Coleman Tyre Company

COLEMAN TYRE COMPANY - IMPERIAL TYRE SIZING

Imperial Tyre Sizing

WHAT IS BALANCING?

Tyre Balancing is designed to stop vibrations by placing weights in specific location on the wheel, to allow the wheel to spin true and in a balanced fashion. The Vibrations are caused by heavy spots in both the wheel and tyre, this is generally only around the 10g to 50g range,

IS IT A SAFETY ISSUE?

A wheel that is out of balance can damage a number of different components indirectly over long periods of time, but it is mostly just an annoyance. Claims of safety in keeping wheels perfectly balanced are somewhat relevant, but again it can only cause safety concerns indirectly - due to the driver perhaps being slightly distracted by a vibration.

HOW CAN I TELL THAT MY WHEELS ARE BALANCED?

Generally tyre vibrations will occur between 70klms/h and 110 klms/h. A way to gauge whether the wheel is in balance is to see what range the vibration persists and to what degree.

For example: If a wheel is vibrating between 85 klms/h and 95 klms/h then it is further out of balance than a wheel that only vibrates between 95 klms/h and 96 klms/h.

When trying to diagnose which wheel is out of balance, it is worth noting if the vibration is coming through your seat (indicating it is a rear wheel out of balance) or coming through the steering wheel (indicating that it is a front wheel out of balance). It is very common for wheels to 'throw weights' this is caused when a balance weight becomes loose and comes off due to the outward force of the wheel spinning (A Standard Car Tyre completes a rotation 15 times per second at 100 klms per hour), if a vibration appears suddenly this is most likely the cause.

DO TYRES LOSE THEIR BALANCE?

Tyres are subjected to some of the most hostile conditions possible, they can lose their balance over time for a number of reasons, wheels may corrode, paints may deteriorate, chrome dipping may start to crack and come off. Tyres can also wear into their balance - tyres are not steel - they are maluable, this means they can wear into defects and fix vibrations on their own in some cases.

THE VIBRATION IS STILL THERE AFTER BALANCING.

Tyres are not always the cause of vibrations, as mentioned above, tyres can wear into defects, this means that new tyres can actually highlight vibrations caused by a problem that has nothing to do with the wheels or tyres - the old tyres have worn into the defect, and the new tyres want to track straight. and true, highlighting the vibration.

WHAT IS COUNTER BALANCING.

Counter balancing occurs when a tyre technician uses weights in multiple spots around the outside of the rim rather than limiting them to just a singular spot. While counter balancing does not create any problems initially, it does make it more likely that your tyres will go out of balance over a period of time; due to the weights being in multiple positions having a higher chance of moving.

ABOVE ALL - ASK QUESTIONS!

In the tyre industry many stores do not have testing or training systems in place to guarantee the staff are properly trained in all methods of wheel balancing. Coleman Tyre Company has many standards that staff must pass to stay employed with us, however, if you are ever unsure ask some questions about counter balancing, or about how much weight your wheels have on them and where. If your not satisfied with the answer, you know that there is some training missing.