Tire mounting and balancing

Before we get started, here’s a simple rule: tires should only be mounted by a tire service professional. Are you wondering how to mount a tire? Are you curious when is a good time to think about tire mounting? Well, you’ve come to the right place. This article will tell you what you need to know.

The basics of tire mounting

Tire mounting is the process of removing tires from your vehicle’s wheels and replacing them with another set. Here are the steps your tire service professional will take throughout this process:

1. Your tire and wheel are removed from your car.
2. Your tire and wheel are placed on a special tire mounting machine.
3. Your old tire is removed, and the new tire is installed on the wheel.
4. Your tire and wheel are balanced.
5. Your tire and wheel are mounted back on your car.

Balancing tires

Balancing tires properly can be a bit tricky, and you should only have it done by tire service professionals. Balance is achieved when your tire’s center of gravity is identical to the axis of rotation. Think about a washing machine during a spin cycle. Everything is going to sound fine if your clothes are evenly distributed inside the washer. But if the load is unbalanced, it’s going to be loud and rocky. You don’t want those issues when it comes to your tires.

Here are two of the ways that tire service professionals balance a tire:

Spin Balancing is when a technician uses special equipment to find any heavy spot that could cause your wheels to vibrate when spinning. One at a time, a tire on its wheel is placed on the balancing machine and run through a series of diagnostic tests. The machine will detect any unbalanced area, letting the technician correct the imbalance using clip on or tape on wheel weights.

Road Force Balancing simulates the road's force, pressing a large roller against the tire and wheel as it spins. The machine will measure the combined uniformity of the tire and the wheel to the simulated road surface.. Road force balancing may be able to detect tire and wheel imbalances not detected by spin balancing. Tire and wheel imbalances are corrected using clip on or tape on wheel weights.

Do I need to pay for tire mounting when I buy new tires?

Sometimes tire mounting is included in the price of new tires. If so, your tires will be balanced before they're installed on your vehicle. However, be sure to ask if there are any additional costs before purchasing your new set. To get you on your way, follow our Find A Retailer tool.