By Felix Tjozongoro
WINDHOEK – According to Tiger Wheel and Tyre, wheel balancing is something that should be done every time you change or rotate your tyres, fix a puncture, hit a pothole or obstacle and every 7,000 km to 10,000 km.
“After fitting a tyre to a wheel, our technicians place the entire wheel assembly on a balancing machine to measure where the imbalances are. Counter weights are then placed on the wheel to offset the imbalances,” explained du Plooy of Tiger wheel and tyre.
Imbalance is most often felt as a vibration through the steering wheel, though it can also cause hopping and wobbling of the vehicle at high speeds.
Unbalanced wheels cause tyres to wear out unevenly and quicker than usual; they also cause wearing of the suspension components and wheel bearings.
As for wheel alignment, it is the process of pointing your car’s wheels in the right direction. Technicians use high tech equipment to check and measure a vehicle’s wheel alignment and make the necessary adjustments to the suspension angles to ensure the wheels are perfectly aligned.
Misalignment can be felt as a pulling of the vehicle to one side. You can test this by driving on a flat road and momentarily taking your hands off the steering wheel. If it pulls to one side, then the alignment is probably out.
Misaligned wheels cause uneven tyre wear and increased fuel consumption, and if severe enough, can compromise your ability to steer accurately and be exceedingly dangerous.
Have your wheel alignment checked every six months or 10,000 km and every time you make contact with a pothole or pavement.