Do I Need Wheel Balancing and Four-Wheel Alignment After Changing Tires?
2 Answers
When replacing tires or repairing punctures, as long as the tire is removed from the wheel hub and then reinstalled, wheel balancing is necessary. Failure to perform wheel balancing can cause noticeable tire bouncing at certain speeds. However, neither tire replacement nor puncture repair requires a four-wheel alignment. Four-wheel alignment is only needed when the vehicle experiences issues such as pulling to one side, severe uneven tire wear, or tire cupping. Four-wheel alignment is unrelated to tire replacement. The reasons why a vehicle needs wheel balancing are as follows: 1. A car's wheel is an assembly consisting of a tire and a wheel hub. However, due to manufacturing variations, the mass distribution of this assembly cannot be perfectly uniform. When the car's wheels rotate at high speeds, this can lead to dynamic imbalance, causing wheel wobble and steering wheel vibration during driving. 2. To prevent or correct this phenomenon, weights are added to the wheel while it is in motion to balance the edges. This correction process is commonly known as wheel balancing, which involves attaching balancing weights. These weights are made of lead alloy and are measured in grams, such as 5g, 10g, or 15g. Although they may seem small, they generate significant centrifugal force when the wheel rotates at high speeds. Each balancing weight has a steel hook that clips onto the edge of the wheel rim.
Last time I changed my tires, I specifically asked my trusted mechanic, and he said wheel balancing is a must when replacing tires. Think about it—after mounting new tires onto the rims, the weight distribution can't be perfectly even, which causes vibrations at high speeds, making the steering wheel shake so much your hands go numb. But wheel alignment is different. It mainly depends on whether you experienced issues like pulling to one side or uneven tire wear before the tire change. If your car was driving fine before, a simple tire replacement doesn’t necessarily require an alignment. However, if your car is older or you noticed severe wear on the old tires during the change, it wouldn’t hurt to get an alignment check while you're at it.
