What is the difference between Wheel Alignment and Wheel Balancing?

What is Wheel Alignment?

Wheel alignment, also known as tracking, is a part of general upkeep of a vehicle, in simple terms it is an adjustment of the angles of the wheels back to the original manufacturer's specifications. Static sites carry out wheel alignment by putting the car onto a machine that measures the current alignment and provides calculations which inform the user which wheel(s) require correcting.

Mobile Wheel Alignment

However, here at Hometyre we are able to carry out Mobile Wheel Alignment. This is done by attaching lasers contained within gauges to the wheels which provide a reading. Once the reading has been obtained our clever technicians use the power of mathematics to calculate exactly what needs to be done to correct the alignment.

Mobile Wheel Alignment is not a convenience everyone can offer, this is not down to the process being impossible, it is because many other companies have not invested in the equipment and specialised training required to carry out the work.

We can carry out wheel alignment at your home address, your place of work or somewhere more convenient for you!

Do I need wheel alignment?

If your wheel alignment is not correct, some of the tell-tale signs are listed below

1. The car wondering slightly to one side
2. Steering wheel not running in line when driving straight
3. Visibly uneven tread/edges wearing more rapidly

If you are experiencing one or more of the above, then you may have alignment or misalignment issues.

If you are experiencing any of these issues, it could be worth calling out Hometyre to carry out a free wheel alignment check on your vehicle. Simply contact us on 0333 444 5454, fill out a quick enquiry form on the website or if we're online, chat to one of our agents in the bottom right corner of your screen!

What is Wheel Balancing

Wheel balancing is the process of ensuring that rims and tyres are equally weighted around the circumference. To compensate for any imperfection a process of 'balancing' is carried out. This is when balance weights are applied to the rim which corrects any imbalance.

A sign of your wheels needing balancing is vibration between certain speeds, usually at higher speeds. If you are doing simple A-B driving around towns you may feel nothing, however once you get onto the motorway you may start to experience the vibrations.

Mobile Wheel Balancing

Our mobile tyre fitting vans are fitted with a computerised electronic wheel balancer, these are able to balance wheels on cars, 4x4, light commercial vehicles and even vintage cars.

We also offer centreless wheel balancing - for more information click here

Book in today!

If you are experiencing any of the problems outlined above, just give us a call today on 0333 444 5454 and book in with your local technician. We cover parts of the UK from Edinburgh down to Brighton and can often come out same day to keep you safe on the roads!