Written by City Wheels · G-10/1, Islamabad
- alignment
- balancing
- services
- guide
Wheel alignment adjusts the angles at which your wheels point, and fixes a car that pulls to one side or wears the edge of its tyres. Wheel balancing corrects the weight distribution around each spinning wheel, and fixes vibration you feel at speed. They are different jobs for different symptoms, and a car can need one, the other, or both.
What does wheel alignment do?
Alignment sets three angles to the figures your car's manufacturer specifies:
- Toe — whether the wheels point slightly inward or outward when viewed from above. The biggest cause of rapid tyre wear.
- Camber — how much the wheel tilts in or out at the top when viewed from the front.
- Caster — the angle of the steering axis, which affects straight-line stability and how the steering self-centres.
Potholes, kerbs and speed breakers gradually knock these angles out. A computerised 3D wheel alignment measures all four wheels against the factory specification and adjusts what is adjustable on your car.
What does wheel balancing do?
No tyre and rim are perfectly uniform in weight. At 100 km/h a wheel turns many times a second, so a heavy spot of just a few grams becomes a noticeable shake. Computerised balancing spins each wheel, measures the imbalance, and adds small weights to cancel it out.
Which one does my car need?
| Symptom | Usually means |
|---|---|
| Car pulls to one side on a straight road | Alignment |
| Steering wheel off-centre when driving straight | Alignment |
| Inner or outer edge of a tyre wearing fast | Alignment |
| Steering wheel shakes at 80–120 km/h | Balancing (front wheels) |
| Seat or floor vibrates at speed | Balancing (rear wheels) |
| Patchy, scalloped tread wear | Balancing or worn suspension |
When should you get both?
Whenever new tyres are fitted: balancing is part of fitting any tyre, and checking alignment at the same time stops the new tyres wearing unevenly from day one. Both are also worth checking after a hard impact with a pothole or kerb, or after any suspension or steering work.
How often should they be done?
On Pakistani roads, checking alignment every 10,000 km or six months is sensible. Balancing should be done whenever a tyre is fitted, removed or repaired, and whenever a new vibration appears. If vibration continues after balancing, the cause may be a bent rim, a damaged tyre or a worn part — see our rim repair service.
Questions answered
Can bad balancing cause the car to pull?
Not usually. Balancing problems cause vibration, not a steady pull. A car that pulls to one side typically needs alignment, although uneven tyre pressure or a sticking brake can cause it too — so check pressures first.
Does balancing fix uneven tyre wear?
Only the patchy, scalloped kind caused by imbalance. Wear concentrated on one edge of the tyre is an alignment problem, and balancing will not fix it.
