Is Wheel Balancing Necessary for Rear Wheels?
3 Answers
If the rear wheels have been replaced or repaired, their mass distribution will be altered, making wheel balancing necessary. However, if the rear wheels have neither been replaced nor repaired, meaning their mass distribution remains unchanged, then wheel balancing is not required. Wheel balancing refers to the process of ensuring that a vehicle's tires can maintain a relatively stable state when rotating at high speeds, thereby ensuring normal driving conditions. The principle of wheel balancing is primarily achieved through a balancing machine. The machine's motor drives the tire to rotate, and due to the presence of unbalanced parameters in the tire, the centrifugal forces exerted on the piezoelectric sensors in various directions are converted into electrical signals.
I've been driving for over a decade, and rear wheel balancing is definitely not something you can skip. Although steering wheel vibrations are mostly caused by front wheel issues, unbalanced rear wheels make the entire body shake at highway speeds, especially when the trunk is loaded with heavy items. Last month after getting a rear tire repair without balancing, my seat started vibrating at just 60 mph. The tire shop owner warned that long-term imbalance causes uneven tire wear - sure enough, I noticed the inner tread on my rear tires was wearing unevenly. A balancing service only costs a few dozen bucks, whereas wearing out a new tire would set you back over a thousand.
As a car modification enthusiast, I frequently test the effects of wheel balancing. Rear wheel imbalance might not be noticeable during city driving, but when going over manhole covers or speed bumps, the chassis makes a rattling noise. Once, I intentionally balanced only the front wheels, and after two weeks, I found wear marks on the inner side of the rear wheel rims when I took them off. The mechanic said this was caused by the centrifugal force from the imbalance rubbing against the rims. Now, whenever I touch the tires, I balance all four wheels—after all, rims are much more expensive than balancing weights.
