Not only the comfort of the driver and passengers depends on the condition of the wheels of the car, but also their safety, as well as the serviceability of other components and mechanisms of the car. In addition, it significantly affects fuel consumption.
One of the types of maintenance of the car chassis is wheel balancing. Why this procedure is needed, how it is performed and with what frequency, we will tell in this article. We will also consider the possibility of its implementation on its own in a garage.
Wheel balancing: what you need
Several thousand years have passed since the invention of the wheel, but even today, in the age of high technology, it is not possible to make it ideal. In addition, in the process of movement, it is constantly affected by many factors leading to mechanical deformation.
This applies to both drive and tire. The slightest flaws associated with the uneven distribution of their mass around the circumference, lead to an imbalance. This, in turn, leads to vibration, which destructively acts on the wheel bearing and other elements of the chassis.
But is wheel balancing necessary if the car is reliable enough? Here is a simple example: at a speed of 100 km / h and an imbalance of 15-20 g on a 14-inch wheel, the load on the disk will be similar to hitting it with a three-kilogram hammer with a frequency of 800 times per minute. Now imagine that this way you will travel 100 kilometers. What do you think will happen to the chassis of your most reliable car?
In order to prevent such situations, the wheels are balanced. What is it for, we figured it out. Now consider what imbalance is and what kinds of it are.
The concept of imbalance and its types
An imbalance is a violation of the normal balance of the wheel caused by tire wear or deformation of the rim. There are two types of this phenomenon: static and dynamic.
In the first case, the axis of rotation assumes a parallel position with respect to the axis of inertia, displacing the center of gravity in a certain direction. Visually, a static imbalance can be determined by lifting one side of the car, spinning a freely rotating wheel and observing it. Before stopping spinning, it will make several pendulum movements in different directions and stop when its center of gravity is at its lowest point. Such symptoms are not critical for a car, but are fraught with uneven tire wear and increased fuel consumption. Whether it is necessary to balance the wheels in this case, of course, is up to you to decide, but over time, a static imbalance can develop into a dynamic one, and then it will not do with fuel and rubber alone.
Dynamic imbalance is characterized by the intersection of the axes of rotation and inertia. In other words, the weight of the wheel is distributed unevenly not in height but in width. In this case, vibration leads to the fact that the wheel begins to "write out" the figure eight. Dynamic imbalance is also determined visually, but correcting it is much more difficult than static.
What is dangerous imbalance
Imbalance in the wheel very often causes:
- uneven and accelerated tire wear;
- destruction of the wheel bearing;
- rapid wear of suspension elements;
- decrease in management efficiency;
- reduce comfort.
What is the essence of balancing
The essence of balancing is to maximally distribute the mass of all the constituent elements of the wheel relative to its axis of rotation. Ideally, its center of gravity should be on the axis. This can only be achieved in one way - by checking the balance and increasing the mass of the wheel in the desired area until it becomes close to ideal.
Simply put, a specialist with the help of special equipment rotates the wheel, determining the “easy” places, and makes them heavier with special lead weights. With a static imbalance, loads are fixed on one side of the wheel, with a dynamic imbalance on both sides.
Equipment for balancing
On ordinary tire stations use balancing machines. The wheel assembly is mounted on a special cone and untwisted. The machine for balancing the wheels independently aligns it in the right direction, and the master at this time can only shift the load there until the wheel stops in the most random position.
There are also computer balancing stands. They allow you to make the most accurate alignment of the center of gravity thanks to modern laser technology. At the stand, setting the wheel parameters, you can determine all the possible causes of the imbalance, invisible to the human eye. These can be small defects of a disk or rubber, an incorrectly fitted tire, etc. The computer will determine them with mathematical precision, display all the information on the screen, and also indicate where exactly the load should be placed.
Varieties of balancing weights
There are two types of balancing weights: printed and glued. The use of one kind or another depends on the rim. For cast alloy wheels , stuffed weights with a bracket are most often used. Adhesive weights are universal and are attached to the surface with adhesive tape. They can be used with any discs, but they have one drawback: in winter, because of temperature changes, adhesive loads can simply peel off, which can not be said about stuffed ones.
Balancing frequency
But how often do you need wheel balancing? There is no clearly defined periodicity here, but it is recommended to undergo this procedure in the following cases:
- if you use the "all season", then at least once a year;
- when planning a long trip;
- when changing summer tires to winter;
- at any other assembly of a wheel (after the repair caused by a puncture of a tire, deformation of a disk, etc.);
- when vibration occurs in the wheel area.
Uneven tire wear will also help you when to balance the wheels. With static imbalance, the tire surface will quickly wear out in one place, indicating thereby the direction of displacement of the center of gravity of the wheel. At dynamic - the tire can have several "eaten" places around the entire circumference.
How to deal with new wheels
Do I need balancing new wheels? This question cannot be answered unequivocally. If you purchased a new car in a salon with zero mileage, then balancing may not be necessary, since any manufacturer must do this before releasing the car. But if you bought new assembled wheels or separately wheels and tires, then you simply must undergo this procedure, since no one except you will be responsible for the possible consequences.
Do I need to balance the rear wheels
Car owners often wonder if rear wheels need to be balanced, because they don’t take part in driving. Here the answer is unequivocal - it is necessary! After all, they, like the front ones, are subject to mechanical stress, and an imbalance will lead to the same consequences.
Yes, the vibration of the rear suspension due to the imbalance of the wheels is not felt so clearly, but this does not mean at all that it does not carry any danger.
Is it possible to balance the wheels yourself
Now that you and I have figured out what wheel balancing is, why this procedure is needed, and how it is performed under special services, it's time to talk about whether it can be done independently.
There is nothing impossible, especially if the situation does not allow you to go to tire fitting. Of course, it will not work to achieve high balance indicators without special equipment, but it is quite possible to make a rough adjustment.
Do-it-yourself wheel balancing is carried out using the same weights that are used in the service. And preference here should be given to the stuffed ones. They are freely sold in any car dealership or car market.
Of the tools you need only a jack, a wrench to unscrew the hub nuts and a small hammer. Do-it-yourself balancing of wheels means the implementation of all measures without removing the wheel from the hub.
With a jack we raise one side of the car where the wheel is located with suspicion of imbalance. We turn off the transmission, if this wheel is one of the leading ones. We unfasten and slightly release the hub fastening nut.
Next, carefully inspect the tire for adhering dirt or stones stuck in the tread. All this must be removed. If there are old loads on the disc, they must also be removed. It is desirable that the tire pressure corresponds to the recommended indicator.
We spin the wheel counterclockwise and wait until it stops. Mark its top with chalk. Now rotate the wheel to the right, and again mark the top position. Between these marks is the lightest spot on the wheel. Opposite each mark with a hammer we set weights of 30 g.
Next, turn the wheel in any direction. After stopping, the weights will have to be down. This is the bottom point of balancing. Now we turn the wheel and shift the loads, spreading them apart from each other until the wheel stops in different positions. We perform the same procedure with other wheels.