Purchasing your vehicle is a great achievement in itself, taking into consideration the soaring prices of vehicles in the market. If you want to improve the life of your vehicle, you need to regularly service it. Not many of us give thought about tires unless of course, you land up with a punctured one.
Wheel Alignment and Balancing – Basic Differences
If you plan on servicing your vehicle, you need to look for credible repair companies. If you happen to be in Telluride, Colorado and your vehicle happens to breakdown, you can always rely on Telluride Tire & Auto to come to your rescue. If you are dealing with tire issues, you can rely on them to help you with installation, repairs, balancing, and rotation. Their skilled technicians can help identify the issues with your tires and help provide ideal solutions for the same.
If you think wheel alignment and balancing are the same, then you are wrong. Wheel alignment refers to aligning the vehicle suspension to the wheels by adjusting the tire angles so that they run parallel to the road. Wheel alignments consist of three major elements that need to be checked for the car to be properly aligned.
- Camber – This refers to the inward and outward angle of the tire viewed from the vehicle front
- Castor – This refers to the balancing of the steering, viewed from the side. This can either be positive, zero or negative
- Toe – This refers to the difference between the front and the back tires
Wheel balancing refers to correcting any imbalances in the wheel. The wheels are put on a balancing machine to determine the heavier part and then correct it by attaching lead weights.
Which Service to Go For – Balancing or Aligning?
If the issue pertains to wheel balancing, you need to check for the below signs in your wheels:
- When your vehicle vibrates too much
- Humming or buzzing noise from your vehicle accompanied by vibrations
- Your tires are old and worn out
- If you feel that your tires are losing pressures
If the issue is regarding alignment issues, you need to check for:
- The steering wheel becomes crooked when you are driving straight
- Noise from the steering wheel
- Uneven tires
- Tire squealing
- Pulling to the right
Conclusion
If you notice that your vehicle is not functioning properly, you need to get it checked by a technician. Proper balancing and alignment of tires ensure that your vehicle is running smoothly.