Tire Balancing in Fresno
The Benefits of Tire Balancing
Tire balancing can deliver some noteworthy benefits. When you prioritize this form of tire care, you’ll:
- Drive more smoothly. Well-balanced tires won’t vibrate as much as poorly balanced wheels while you drive.
- Get better gas mileage. When tires aren’t correctly balanced, your vehicle must compensate by working extra hard. This service will allow your car to burn less fuel while traveling the same distance.
- Stay safe on the road. Tire balancing issues can easily result in bald spots and uneven tread wear, so focusing on this service will go a long way to prevent these issues.
- Extend your tires’ life span. Uneven tread wear is a leading cause of early tire replacement, but keeping up on tire maintenance can help.
When Should You Balance Tires?
If you’re like most drivers, you might assume that you only need to balance tires when you purchase them. But that’s not the case: The regular wear and tear associated with driving can easily affect your tires’ weight. Therefore, it’s wise to let qualified Fresno mechanics check and adjust your wheel balance throughout your tires’ life span.
Typically, you should visit a Fresno tire shop for this work every 4,000-6,000 miles. This timeline should line up nicely with other vital auto maintenance services, including tire rotation and oil changes. If you visit an auto shop that can handle all of these tasks, they can take care of them for you simultaneously.
Otherwise, you may need tire balancing ahead of schedule if you notice red flags such as:
- Strange noises. Balancing issues aren’t the only potential cause of loud sounds in your vehicle, but they can certainly be responsible for these noises. Typically, sounds related to unbalanced tires will come from under your car and have an extremely high volume.
- A bouncing sensation. If your car bounces up and down while you drive, poorly balanced tires may be to blame — especially if this is happening on smooth surfaces such as paved roads.
- Vibrations while you drive. Has your steering wheel started to vibrate? If so, that may be a sign that your front tires need balancing work. On the other hand, unexpected vibrations in your seats can point to imbalanced tires on the back of your car.
Get the Best Tire Balancing in Fresno
Some auto maintenance services—such as replacing windshield wipers — can be safely handled by just about anyone. Of course, that’s not the case for wheel and tire balancing. Since you need absolute precision to balance tires correctly, even a minor lapse in judgment could lead to severe consequences for your tires.
To avoid such issues, choose Goodguys Tires & Auto Repair when you need tire balancing in Fresno. We offer all kinds of valuable benefits to our customers, including:
- ASE-certified mechanics
- Convenient locations
- Service coupons
- Financing options
- A sizable auto service lineup
No car tire can function on its own; each wheel is meant to work along with the three other tires. That means your tires won’t deliver the best possible results unless they’re practically identical in every way — including their weight. While this shouldn’t be an issue early on, your tires can easily fall out of balance over time.
If your tires aren’t balanced, you could end up dealing with problems like uneven tread wear. Fortunately, the experts at our Fresno auto shops know everything there is to know about tire maintenance, and that includes tire balancing in Fresno.
Tire Balancing 101
When you drop your car off at a local Fresno auto shop for tire balancing, the mechanics working there will start by hooking your tires up to a wheel balancer. This piece of equipment won’t just weigh your tires — it will also look closely at how this weight is distributed.
Because of this, a wheel balancer can tell mechanics which tires are underweight and which parts of these tires need attention. If one or more of your wheels aren’t heavy enough, your mechanics will install tiny weights to bring them back into balance.
Tire Balancing vs. Other Tires Services: What’s the Difference?
Due to their similar names, it’s easy to get tire balancing and tire rotation mixed up. But make no mistake: These are two entirely different forms of tire maintenance. Unlike tire balancing, tire rotation focuses on moving your tires to different positions on your car while following a specific rotation pattern. This can lower your risk of uneven tread wear and provide other benefits.
The terms tire balancing and wheel alignment also describe two different services. Wheel alignment is all about your tires’ angles — if these components aren’t perfectly straight, they won’t be able to operate as intended. Because of that, it’s wise for car owners to visit an auto shop for a wheel alignment check once per year.
However, the terms wheel balancing and tire balancing do refer to the same form of tire care. No matter which phrases your shop uses to describe this service, it’ll always involve the installation of weights on your tires.
Frequently Asked Questions
After tires are manufactured, they go through a balancing process to help ensure that the weight is evenly distributed around the entire circumference before they leave the factory. But that doesn’t mean the wheel balance will stay that way forever.
Over time, due to everyday wear and tear as you drive, your tires can develop slight imbalances. It’s important to know the warning signs of this happening to ensure that you have it promptly addressed and avoid irregular tread wear or decreased handling:
- Noticeable vibration: The most common indicator of this imbalance is feeling a vibration in your steering wheel or floorboard, which often intensifies as you reach higher speeds.
- Strange noises: You might hear unusual noises such as thumping or humming coming from your tires as you drive.
- Uneven tread wear: The most visual indicator is uneven tread wear across the surface of your tires. Specifically, an unbalanced tire will usually result in a cupping pattern and/or bald spots.
If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s crucial to seek professional help for tire balancing in Fresno. This relatively quick and affordable service can significantly improve your driving experience, extend the life span of your tires, and even boost your fuel efficiency.
To balance tires, it generally costs between $15 and $75 per tire, with the national average falling around $40. However, the price can fluctuate based on a few factors.
For example, your geographic location plays a role, as costs of living and labor can vary between cities and states. Additionally, the specific tire shop you choose will have its own pricing structure for wheel and tire balancing. Also, some shops offer a more advanced balancing service, such as road force balancing, which can add to the cost.
Check with your Fresno auto repair shop to get an exact price for tire balancing for your vehicle. A great way to save money is to also inquire if the shop offers free balancing with the purchase of a new set of tires — this is a common perk offered by many tire retailers.
Customers can also get a free estimate on any service at Goodguys.
Compared to other vehicle/tire maintenance services, tire balancing is a fairly quick service. To balance all four tires typically takes between 30 and 45 minutes, but this time frame can vary depending on a few factors.
If additional work is required, such as removing a tire from the wheel for repair, rotating a tire to a different position on the vehicle, or combining balancing and wheel alignment services into one appointment, the process might take slightly longer. Additionally, if a shop employs road force balancing, this can add some time to the service.
The workload, equipment, and available mechanics at your chosen tire shop can affect the estimated time for balancing all four tires. For accuracy, call the shop in advance to inquire about their timeline and consider scheduling an appointment to reduce wait times.
While unbalanced tires aren’t the sole cause of blowouts, they can definitely set the stage for this dangerous situation. The culprit lies in the uneven tread wear that can result from tires that aren’t balanced.
The imbalance in tire weight distribution from spinning causes uneven wear on certain tread sections, leading them to wear down faster. This wear weakens the tire’s structure, making it more prone to blowouts from road hazards like potholes, debris, or high-speed stress.
Regular tire balancing service helps prevent this uneven wear by ensuring the tire rotates smoothly, promoting even tread wear and ultimately contributing to overall tire safety and longevity.
Yes, even though they go through rigorous balancing procedures during manufacturing, it’s still important for a professional Fresno mechanic to balance new tires when they’re mounted on your specific wheels.
This is because even slight variations in weight can occur between individual tires and wheels, or even within different parts of the same tire. This slight imbalance can translate to noticeable vibrations at higher speeds, uneven wear on the tire tread, and reduced fuel efficiency.
Having a tire balancing service done when you get new tires ensures that they spin smoothly, which not only provides a more comfortable ride but also extends the life span of your tires and optimizes fuel consumption. This protects your investment and saves you money in the long run.
