at home, check out this video below!
But if your car needs to be realigned, you should ask a professional to handle it for you because they will require quite complicated operations.
If your rim has come off due to an impact, you should have it reattached or replaced by a technician. You can go to professional car repair shops or the place where you bought your car for a warranty.
Why Balance Tires?
Ominous signs can occur if your vehicle is not balanced with tires. On the contrary, if your tires are balanced, you will have a very smooth ride without discomfort or any problems at all.
In fact, the problem of wear is something you will never avoid when moving. Therefore, experts recommend regularly rotating the wheel to limit this. The uneven wear of the tires also leads to a difference in weight across the circumference of the tire.
If regularly balanced tires are combined with a consistent tire rotation process, they will last longer. So, you should prevent an unbalanced tire from happening instead of spending a lot of money on replacing it.
FAQs
Can you drive with your tires out of balance?
In fact, you can still drive when the wheels are out of balance, but it will be pretty complex and annoying for you when the noise is emitted, or the car shakes. However, if this condition persists, it can seriously affect your driving and even cause an accident.
Will unbalanced tires fix themselves?
As we’ve already mentioned, if you don’t fix your tire imbalance, you’ll run into problems and possibly endanger yourself. Unbalanced tires will not correct themselves if you do not intervene in them. Do not prolong this situation if you do not want to spend a large amount of money to fix it.
Why do my tires keep getting unbalanced?
Tire wear is something you won’t be able to avoid. If you do not regularly check and adjust it, it is straightforward for your car to lose balance. Add to that your driving habits that can also cause imbalance. The road, if there are many potholes, will also cause this problem.
Conclusion
This article has helped you answer the question: “How to tell which tire is out of balance?” Many reasons can lead to this situation, but if you focus on observing closely and fixing it in time, you will save a lot of money.
Thank you for taking the time to read the article!
I would recommend checking the tire pressure before you go out and buying a new one if it’s low.