April 15, 2013 - Balancing and rotating your vehicle’s tires is very important in several aspects of how your vehicle performs. It makes sure that each tire is getting even wear, eliminates any vibration that may be felt from imbalanced tires, improves how your vehicle stops when the brakes are applied, and extends the overall life of your tires.
It’s recommended that your tires be balanced and rotated after approximately every 5,000 miles to get the best performance. Depending on how well your car handles and operates or how much your vehicle is driven, this can vary but the range is usually between 4,000 to 6,000 miles.
The front tires wear faster than the rear tires, due to the fact that they are used directly with steering your car. Constant turning and braking eventually wears the front tires down at a faster rate than the rear tires. This reason alone justifies a need to regularly have your vehicle’s tires balanced and rotated.
Mechanical problems with your vehicle could also cause irregular or uneven wear on your tires. The mechanic performing the balance and rotation will thoroughly check for any mechanical issues that may affect the weight distribution to each tire, and any other factors other than wear due to normal driving.
One telltale sign that your tires are in need of balancing and rotation is if you start to feel vibration when you’re driving a certain speed. The vibrating or shaking is often felt when speeds reach over 40 to 60 mph. Also, if you’re finding it hard to keep your car straight on the road, or experience some sort of pulling to the left or right, this could indicate that the vehicle is in need of balancing and rotation, or possibly a wheel alignment.
Making sure your vehicles tires are balanced and rotated at the appropriate times will not only enhance your safety, but also save you money on new tires since regular balancing and rotation extends the life of your vehicle’s tires.
