What Is A Wheel Balancer?

When we drop our car off for its annual check-up, a whole host of work goes on behind the scenes. Brakes get tested, lights get fixed, and parts get replaced. Nowadays, even the less obvious (but very essential) safety test, wheel balancing, is taken into consideration.

A wheel balancer is a tool used to balance the weight distribution of a vehicle’s wheel and tyre assembly. It helps ensure that the wheel rotates evenly and smoothly, reducing vibrations that can affect the handling, ride comfort, and longevity of the tyres and other components.

What Is Wheel Balancing?

According to National, “wheel balancing is the process of attaching small weights to a tyre’s rim in order to distribute the weight of the wheels evenly on each axle.” This is meant to make your driving experience comfortable, smooth, and safe.

How Does A Wheel Balancer Work?

A typical wheel balancer consists of a base, a spindle, and a mounting system that holds the wheel and tyre assembly in place. The balancer then measures the weight distribution of the assembly and indicates where weights should be added or removed to achieve proper balance.

What Are The Benefits Of Using A Wheel Balancer?

When you have a duty of care toward your customers, use a wheel balancer as a part of your standard check-up procedure. This will:

1. Protect their tyres from unnecessary and accelerated wear and tear.
2. Offer additional safety and comfort to the driver and their passengers.
3. Ensure a stronger fuel economy, saving them money in the long run.

Why Is Wheel Balancing Important?

At the end of the day, unbalanced wheels will disrupt your driving. They cause difficulties with your steering and erode your tyres faster, sometimes leading to dangerous consequences.

Luckily, a simple wheel balancer machine can test whether or not your car’s weight is being distributed equally – ensuring a more even rotation of your tyres.

What Are The Types of Wheel Balancers?

There are several types of wheel balancers available, including manual wheel balancers, semi-automatic wheel balancers, and fully automatic wheel balancers. Manual wheel balancers require the operator to use physical force to spin the wheel, while automatic wheel balancers are controlled by a computer and require minimal manual labour.

AAQ stocks some of the very best wheel balancers in Australia:

The right one for you will depend on whether you have a truck, car, or motorcycle, and how often you’ll be using it. If you only have one vehicle, for example, getting a manual wheel balancer machine will save you some money. If you have multiple vehicles or operate your own garage, an automatic would be the least time-consuming and most practical. 

Before making your decision, be sure to evaluate the size, price, specifications, weight, and functionality of the wheel balancers available to you.

Can A Wheel Balancer Handle All Types Of Wheels?

Most wheel balancers are designed to handle a wide range of wheels, from small car wheels to large truck wheels. However, it is important to check the specifications of the machine to ensure that it can handle the size and type of wheels you need to work with.

How Do You Maintain Your Wheel Balancer Machine?

As with all other equipment, you’ll need to look after your wheel balancer to guarantee the best results from it. Be sure to clean and lubricate it regularly (dusting the screen if it’s automatic) and re-calibrate it when required. This’ll keep your wheel balancer in prime condition so that you can best look after the cars you’re working on.

How Often Do I Need To Balance My Wheels?

You should be rebalancing your wheels every 20,000 kilometres. If you drive slightly more than the average Australian citizen, you’ll need to use a wheel balancer approximately once a year.

How Much Does A Wheel Balancer Cost?

A wheel balancer can cost anywhere between $1500 AUD to $3000 AUD. If you only have one vehicle, it will be cheaper for you to go to a garage. If you have multiple, it’ll be convenient to have a wheel balancer at home.

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Browse AAQ’s range of wheel balancers today or contact us to learn more. We’d be happy to provide additional advice to help you select the right machine for you.