How to Balance Auto Tires
If you ever feel vibrations while driving down the street, your tires may need to be balanced. The wheel weights that are located on the rim of the tires are there to make sure the tires are balanced. This keeps the vehicle operating safely and keeps the tires from wearing out.
Materials Needed
- Screwdriver with a flat head
- Wheel balancer
- Remove the wheel weight from the tire. Use a screwdriver with a flat head to pry the weight from the tire rim. They are made now made with zinc since the lead ones were not safe for the environment. These weights will interfere with the balancing process if they are not removed.
- Take the tire and put it on the wheel balancer. Make sure the tire is centered and secured on the balancer.
- Spin the wheel on the wheel balancer. Spin the wheel slowly. Notice how the heaviest portion of the tire will go to the bottom of the wheel balancer while the lighter portions of the tire will go to the top as the tire spins.
- Take a piece of chalk and mark the area on the area where the lighter part of the tire has stopped. Spin the wheel again to make sure you have the spot correct.
- Locate the part of the tire that is just below the chalk mark. This is where you will place the adhesive side of the wheel weight.
- Rotate the tire so the weighted area is at a three o’clock position and let the tire go. If the tire goes clockwise, then there is too much weight. If the tire goes counterclockwise, then there is not enough weight.
- You will have to adjust the weight until the tire is balanced. Once the tires are balanced, put them back on the tires. Follow the process for all of the other tires.