Wheel Balancing
Also called wheel balance or vibration fix
A wheel and tyre assembly is never perfectly even in weight. Balancing spins it on a machine, finds the heavy point and fits small counterweights to the rim. Unbalanced wheels cause a shake in the steering wheel or the seat at particular speeds, usually above eighty. Balancing does not correct a pull to one side, a shake under braking, which points at warped discs, or vibration from a worn driveshaft joint.
Signs you need this
- Steering wheel shakes at a particular speed band
- Seat or floor vibrates at highway speed
- Vibration that appeared after a tyre was fitted or repaired
- Missing balance weights visible on the rim edge
- Uneven, patchy wear across the tread
Not all of these have to be present, and one of them on its own can mean something else entirely. That is what the diagnosis is for.
What the job includes
- Removing old weights and cleaning mud and rust from the rim
- Spinning each wheel on the balancer to find the heavy point
- Fitting counterweights and rechecking until the reading is within limits
- Noting any rim run-out or tyre deformity that balancing cannot cure
- Refitting wheels with nuts torqued to specification
How we do it
Clean the wheel
Caked mud, old weights and rust are removed, because a few grams of dirt will make the reading meaningless.
Spin and measure
Each wheel is spun on the balancer, which shows where and how much weight the assembly is out by.
Correct and recheck
Weights are fitted and the wheel spun again, repeating until the machine reads within tolerance on both planes.
Refit and road test
Wheels go back torqued correctly and we drive at the speed where you felt the shake to confirm it is gone.
How we work
The same on every job, which is why we can write it down.
Diagnosis before quote
We find the fault first. A price given over the phone for a noise nobody has heard is a guess.
The price is agreed first
You approve the work and the cost before a spanner is picked up. Extra work means another call.
Parts you can check
We tell you whether a part is genuine, OEM, aftermarket or used, and what each one costs.
Old parts returned
Ask and we will hand back whatever we replaced. It is the simplest proof that the job was done.
Book wheel balancing
Fill this in and a person will call you back to confirm the time and the price. Only your name and one way to reach you are required.
You send this
Takes a minute. No payment, no obligation.
We call you
To confirm the car, the time and the location.
Tell us the car and the symptom
We will arrange a mechanic at your location, or a slot at the nearest workshop. No payment until the price is agreed.