Wheel balancing and wheel alignment are usually considered as the one and same service although this is a serious misconception. The two practices are completely different from each other and play different roles in maintaining your tyres for a longer period of time. Both these practices are crucial when proper maintenance of vehicles is concerned. Wheel balance ensures all the tyres in a vehicle are rotating evenly whereas wheel alignment focuses on the position of the wheel with respect to the road as well as with each other.

More about wheel balancing

While driving you may have experienced an unusual vibration coming through the steering wheel. In fact this vibration is felt more clearly while driving at higher speeds. This is a typical sign that says it is about time for the vehicle to have a wheel balance test.

• The weight distance changes with time in every vehicle. This is a normal phenomenon and this happens mostly as a result of tread wear. This makes the tyres of the vehicle imbalance and thus the vehicle shakes especially while driving at higher speeds. This vibration is pretty uncomfortable for drivers. Wheel balance removes imbalance from the tyres and makes sure the tyres rotate evenly as those should.
• Automobile technicians rely on a calibrated wheel spin balancer to perform wheel balancing of any vehicle. A technician in London who usually quotes reasonable cost for wheel balancing explains the device tests both static and moving wheel balance of a vehicle in question. The test is carried out by adding small weights around the rim of a wheel. These tiny weights are meant to counterweight inconsistencies and this is how balance of the wheel tested is improved.
• When the wheels of a vehicle are imbalanced the tyres wear out pretty faster and the steering suffers damage too. If you keep driving your vehicle with imbalanced wheels for a lengthy period of time then that may affect its long term health.
• Wheel balancing is something that should not be left pending. As soon as you feel vibrations through the steering wheel you must have the wheel balance of your vehicle tested.
• To ensure optimal performance of a vehicle and safety ideally balancing of the wheels should be done every 6 to 8 months.

Wheel alignment – what exactly it is

Every responsible driver should have the wheel alignment of his or her vehicle checked annually. When the wheel alignment of a vehicle needs to be checked few typical symptoms show up, like the vehicle pulling to one side especially while driving at higher speeds and uneven wearing of tyres, etc.

• Wheel alignment is all about checking the direction of the wheels of a vehicle. The practice is designed to make sure the wheels stay parallel to one another so that the vehicle can keep moving in a straight line.
• If your car develops wheel alignment issue then you will experience faster and uneven wearing of tyres. Even fuel efficiency of the vehicle will go abruptly down and the braking system will not seem to be very effective either.
• Wheel balancing requires high tech equipments to make the necessary corrections. The procedure involves trained and skilled automobile technicians adjusting the angles of the tyres.
• Almost every vehicle requires calibration of their wheel alignment on regular basis and this includes not only private cars, trucks and buses but also agricultural vehicles and vans.
• When you take your vehicle for wheel alignment calibration technicians check the condition of its tyres for signs of wearing and damage. They also inspect the three typical components of measuring wheel orientation namely the toe, camber and the castor explains a tyre technician in London who possesses years of experience in providing high speed wheel balancing over the years.

When your car needs wheel balancing

If your steering wheel is vibrating more that it should then that could be a sign that your car or vehicle needs wheel balancing calibration. Make sure that the vehicle gets a proper check up and the wheels are balanced properly. Unusual vibration from the steering wheel often indicates the front wheels of a vehicle are unbalanced. On the other hand if the floor or the seats of a vehicle vibrate when you drive at higher speeds then that indicate perhaps the rear wheels are unbalanced. It is a good practice to get the tyres of your vehicle balanced time and again every 5,000 to 6,000 miles of driving.

When your car needs wheel alignment

At times especially while driving at higher speeds you may experience your vehicle is drifting more either to the right or the left of the road even when the steering wheel is in straight position. If you experience this issue then it is better to check the wheel alignment of your vehicle without any delay. Misalignment of the wheels is never good for any vehicle. It leads to higher fuel consumption along with placing unnecessary stress on the suspension of the vehicle. At the time of getting new tyres ask them to get the tyres aligned. In the opinion of tyre mechanics in London who quote reasonable wheel balancing cost correctly aligned tyres ensure safe and smooth drive.

Benefits of wheel alignment and wheel balancing

Wheel balancing and wheel alignment must be carried out at regular intervals on a vehicle. These practices offer a lot of benefits in the long run like the following –

• Both wheel alignment and wheel balancing ensure safe drive and safe ride
• The practices enable you to handle the vehicle better
• You enjoy smooth and comfortable ride
• Higher fuel efficiency
• Extended life of the tyres
• The suspension and other parts of your vehicle do not come under necessary stress

Now let us explore the standard price of these two services; the standard price of wheel balancing in the UK ranges from £5 to £10 per wheel although the price may vary depending on few factors at 24hr Mobile Tyre Repair London. The factors include the type of vehicle you have and how old the wheels are.