What exactly is Wheel Balance?

Often wheel balance is confused with wheel alignment however the two are really very different issues.

Wheel balance is to do with each tire and rim assembly totally separate of the vehicle itself. I want to make this clear because often people think the car is out of balance rather than the wheel in isolation.

A wheel becoming out of balance is quite normal, for instance on day one when the tire is fitted to the wheel it is out of balance and needs to be balanced before placing on the vehicle. Balancing involves the wheel been spun on a machine and lead weights added to counteract any heavy or "out of balance" spots in the tire wheel assembly.

Often people think that the wheel balance machine needs to spin as fast as where the shake is happening on the vehicle however this is simply not true. It only needs to spin fast enough to detect where the out of balance point is.

Normally your front wheels are out of balance if your steering wheel is shaking and it could be one of your rear wheels if the whole car is shaking. We are talking about a high speed shake not a shake a low speed which could be a separated tire - if this is your problem you may want to read Car Shaking Causes and Resolutions

Best tires for my car - How to know what to Buy

One of the common questions that gets asked in the tire business by customers is "What are the best tires for my car?" , there are a number of answers to this somewhat ambiguous question which we will attempt to address in this article.

The below are questions that your tire professional should be asking you.

What kind of roads are you driving on?
If you are driving on semi-sealed surfaces out in the country you will be looking at different tire recommendations that if you are on smooth tar seal all the time. Different surfaces mean different requirements

What distances are you travelling?
If you are driving massive distances at a time this will mean that you will want a tire that performs well at high speed, and hot temperatures. Different from if you only drive down to the local shops every day.

Around town or open road driving?
In some ways similar to the previous question are you just doing a few miles around town or hitting the open roads at high speeds, meaning a different grade of tire should be recommended for you.

Would you like to stick with the same tires that your vehicle has been supplied with or are you unhappy with them and would like to change to something else?
You already know how the current tires on your vehicle have performed for you. If you are happy with the performance and lifespan that you have got out of them, why not simply replace them with the same. It would be a pity to replace them with something different for no good reason.

What kind of budget are you looking at?
Obviously at some point budget is going to come into the equation. Normally there are at least 3 levels of tires, budget, middle of the road, and high performance. Something in the middle is the best bet for most drivers unless you are struggling to afford the tires, or looking for something high performance.

Whats important to you in a tire?
If you drive around like an old man, and are only interested in how many miles you get out of a tire you need to let your tire professional know this, if performance and road handling is more important to you than getting a high mileage then say so - a softer compound, higher spec tire is the one for you.

Make sure you shop around, have a good look through the other articles on this site and learn as much as you can. The more knowledge that you have the better position you will be in for your next tire purchase.

Goodyear Tires

For much of my career in the tire industry I sold Goodyear Tires, they are a brand that are respected throughout the world and provide a great product at a very reasonable price.

The Goodyear Tire Company
Known as much for the Goodyear Blimp as the tires that they sell around the world Goodyear is the worlds largest tire manufacturer.

For 80 years, Goodyear blimps have adorned the skies as very visible corporate symbols of the tire and rubber company that began operations in 1898.

They are a company that I have no hesitation in recommending, I have always considered their products to be of the highest quality.

With origins dating back to 1898 Goodyear Tires have a history greater than any other tire company.

Types of Goodyear Tires

Below are some of the more well known tires in the Goodyear car tyre range.

Eagle NCT 3 - The Neutral Contour Theory (NCT for short) was formulated by a Goodyear mathematician. This innovative concept stated that if the forces in a tyre are equalised, a perfect blend of ride and handling will be achieved.

Eagle NCT 5 - Specifically designed in Europe as original equipment for modern performance vehicles, the Eagle NCT5 is fitted standard on new Ford Falcon AUII Futura and Fairmont models from Australia. Featuring plush ride and low road noise levels from the refined pattern characteristics, this tyre also delivers high levels of wet handling and wet braking grip

Ducaro - Employs a state-of-the-art design system and many elements of Goodyear’s Trinuum Tyre Technology. A key feature is the Bubble-Blade II system to enhance the tyre’s performance (up to 10% better handling on wet and dry roads)

Eagle F1 - Goodyear's Leading Ultra High-Performance Tire. Crafted In Europe.

You can visit Goodyear US for further information.