Tire Balancing and Rotation: A Comprehensive Guide for Fresno Residents
A good set of tires is an investment, but there’s no denying that buying new wheels can be expensive. Because of this, Fresno, CA, drivers should try to get as much usage out of their current tires as they can without putting their safety at risk.
Extending your tires’ life span is simple — you can get started by focusing on a few different tire maintenance services. This is our complete guide to tire balancing, wheel alignment, and other tire services Fresno residents can prioritize to keep their tires in excellent shape for years.
The Tire Services That Fresno Drivers Need
Some maintenance tasks that can significantly improve your tires’ service life include:
Tire Balancing
Tires work best while paired with three other identical wheels, so you’ll need to ensure your wheels all weigh the same amount. While tires come with preinstalled weights when you buy them, the weight of your tires can be affected by factors such as tread wear.
When your tires are imbalanced, you’ll need to get tire balancing work done at a Fresno area tire shop. With the help of specialized equipment, the mechanics handling this job will analyze the weight of your wheels and bring them back into alignment by installing new weights.
Tire Rotation
Since each of your tires deals with the same road conditions, you might assume they’ll wear down at the same rate. But that’s not actually the case: Wheels can wear more slowly or more quickly depending on where they are in your vehicle. If left unchecked, uneven tread wear could cause serious problems — including a shortened tire life span.
Luckily, Fresno drivers can avoid this issue by visiting a local shop for tire rotation. When you make one of these appointments, your shop’s technicians will move your tires from their current spots to new positions, following a specific pattern in the process. By taking care of tire rotation once every 5,000 miles, you’ll nearly eliminate your odds of suffering from uneven tread wear.
Tire Alignment
Very few drivers know at what angle their tires meet the road, but this is much more important than you might think. When your tires are poorly aligned, you could end up dealing with everything from steering wheel vibrations to irregular tread wear.
The best way to prevent these problems is to schedule an appointment for tire alignment. To realign your tires, mechanics don’t actually adjust the tires directly — instead, they make precise adjustments to your car’s suspension.
Tire Repair
Tasks such as tire rotation, wheel alignment, and tire balancing all play a part in protecting your wheels. Of course, no matter how much time and effort you put into tire maintenance, your tires could still sustain damage before you know it.
Not every type of tire damage can be fixed — even the best mechanics won’t be able to repair your tires if they’re suffering from bubbling or sidewall damage. But in many cases, you’ll be able to give your damaged wheels a new lease on life with a quick tire repair.
