The wheels on your car are designed to be balanced. If they aren’t, the vehicle will have a problem with handling and steering.

The road conditions you drive on are constantly changing, and with it, so do your tyres. Whether you’re a daredevil driver or enjoy a comfortable drive on a smooth highway, your tyres will likely wear unevenly and become unbalanced.

A properly balanced wheel will last longer, improve handling, increase fuel efficiency and reduce wear on other parts of your vehicle.

But how do I know if my tyres need to be balanced? How do wheels get out of balance? What are the symptoms?

In this article, we cover all these questions and more.

What is Wheel Balancing?

Wheel balancing, also known as tyre balancing, removes any unbalanced weight from a wheel and is often done with a wheel balancing machine. The machine then spins the wheel to see if it is balanced when rotating like it would on a vehicle. Your mechanic will then know where to place the weights, and how many to place, to ensure the wheel rotates evenly.

Wheel balancing is an essential part of car maintenance and should not be left to chance or the weather. When all areas of the wheel are balanced properly, the tyre will roll smoothly. This helps it wear evenly and last longer. Balancing also contributes to ride comfort: Imbalanced tires will wobble or hop up and down, which causes vibration.

A properly balanced wheel will also improve handling, increase fuel efficiency and reduce wear on other parts of your vehicle.

Imbalanced tires are easily corrected, but the work is precise and should be done by a professional.

How Do Wheels Get Out of Balance?

Tyres are by no means indestructible. In fact, like most vehicle parts they’re made expertly and fine tuned for optimum performance. Just half an ounce in weight difference is enough to cause a vibration when you’re driving. As such, there are a variety of ways in which they can get out of balance:

• The weather conditions: Cold air can cause tyre deflation due to how the air particles inside the tire contract and deflate. This changes how the tread’s rubber meets the road and if this becomes too extreme, the tyre can reduce to the point that it becomes unbalanced.
• The tyre is damaged: When driving at high speeds and hitting either a speed bump, a sidewalk curb, or a deep pothole, these bumps or holes can cause one or more steel tire belts to break. Consequently, you can quickly lose wheel weight, and your tyre becomes unbalanced.
• The wheel is worn unevenly due to driving conditions: Bumps and potholes can cause the tires to flex more than they would under usual driving conditions. This repeated flexing causes the tire treads to wear out faster than otherwise.
• Driving habits: Most wheels become unbalanced due to handling of the vehicle. For example, if the vehicle is often stopped short (abrupt braked), this can cause flat spots that contribute to weight loss in a small part of the tire.

If you have any questions about how your wheels may need to be adjusted, don't hesitate to get in touch with your local JAX store. We will gladly help you determine if your wheels need to be rebalanced.

What Are the Symptoms of Unbalanced Wheels?

Your vehicle is a well-oiled machine, but it becomes increasingly apparent when parts aren't working the way they should. Here are five symptoms of unbalanced tyres:

• Excessive Vibrations: Even the slightest change of weight on the tyre is enough to create a noticeable vibration, most obviously felt through the steering wheel. As the tyres become increasingly unbalanced, vibrations will increase across the vehicle's entire cabin.
• Steering Problems: All four tyres are needed to exert an even amount of force on the ground through a turn. The more unbalanced your tyre, the harder you'll fight to turn the vehicle.
• Worn Out Suspension and Steering Components: The shocks, springs and other components of your vehicle's steering are put under tremendous stress when the tyres aren't balanced.
• Decreased fuel economy: You may notice a slight drop in fuel consumption as your vehicle has to work harder.
• Tyre Wear: Perhaps the most obvious one, some of your tyres will wear with an unbalanced wheel faster than others.

The Jax BOS Wheel Balance System

Have you ever had a problem with a vibration in your car or through the steering wheel? At JAX Tyres & Auto we know how irritating this can be.

The JAX BOS Balance Optimisation Systems were designed to serve you better. These systems will ensure that you have the smoothest driving possible.

To achieve a smooth vibration free drive, the wheel must be centered and positioned on the balancer just as it will be centered and positioned on your vehicle.

To ensure this, the tyre and wheel are balanced to the machine using a Duo Expert Adaptor & flange plates.

Why have your wheels balanced using the JAX BOS System?

Standard Balance

Tyre and Wheel are mounted to the balancing machine using the rear cone and held by the front wing nut clamp.

Premium Balance

Wheel is centred and positioned on the balancer, as it would be on your vehicle, using a Duo Expert Adapter Et Flange plate to obtain a smooth vibration free drive.

Performance Balance

To achieve optimum performance, we first balance the wheel then match the tyre and wheel to be in their optimum positions. This minimises imbalance. The tyre and wheel unit is then balanced using the Duo Expert Adaptor a Flange plate, ensuring the best in terms of ride comfort and tyre wear.

The benefits offered by the JAX Balance Optimisation System are:

• Extended tyre life
• Improved Driver Comfort
• Less wear on steering and suspension components
• Enhanced vehicle safety
• Reduced driver fatigue  

How Do I Know If My Tyres Need to be Balanced?

So how does this all relate to your vehicle?

It's often apparent when your tyres become unbalanced, as your usually smooth ride starts to exhibit some uncomfortable abnormalities. As soon as you notice any of the following symptoms, see your friendly JAX mechanic get your wheels and tyres checked out and fixed:

• Your steering wheel or entire cabin starts to vibrate
• Uneven tyre wear
• Your consuming fuel faster than normal
• It's becoming increasingly harder to steer

Taking the time to regularly look at your wheels and see how they’re wearing is an excellent way to notice problems before they become more serious. We recommend you get them checked every 10,000 kms. If you are unsure of the requirements in any of these areas, check your vehicle manual or talk to your friendly local JAX's mechanic for recommendations.