Wheel balancing for what is needed? Wheel balancing by hands

On the condition of the wheels of the car depends not only the comfort of the driver and passengers, but also their safety, as well as the serviceability of other parts and mechanisms of the machine. In addition, it significantly affects fuel consumption.

One of the types of maintenance of the undercarriage is the balancing of the wheels. For what this procedure is needed, how it is performed and at what frequency, we will tell in this article. We will also consider the possibility of its implementation by our own forces in the conditions of the garage.

Wheel balancing: what is needed

Since the invention of the wheel has passed several millennia, but today, in the age of high technology, making it ideal is not possible. In addition, in the process of motion, a number of factors that lead to mechanical deformation constantly act on it.

This applies to both the disk and the bus. The slightest flaws associated with the uneven distribution of their mass along the circumference, lead to a disbalance. This, in turn, leads to vibration, which has a destructive effect on the hub bearing and other elements of the running gear.

But is it necessary to balance the wheels if the car is reliable enough? Here is a simple example: at a speed of 100 km / h and an imbalance of 15-20 g on a 14-inch wheel, the load on the disk will be similar to that of a three-kilogram hammer at a frequency of 800 times per minute. Now imagine that you will travel 100 kilometers. What do you think, what will happen to the running of your most reliable car?

To prevent such situations, and balancing the wheels. What is it for, we figured out. Now consider what is an imbalance and what kinds of it are.

The concept of imbalance and its types

An imbalance is a violation of the normal wheel balance caused by tire wear or deformation of the wheel. There are two types of this phenomenon: static and dynamic.

In the first case, the axis of rotation assumes a parallel position with respect to the axis of inertia, displacing the center of gravity in a certain direction. Visually, a static imbalance can be determined by lifting one side of the car, scrolling a freely rotating wheel and observing it. Before stopping to rotate, it will make several pendulum movements in different directions and stop when its center of gravity is at its lowest point. Such symptoms are not critical for the car, but are fraught with uneven wear and increased fuel consumption. Do you need to do wheel balancing in this case - you decide, of course, to you, but over time the static imbalance can develop into a dynamic one, and then it will not be enough with one fuel and rubber.

The dynamic imbalance is characterized by the intersection of the rotation and inertia axes. In other words, the weight of the wheel is distributed unevenly not in height but in width. In this case, the vibration results in the wheel starting to "write out" the figure-eight. Dynamic imbalance is also determined visually, but fixing it is much more difficult than static.

What is dangerous is the imbalance

The imbalance of the wheel often causes:

• Uneven and accelerated tire wear;
• Destruction of the wheel bearing;
• Rapid wear of suspension elements;
• Reducing management effectiveness;
• Lowering the level of comfort.

What is the essence of balancing

The essence of balancing is to maximally distribute the mass of all the components of the wheel relative to the axis of its rotation. Ideally, the center of gravity should be on the axis. This can only be achieved in one way - by checking the balance and increasing the mass of the wheel in the desired area until it becomes close to the ideal.

Simply put, a specialist with the help of special equipment rotates the wheel, determining "light" places, and makes them heavier with special lead weights. With a static imbalance, the loads are fixed on one side of the wheel, with dynamic unbalance on both sides.

Equipment for balancing

At conventional tire stations, balancing machines are used. The wheel assembly is mounted on a special cone and untwisted. The machine for balancing the wheels independently aligns it in the right direction, and the master at this time can only move the load there until the wheel stops in the most random position.

There are also computer balancing stands. They allow to produce the most accurate alignment of the center of gravity due to modern laser technologies. At the stand, setting the parameters of the wheel, you can identify all possible causes of imbalance, invisible to the human eye. It can be small defects of a disk or rubber, an incorrectly planted tire, etc. A computer with mathematical precision will determine them, display all information on the screen, and also indicate where it is necessary to place the load.

Types of balancing weights

There are two types of balancing weights: printed and glued. The use of one or another type depends on the wheel. For cast alloy wheels, the most commonly used stuffing weights with bracket. Adhesive weights are universal and attached to the surface by means of an adhesive tape. They can be used with any discs, but they have one drawback: in winter, because of temperature changes, the adhesive loads can simply peel off, which can not be said about stuffed ones.

Frequency of balancing

But how often do you need wheel balancing? There is no clearly defined periodicity, but it is recommended to undergo this procedure in the following cases:

• If you use "all-weather", then at least once a year;
• When planning a long trip;
• When changing summer tires to winter tires ;
• At any other assembly of the wheel (after repair, caused by a puncture of the tire, deformation of the disk, etc.);
• When there is a vibration in the area of the wheels.

Understand when you need to do wheel balancing, and uneven tire wear will help. With a static imbalance, the surface of the tire will quickly erase in one place, indicating the direction of displacement of the center of gravity of the wheel. With dynamic - the tire can have several "eaten" places along the entire circumference.

How to deal with new wheels

Is balancing of new wheels necessary? This question can not be answered unambiguously. If you purchased a new car in a cabin with zero mileage, then balancing may not be required, since any manufacturer must do this before the car is released. But if you have bought new wheels or discs and tires separately, then you simply have to go through this procedure, since no one except you will be responsible for the possible consequences.

Do I need to balance the rear wheels

Car owners often wonder whether the rear wheels need to be balanced, because they do not take part in driving. Here the answer is unequivocal - it is necessary! After all, they, like the forelegs, are subject to mechanical action, and the imbalance will lead to the same consequences.

Yes, the vibration of the rear suspension due to unbalance of the wheels is not so obvious, but it does not mean that it does not carry any danger.

Is it possible to independently balance the wheels

Now that we have figured out what is wheel balancing, what this procedure is for and how it is performed in the conditions of special services, it's time to talk about whether it's possible to implement it yourself.

Nothing is impossible, especially if the situation does not allow you to contact the tire service. To achieve high balance figures without special equipment, of course, will not work, but it is quite possible to make a rough adjustment of it.

Wheel balancing by own hands is carried out using the same cargo as used in the service. And preference here should be given to the print. They are freely sold in any car dealer or in the car market.

From the tools you will need only a jack, a wrench for unscrewing the hub nut and a small hammer. Wheel balancing with their own hands implies the implementation of all activities without removing the wheel from the hub.

A jack lifts one side of the car, where the wheel is located with suspicion of imbalance. Turn off the gear if this wheel is one of the leading ones. Dissolve and loosen the hub fastening nut a little.

Next, carefully examine the tire for the presence of adherent dirt or stuck in the tread. All this must be removed. If there are old loads on the disk, they also need to be removed. It is desirable that the tire pressure is in line with the recommended value.

We spin the wheel counterclockwise and wait until it stops. Mark its upper point with chalk. Now rotate the wheel to the right, and again mark the top position. Between these marks is the easiest place of the wheel. Against each mark with a hammer we install loads weighing 30 g.

Further we twist a wheel in any direction. After stopping the weights should be at the bottom. This is the lowest point of balancing. Now we twist the wheel and move the weights, spreading them apart until the wheel stops in different positions. The same procedure is performed with other wheels.