Tire care basics: the difference between wheel balances and wheel alignments

Taking care of your car tires doesn't have to be expensive or stressful. And it's a good thing, too - your tires are an integral part of your car's performance and it's essential that you keep them in top-notch condition. This means you should be scheduling routine service like wheel alignments and wheel balancing... but what are these two services and how do they differ? Toyota of Clermont is here with answers.

What are wheel alignments? 

First, let's talk about wheel alignments. When you first buy your car, the wheels are aligned by the factory to specific angles that keep them perpendicular to the road and parallel to one another. This ensures even wear and a smooth performance. However, over time the alignment starts to change due to wear and tear, car accidents, and even small things like hitting a curb too hard.

When your tires are misaligned, they start to wear unevenly. Not only is this bad for performance, but it also makes your tires wear out faster so you have to replace them more frequently. How often should you schedule wheel alignments as part of your tire service? Typically every two years or so, unless you get a new set of tires or get into an accident. Our Clermont Toyota service techs can stay on top of this car tire service for you and let you know when you're due or if things look like they're out of alignment after an accident.

When do you need to schedule wheel balancing at Toyota of Clermont? 

What about car tire balances? While wheel alignments are all about angles, balancing is all about weight. While you drive, your car tires undergo a lot of wear and tear when they meet the road. This causes blemishes, imperfections, and eventually, uneven weight distribution or "heavy spots". These heavy spots cause your tires to bounce or skip down the road, making your drive time pretty uncomfortable. You'll also notice cup or scallop marks on your tires from the uneven wear. And remember, uneven wear means certain spots of your tires are taking the brunt of things, so your tires will wear out faster and need to be replaced more frequently.

To fix this problem, out Clermont auto service techs will use weights to counterbalance the heavy spots and smooth out your performance. You need to schedule wheel balancing every time you get a tire rotation or have tire repairs performed.

And let's not forget about tire rotations. For this Clermont Toyota service, our techs will rotate your tires from left to right and from front to back to ensure that all four are wearing evenly (and lasting longer).

Think it's about time to schedule car tire service for your ride? Call us! Toyota of Clermont is open seven days a week at (352) 404-7001 and our money-saving service specials are up for grabs, too. Schedule your car tire care today!