Wheel Balancing: How To Answer Popular Consumer Questions

There are currently over 276 million registered vehicles in America. For many car service providers, it’s more vital than ever to offer various services that could cater to this huge market. One essential tool for auto care shops of all sizes should have are car wheel balancers.

Unfortunately, offering these services is one thing, convincing your customers of their importance is another. One of the best ways to convince your customers of using your shop’s wheel balancing services is to properly address any questions that they may have about it.

In this article, we answer some of the common consumer questions about car wheel balancers to help you explain them to your customers.

Question #1: Why Should I Have My Wheels Balanced?

Wheels are built to have extreme tolerance against shock, pressure, and extreme temperatures. However, they are extremely prone to weight imbalances. If ignored, these imbalances can lead to costly repairs and even make your car unsafe to drive.

Having unbalanced wheels causes uneven rotation and creates violent vibrations when driving. Aside from affecting comfort, unbalanced wheels can significantly reduce a driver’s control, which is very dangerous when driving at high speeds.

Additionally, the constant vibrations can cause further damage to your car’s other components and quickly deteriorate the life of your wheels. This leads to extensive repairs and costly replacements.

Question #2: How Do I Know If My Wheels Are Out of Balance?

Experiencing violent vibrations when driving is the primary symptom of unbalanced wheels. If you drive at speeds exceeding 40mph, you may notice the steering wheel start to shake or wobble. The faster you drive, the more violent the vibrations become and the harder it is for the driver to hold on to the steering wheel.

Another way to check if your wheels are out of balance is by checking the quality of the tire. If you have recently installed a new tire but somehow it’s already showing signs of wear and tear, then that’s another symptom of unbalanced tires.

Question #3: What If My Tires Are Fine And There Are No Vibrations?

Cars typically need to have their wheels balanced every 6,000 to 7,000 miles. Most car manuals also provide how often one should have the wheels balanced. Even though you haven’t experienced the symptoms, it’s still best practice to have your wheel balanced regularly.

Question #4: I Just Had My Wheels Aligned. Isn’t That Enough?

Wheel alignment and balancing are two completely different processes with their specific purposes. Wheel alignment is about making sure the angle of your wheels is perfectly aligned. Wheel balancing is about adding weights to offset any potential imbalances.

Both alignment and balancing are often done together. This is probably why most people think they are one of the same. However, if your tires have only been aligned, it’s still best to have them balanced as well.

Question #5: I’ve Had My Wheels Balanced Before. Why Is The Vibration Is Still There?

The vibrations and the wobbling should’ve been cured by properly balancing the wheels. If the vibrations are still there, it could be because of two things:

• The previous technicians were not able to properly balance the wheels

• Your car has undiagnosed issues that are causing the vibrations

If the previous technicians have botched the wheel balancing process, it can easily be rebalanced. If the wheels are balanced but the car still vibrates, then further investigation is required.

The vehicle may have a bent wheel, which is often a result of hitting a pothole. It’s also possible that one of the tire’s treads has been scrubbed off as a result of too much handbraking. Either way, the vehicle needs to be inspected to determine and address the problem.

As auto care professionals, it’s our responsibility to make sure customers are aware of the importance of certain tools and services like car wheel balancers. Next time a customer asks one of these questions, you should be able to provide a helpful and comprehensive answer.

JMC Equipment offers reliable, high-quality car repair and maintenance equipment. If you want to know more about what brands of car wheel balancers and other equipment we offer, please feel free to visit the brand page of our website for the complete list.