Wheel Balancing Question
- Thread starter Gwest44
- Start date
North West Surrey
I've only ever known wheels to be balanced individually before they are fitted to the car, in which case I can't see why you couldn't swap them around however you want.
Although with worn tyres I'd try to stick to similar tread levels on each end of either axle.
Although with worn tyres I'd try to stick to similar tread levels on each end of either axle.
At the summit of the picturesque fens
Tyres are balanced individually on a machine. They can be done on the car but I've always assumed that's either a weird factory edge case or for absolute super duper precision as it takes account of the hub etc. And then it would all become irrelevant come the first tyre change!
I'd always try and have matched axle sets (make and tread) but unless they're wildly different tread patterns (eg asymmetric on one side and directional on the other) in the real world road camber probably makes more difference.
I'd always try and have matched axle sets (make and tread) but unless they're wildly different tread patterns (eg asymmetric on one side and directional on the other) in the real world road camber probably makes more difference.
I have heard of balancing on the car but never seen it done. Balances the entire rotating assembly which may be an advantage.
Never understood the swapping wheels around thing, you end up with all four tyres wearing out at the same time (which is fine if you can afford that in one hit) plus modern cars can wear tyres in very strange ways so you can get odd handling and noises.
If you don't cover loads of miles a year then you risk the tyres on the axle that isn't driven cracking, had to replace perfectly good tyres tread wise on a fiesta because they were cracking.
Common issue with continental tyres
As long as the wheels are square, no issues in swapping them. Put the most worn on the rear seems to be a decent rule of thumb. Makes a RWD more fun, makes a FWD less fun.
I've frequently put two new tyres on cars and had the rears swapped to front or fronts swapped to rears depending on driven wheels. The one time I didn't swap rear to front with only two new tyres on a FWD Citroen ZX we ended up swapping ends and sliding backwards into a lay-by on the opposite side of the road in the wet. Naturally I was booked in that afternoon to get the rears replaced already.
Also been caught out on a focus where I didn't pay attention, assumed they were a square setup (well the previous focus was) and then had a rather embarrassing chat with my MOT tester on why I had wider wheels on the front axle to the rear axle. Whoops.
I've frequently put two new tyres on cars and had the rears swapped to front or fronts swapped to rears depending on driven wheels. The one time I didn't swap rear to front with only two new tyres on a FWD Citroen ZX we ended up swapping ends and sliding backwards into a lay-by on the opposite side of the road in the wet. Naturally I was booked in that afternoon to get the rears replaced already.
Also been caught out on a focus where I didn't pay attention, assumed they were a square setup (well the previous focus was) and then had a rather embarrassing chat with my MOT tester on why I had wider wheels on the front axle to the rear axle. Whoops.
I do it purely so I can buy four identical tyres at once, rather than buying two which are mis-matched to the other two. Gives more options in my mind.
My wife's car needs 2 new fronts (FWD) as I haven't rotated the wheels (I forget cos it ain't my car). It has stupid 'semi-racing' Pirelli corsas on all four wheels at present. I am not buying those as they are hideously expensive (around £250 a corner) and last around 8k miles!!
So whatever I replace the fronts with; probably SC7s, will be very different to the rears. If I had remembered to rotate the wheels I could replace all four with SC7s, just a bit later.
I never do it, because I've 'always' had staggered tyres on cars, and I always wear one axle set out before the others...and tend to require a new single tyre at some point due to a gash in the sidewall from a pothole or debris.
I long for the time I can replace a matched pair without throwing away a half worn one
I long for the time I can replace a matched pair without throwing away a half worn one
Sacramento, CA
Rotation is extremely important, imo. Especially when staggered + rwd/fwd.
For example, if your right side + rear wears faster, such as if you're lapping a CCW or a road which has more left handers in a rwd car, then you're buying one individual tire each time as every tire is wearing at a different rate, meaning eventually all your corners will have different grip levels (varying heat cycles, tire life, compound life) and you'll be spending more time at the tire shop.
Results in a less consistent car and more waste of time.
For example, if your right side + rear wears faster, such as if you're lapping a CCW or a road which has more left handers in a rwd car, then you're buying one individual tire each time as every tire is wearing at a different rate, meaning eventually all your corners will have different grip levels (varying heat cycles, tire life, compound life) and you'll be spending more time at the tire shop.
Results in a less consistent car and more waste of time.
Tire rotation, as noted by the competely ludicrous naming ;-), is almost an entirely American preoccupation (I've rotated my tyres 1000 times this morning already!) I suppose it's an idea dreamt up by the Jiffy Lube places that still fight like hell that 3000 miles is a sensible oil change interval to make a few more dollars.
In Britain few people know what it is and would never think to ask for it. It only ever gets suggested by diligent mechanics for light FWD cars where the rears may perish before they wear out. Tyre shops never suggest it and look pained if you ask. It has it's place but I've always worn tyres out before really needing to worry about equalising them.
In Britain few people know what it is and would never think to ask for it. It only ever gets suggested by diligent mechanics for light FWD cars where the rears may perish before they wear out. Tyre shops never suggest it and look pained if you ask. It has it's place but I've always worn tyres out before really needing to worry about equalising them.