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You might not notice it, but each time you get behind the wheel something is slightly different — your tires.

During the lifecycle of a tire, slight imbalances in the weight or shape of your tires — fractions of an ounce or less — can pull your vehicle out of whack. These can lead to vibrations in the steering column and eventually to damage to the framing and axel of your vehicle. In addition to making your ride bumpier and less comfortable, if left untreated unbalanced tires can wreak havoc on your car’s alignment, bearings, shock absorbers, wheel assembly and can make your ride more dangerous. 

What Is Tire Balancing?

Tire balancing is done by a trained technician using a highly specialized machine build solely for this purpose.

First, the technician places the tire and wheel onto the machine, which uses a centrifuge to spin the wheel. This tire balancing machine monitors how the tire rotates and measures any vibrations. The technician uses these outputs to determine whether the tire is balanced or distributing weight unevenly. Using this information, the technician can address problems by adding weights to correct uneven distribution, rotating the tire on the wheel or addressing damage to the rim.

Tire balancing is a relatively simple, straightforward and inexpensive process. It is often done during other routine maintenance — for example, tire rotation or new tire installation — and should be completed in less than an hour.    

When To Balance Tires

Depending on the make and model of your vehicle, the type and size of your rims and tires, how you drive your car and the type of roadways you traverse, the interval of time in between balancing your tires may vary. But there are a few factors to consider that should help you know when it’s time to consider servicing your tires.

First, if at any time you experience vibrations in your steering column, under your seat cushions or in the floor of your vehicle while driving at highway speeds, it is time to have a professional take a look. These vibrations are likely caused by imperfections in the shape or weight of the wheel or tires and can be easily addressed by rebalancing the tire and wheel so that the mass is evenly distributed around the center of gravity.

A bald spot on your tire may indicate an issue with balancing. Other issues — including alignment and inflation problems — tend to wear in an even manner, in a linear fashion along the entire circumference of the tire. So, if you notice one patch or ‘cup’ of bald wear, it may specifically point to unbalanced tires.

A bumpy ride on an otherwise smooth road surface at highway speeds is another manifestation of this uneven, patchy wearing. As the out-of-balance tire wears, bare spots will begin to form where bulges in the tire meet the roadway. These will be felt as an uneven jolt inside the vehicle each time that patch of rubber meets the road.

Certain audio cues may also indicate an imbalance in your tires. As the unbalanced bald patch slaps the roadway on each rotation, a rhythmic thump may become audible inside the cabin. A buzzing or humming noise when you change lanes may be an indication of damaged wheel bearings caused by unbalanced tires.

As a general rule, you should rotate and balance your tires once every two years at the very least and most manufacturers recommend balancing tires every 6,000 miles. If you travel over uneven or unpaved roads, you will want to service your vehicle more often.