If they have ever taken their car in for a Subaru service, Perth drivers may have seen a trained technician balancing their wheels. This is a strange looking process to the uninitiated, and many may wonder why it needs to be done and what is happening? Here we will answer those questions and explain in a little more detail what to look out for.
The Warning Signs:
When the wheels on your car are not correctly balanced, there are a few warning signs that you will notice. The first is that you will experience a vibration in the steering wheel when driving. This is particularly noticeable at higher speed, but it may also worsen when cornering at slower speeds. When checking your tyres, you may notice that your tyres seem to be wearing unevenly across the width of the tyre. If you notice these signs, you will need to get your wheels balanced as soon as you can.
Why Does This Happen?
There are some common causes that can cause a wheel to go out of balance. Many people experience this if they hit the wall of their tyre on a kerb while parking. It can also occur in low speed collisions when another car impacts a wheel. Another cause is running over a deep pothole or negotiating a speed bump too quickly. When wheels are balanced they are fitted with weights; it may just be the case that a weight falls off (usually at speed), and the wheel then needs rebalancing.
Why Do My Wheels Need Balancing?
Aside from the annoyance of feeling a vibration or shuddering when driving, there are other good reasons to get your car wheels balanced. When the wheels are not aligned correctly, the handling characteristics of the car are impaired. It also makes good financial sense, as misaligned wheels will wear out your tyres faster and lower the fuel economy. Wheel balancing is a quick procedure and far cheaper than replacing a set of tyres.
How Are Wheels Balanced?
As a matter of course, all new tyres and wheels are balanced for your car. If your car wheels go out of alignment, they will go through this same process. The wheel and tyre are placed on a computer controlled machine that will measure how much weight is needed and where it should be fitted on the rim of the wheel. Then small weights are added that counter any weight imbalance according to the manufacturer’s specifications. On many cars, only the front wheels are balanced, but on Subaru cars which are all wheel drive vehicles, all the wheel will be balanced.
If they are looking to book a Subaru service, Perth drivers should contact us at Perth City Subaru. Our Subaru service centre is staffed with Subaru trained technicians, and we only ever use genuine subaru parts. Our mission is to ensure that your car is running at the optimal level for performance, comfort, and safety. You can book your car in by visiting our website and if you have any further questions our sales team will answer them for you.
We hope that this article has been an informative one, and invite you to post your comments or questions in the comments section below. We’re on social media and would love to hear from you, too. Look us up on Facebook, Google Plus and YouTube.