Tire Alignment vs. Wheel Balancing

Expert Wheel Balancing & Tire Alignment Services in Calgary

What’s the Difference Between Wheel Balancing & Tire Alignment?

Are you curious about the difference between tire alignment and wheel balancing? Wheel or tire alignment is how your wheels sit when mounted to your car. Wheel balancing is what’s done to precisely balance the weight of a tire and wheel assembly so that it drives evenly and smoothly. One of the most important services the professionals at Tire Pirates perform is wheel balancing and wheel alignment, also known as tire alignment.

For more than 25 years, residents throughout Calgary, Chinook, and Foothills have trusted us to provide high-quality repair and replacement tire services, mechanical services, and commercial services. Our professional team will get you back on the road quicker than other auto shops. Call us today!

Wheel Balancing

Wheel Balancing ensures that the tires and wheels on your vehicle spin correctly without vibrating. Balancing your wheels benefits your vehicle in several ways, from increasing the life of your tires to ensuring a smooth ride for all your passengers. The most obvious signs of wheel alignment problems include:

• Uneven or accelerated tire wear
• Pulling or drifting from a straight line
• Wandering on a straight level road
• Steering wheel is off-center while driving on a level road

Wheel balancing is beneficial for your vehicle because:

• It keeps wheels from wobbling
• It prevents vibrations due to imbalance
• It prevents uneven wear on the tires and premature replacement
• Tire wear changes the balance over time

Our Wheel Balancing Services

One of the most important services we offer at Tire Pirates is wheel balancing. Our skilled car mechanics in Foothills and Chinook are experienced at aligning, repairing, replacing, and balancing wheels. Extensively trained to balance wheels on all types of vehicles, we can even out the weight bore on each axle by using a highly sensitive machine that senses weight differences down to a fraction of an ounce.

When we balance your wheels, our technicians:

• Remove the vehicle’s tires and wheel
• Mount them on an advanced balancing machine
• Spin the wheels to see if their weight is balanced evenly
• Attach small weights to correct imbalances
• Re-install the tires and wheels to your vehicle

Wheel Alignment

Wheel alignment is a process that involves adjusting the angles of the wheels to ensure they’re making even contact with the ground, as well as being parallel to one another. Wheel alignment adjustments are performed on vehicles to maximize tire life and keep the vehicle straight while driving. You can check each tire for uneven wear patterns to see if you need wheel alignment services. Still, we recommend regular alignment checks by a professional mechanic to avoid potential damage being done to your vehicle and tires.

To check for uneven surfaces indicating a wheel alignment problem, you can run your hand back and forth across the tread of your tires. If the tread on your tires is smooth in one direction but uneven in the other, you have a feathered wear pattern caused by incorrect alignment angles. Aligned and balanced wheels are essential to the smooth operation of your vehicle and your safety on the road.

Our Wheel Alignment Services

If your wheels are out of alignment, your vehicle will shift to one side or the other, even when driving on a straight and level road. Wheels that need to be aligned affect how your vehicle drives and causes premature tire replacement due to uneven and faster than normal wear.

If your tires are worn and uneven from alignment problems, you’ll need to replace them after fixing the wheel alignment issue. Wheel alignment issues can also cause excessive wear on your vehicle’s steering and suspension system, so it’s important to ensure a professional mechanic properly aligns your wheels. The expert technicians at Tire Pirates in Calgary can take care of all your needs when it comes to tire alignment. We recommend having your alignment checked once per year, but it helps to know when your vehicle needs a wheel alignment.

Consult with a mechanic if:

• The vehicle pulls to one side or another
• There is wandering
• The steering response changes
• Unusual vibrations occur when driving
• The steering wheel is crooked
• There’s excess or uneven tire wear

Your vehicle pulling to one side doesn’t always mean the wheels are out of alignment. This can also be caused by unequal air pressure, brake problems, and power steering issues.

Contact Tire Pirates Today for Exceptional Service

As Calgary’s trusted source for tires, we’re committed to getting you and your vehicle back on the road quickly and affordably. Whether you need to schedule a wheel alignment service or get new tires, you’re in good hands with our experienced professionals. Contact us today to learn more about our services or schedule an appointment. We look forward to hearing from you!