What Are Wheel Alignment and Balancing, and When Are They Needed?
"Alignment and balancing" are often mentioned together as if they were one job, but they are two separate adjustments. Wheel alignment corrects the angles of the wheels, while wheel balancing corrects the weight distribution of each wheel. Both matter for tyre life, fuel consumption and driving safety.
What is wheel alignment?
Wheel alignment brings camber (the inward or outward tilt of the wheel), caster (the angle of the steering axis) and toe (whether the wheels point inward or outward) back into the range specified by the manufacturer. When these values drift, the car pulls to one side, the steering wheel is off-centre and the tyres wear at the edges.
What is wheel balancing?
The weight of a tyre and rim is never perfectly evenly distributed. A balancing machine measures the difference, and small weights are added to the rim to compensate. An unbalanced wheel causes vibration in the steering wheel, especially between 80 and 120 km/h.
Warning signs
- The car pulls left or right on a straight road
- The steering wheel is not centred when driving straight
- Vibration in the steering wheel or seat at certain speeds
- Fast wear on the inner or outer edges of the front tyres
- Tyre noise in corners
- A hard hit on a pothole or kerb
How often should they be checked?
The general recommendation is an alignment and balance check every 10,000-15,000 km. Wheels should be balanced at every tyre change, and the alignment should be set after any front-end part is replaced. In city driving with frequent road works and potholes, a shorter interval helps protect the tyres.
Important note
The front end should be inspected before aligning. If a tie rod end or ball joint has play, the alignment will drift again quickly. In our workshop we lift and inspect every car first, then perform a 3D wheel alignment.
