Unbalanced truck tires do not only cause damage to your vehicle, they can also have a negative impact of fuel economy and potentially pose a safety issue. You can address one or more unbalanced tires yourself, or you can take them to a mechanic to fix.
How Do Unbalanced Tires Damage Your Vehicle?
The entire wheel assembly, as well as shocks and bearings, are put under stress when you drive with one or more unbalanced tires. The excessive wear can cause these components to wear out more quickly and need replacement. They could also fail as you’re driving, a potentially hazardous situation.
Unbalanced tires may also show uneven tread wear, which can cause safety issues such as an increased risk of blowouts and difficulty steering.
How Can You Tell If Your Tires Aren’t Balanced?
There are four main symptoms to watch for that indicates the possibility of one or more unbalanced tires:
- Lower fuel economy than normal
- Unusually loud road noises
- Excessive chassis vibration, especially at high speeds
How Do You Fix an Unbalanced Tire?
To correct an imbalance in a Mickey Thompson or other tire brand, you must apply weights to the wheel. Wheel weights come in one of two varieties: adhesive weights that stick directly to the wheel, and clip-on weights that attach to the rim.
You can fix an unbalanced tire yourself. If you have a tire balancing machine in your garage, balancing the wheels is a relatively simple matter; just follow the machine’s instructions. You can also balance your tire without a machine via a process of trial and error:
- Start by applying a weight on the wheel in the 12 o’clock position, then rev the car to the point where you feel the vibration.
- If the vibration is still there, replace the weight 45 degrees from the original position.
- Keep moving the weight until the vibration stops.
