To determine the importance of one over the other you first need to understand what tire alignment means and what tire balance actually refers to.
Tire Balance
Also referred to as wheel balance, is the balance that stands between the four wheels of your car and makes it able to properly function. Tire balance makes sure that none of your wheels make uncomfortable noises or make your ride bumpy and wobbly. Essentially, it refers to an even weight distribution between all of the four of your car tires for smooth movement and comfortable road experience.
Tire Alignment
Tire alignment refers to the procedure through which it is made sure that the tires are positioned perfectly and in such a manner with respect to the others that they enable and make your road movements comfortable. There are technical measurements and angles that are taken into account in order to make sure that the center of gravity is in alignment with tire position in such a way that makes the vehicle remain balanced and hold balance despite the weight of the individuals sitting inside as well as ensure proper movements regardless.
Tire Balance vs. Tire Alignment
While there are certain technical differences between what the two can do and both hold different levels of significance in vehicle maintenance, we would be lying if we said one is more important than the other.
Tire balancing and tire alignment are both equally important and pertinent to driving comfort and road safety, regardless of the size and speed of the vehicle.
So to put it simply, tire balance is what will ensure the even distribution of weight around the circumference of a tire while tire alignment is the adjustment of the wheels to make sure that they are positioned correctly and exactly parallel to one another in order to make sure they are all perpendicular to the ground in a way that makes them provide you with an even and smooth driving experience, as well as a safe road experience.
How to figure out which one you need?
Not sure what your vehicle’s problem may be? Take a breath. We are here to help you figure that out. Here are some tell-tale signs of both issues that you can easily identify if you just pay a little bit of attention to the details!
Alignment Issues
If your tires seem a bit wobbly and you feel slight bumps while driving even though the road is absolutely spotless, it is pertinent that you get out of the vehicle and check your tires.
If one tire feels slightly lumpy as compared to the others, you may take a wild guess and assume that the alignment is off. In this case, you can always ask an expert for help.
We provide wheel alignment services unlike any other, to ensure that you enjoy a safe and smooth ride without any hiccups or bumps on the road.
Another way to check for wheel alignment is to see if your tires are misaligned or causing any kind of steering instability. When your wheels are not properly responding to your steering wheel, there is a pretty good chance that the tire alignment on your vehicle may be off.
It is always better to consult an expert in case one requires any kind of assistance with such an issue because you know what they say, better safe than sorry! And that saying has proven true too many times for us to ignore.
Balance Issues
The problems with your vehicle could also be easily spotted when they are balance related. Often, it is due to the negligence of manufacturers that tires turn out to be uneven and imbalanced. That is to say that sometimes the wheels are not completely in uniformity with one another in terms of their size and weight. This can be handled with proper inspection and speculation before purchasing a vehicle and then time and again by maintaining proper check and balance on the vehicle.
Another reason for tire imbalance can be that the tread of the tire wears down over time and causes imbalances in the weight distribution of tires, hence resulting in a bumpy and lumpy road experience.
On the other hand an inexperienced and non serious repair man can also ruin the quality of your tires by unknowingly altering a tire’s weight distribution through rough or insufficient patching.
Make sure you are always on the lookout for any default in your tires as they are the major most important component in causing as well as preventing road accidents and subsequently save or harm lives.
