Tire Balancing vs Tire Alignment: Which One Does Your Car Need?

Did you feel some weird noises and vibrations while driving? If so, you need to get in-depth information about it. It’s like your car is telling you something! It’s something related to tire alignment and balancing. Some people love driving, but they are unaware of their car maintenance. This includes tire alignment and balancing.

Discounted Wheel Warehouse offers expert tire balancing services to keep your vehicle running smoothly. Plus, we have the largest selection of tires with two-day shipping, a price match guarantee, and no-questions-asked returns. Have more technical questions about your car’s tires and maintenance needs? Call us at (800) 901-6003 to speak with our experts today.
The main question is "How to Know What Service Your Car Needs", whether comprehensive tire alignment or quick tire balancing.
Buckle yourself for a smooth and safe ride by getting into this in-depth debate of Tire Balancing vs Tire Alignment!

Tire Balancing vs Tire Alignment: How Can You Notice?

Tire Balancing: Points to Ponder

Balancing refers to tuning the car’s wheelset, also known as tire balancing. This service involves correcting the uneven weight distribution in car wheels. Tires and wheels are put on a balancing machine. It spins and measures the imbalances.
The most common symptoms that indicate balancing

• Poor fuel economy
• The steering wheel has vibrations
• Faster and uneven tread wear
• Faster seat vibrations as speed increases
• Hitting a pothole leads to uneven loss or wear of the wheel’s weight

Tire Alignment: Points to Ponder

Tire alignment involves the necessary adjustments in the car’s suspension. It relates to the correct system setup that connects the wheels to the vehicle. Wheel alignment causes issues due to running into a curb, car accidents, or hitting a pothole. Some common problems related to alignment are

• While driving, the steering wheel is off-center
• Squealing tires
• Aggressive driving
• Replaced suspension car parts
• Heavy loads
• The car gets pulled towards one side
• Uneven wear of tire treads

How Much It Cost: Tire Balancing vs Tire Alignment

The tire shops include balancing in the package. But sometimes, you have to pay for it. The cost varies depending on the tires, vehicle type, and the shop. However, an average cost plan ranges from $15 to $75.
The alignment cost depends on factors such as car models, equipment, location, and the number of wheels. Typically, it costs $100-$150 to align four wheels. In contrast, it requires $50-$75 for two-wheel alignment.

Tire Balancing vs Tire Alignment: How Often to Get It Done?

Unlike other car maintenance services, tire balancing and alignment do not have a specific time. Mounting and Balancing vary across different Tire Brands and even among various models of the same brand. However, some factors to consider include tire quality, how frequently you drive, and what kinds of roads you drive, whether highways, coastal areas, or mountainous areas.
Alignment and balancing are suitable for every 12,000-15,000 miles a year.

Alignment should be checked twice a year as a preventive measure. Any wear pattern caused by misalignment remains for the tire’s life even after correcting the alignment issue. Balancing should be done whenever you replace or rotate tires. It is better to fix a problem before it evolves.

Tire Balancing vs Tire Alignment: What’s the Benefits?

Key Benefits of Tire Balancing

1. While driving on highways at speeds above 50 miles/hour, you will notice vibrations. This is a sign that your car needs tire balancing. Balancing eliminates these vibrations for a smooth ride.
2. Tire balancing is crucial after 5000-6000 miles to improve performance.
3. Balanced tires improve gas mileage. If tires are not balanced, this reduces gas mileage, and the tires wear down at different rates. Balancing tires saves money and increases a vehicle’s fuel efficiency.
4. Unbalanced tires lead to uneven treads and bad gas mileage. This impacts the car’s suspension. Therefore, balance your vehicle to protect its suspension and avoid expensive daily repairs.
5. Unbalanced tires lead to increased vibrations and uneven tread wear. Therefore, balancing increases the tire’s tread life.

Key Benefits of Tire Alignment

1. Get alignment every 600 miles or twice yearly for superior vehicle performance.
2. Uneven alignments lead to unnecessary issues in your car. This results in decreased fuel efficiency, reduced gas mileage by 10%, and increased rolling resistance. Thus, align your wheels to get better fuel conservation and efficiency.
3. Misaligned wheels and difficult car steering lead to uncomfortable driving. It increases accident risk.
4. Misaligned wheels affect car parts, such as suspension, transmissions, brakes, drivetrains, and differentials. Wheel alignment is essential to avoid expensive auto repairs.
5. If your tires are not aligned, it leads to reduced tire life. Therefore, a regular check for alignment must always be conducted.

Wrapping Up

It’s not just a random discussion about tire alignment vs balancing. It is crucial because most people don’t know about it, leading to significant car issues. Understanding the key differences between balancing and alignment is essential. So you can operate your car safely and optimally.