Why Do I Need to Balance My Tractor Trailer Tires?

July 19, 2022 12:00 am Published by Leave your thoughts

Most drivers know that it is vital to maintain truck tires in good condition as this ensures the vehicle’s smooth running and assists in ensuring the driver’s safety on the road. Among the most critical maintenance tasks is wheel balancing.

Methods of Tire Balancing 

The main methods for tire balancing are:

  • Static Balancing: This is the most common tire balancing method, and it can apply to most vehicles. The method uses semi truck wheel balancers to rotate the tire and wheel combination to determine where the imbalance is. It then adjusts accordingly by removing or adding weight on the rim in specific regions.
  • Dynamic Balancing: This method is ideal when the tires have irregular wear patterns. Static balancing cannot address this imbalance since it moves around as the tire spins. A roller arm device presses at various tire parts as the wheel spins. This mimics how the tire will behave during driving and allows more accurate correction.
  • Balancing Beads: This uses small, round pieces of glass introduced into the tire before inflating. This balances the tire, wheel, entire axle, and the moving parts of the wheel system. It offers several benefits, like fuel economy and longer tire life. Balancing beads are easy to install and are offers the fastest balancing method. 

Some operators are unwilling to commit to tire balancing as it can add around 10 minutes to the installation time per wheel. Nonetheless, the industry is slowly realizing that tire balancing has several benefits for the vehicle and the entire fleet. 

Why Should You Maintain Your Semi Trucks Tires? 

 Here are some benefits of balancing vehicle tires:

  • To improve control of the truck: Many drivers have realized that, once they balance their vehicles, they can maintain better control over them. Lack of balance can lead to reduced steering performance; tire balance ensures complete control of the vehicle on the road.
  •  Minimizes maintenance requirements: Undertaking tire balancing fleet-wide helps reduce the fleet’s maintenance needs. When your vehicle is not balanced, the vibration might cause damage to bearings, u-joints, lights, and other suspension parts; this may mean that the fleet operator has to carry out extensive repair work with time.
  • Lower operating costs: Fleet operators are more focused than ever on the commercial truck’s tire performance to achieve minimal operating costs. Research has shown that tire balancing enhances lifetime performance and improves a truck’s efficiency by up to 2%. 

​​​​​​​The drawbacks of a truck’s tire balancing are:

  • You spend extra time: Balancing the tires of a four-wheeled automobile does not take long, but when it comes to an 18-wheeled truck, the time you require can add up quickly meaning extra hours the vehicle is not making money.
  • Extra cost: As they say, time is money. There is the cost of lost time plus the cost of the extra labor required to balance each tire.

Are you looking for reliable trailer and truck repair professionals? For over 30 years, Complete Truck Service, Inc has been a leading trailer and truck repair shop in Wytheville, Virginia. We work hard to meet our client’s expectations and unique needs. At Complete Truck Service, Inc., we offer a 24/7 towing, jump-start, and lockout service. We are a repair shop that works with secure storage, heavy-duty diesel mechanic work, air cushion recovery, and more. Call (276) 637-4271 or email us for more information. 

 

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