The balance of the car is dependent upon the mounting and fixing of the tires and that is undoubtedly an obvious fact. While most people prefer to get it done by the repair shop, there might be situations, where you have to do it of your own. But there are some common mistakes people commit while balancing the wheels and tires.
The Chevrolet service department Lexington shared some useful tips on how to avoid such mistakes:
- Mistake While Mounting
Failure to recognize tire pressure monitoring systems, run-flats and other special technologies. One has to check if the vehicle is equipped with a proper tire pressure monitoring system. One has to observe carefully about what is type of TPMS that is installed on the vehicle. If the sensor is placed at the valve, there is a chance for it to get damaged. Make sure that the TPMS sensors are working properly before you decide to service the vehicle.
This will protect you from customer accusations that you damaged their tire pressure monitoring systems during mounting or demounting, says Dave Scribner, product manager for Hunter Engineering Co.
- Erroneous Handling of Reverse Mount Wheels
Reverse mount wheels are extremely common in modern cars. The recommended way of handling is using a reverse mount adaptor. It would help avoid any chances of scratch on the surface of the wheel. Moreover, while clamping, one should use the jaw protection tool to avoid any damage.
- Wrong Way of Inserting the Bead Breaker
It is very important to insert the bead breaker properly, as otherwise, there can be a risk of damaging the sidewall plies. Even the Wheels can be damaged due to any wrongly inserted bead breaker.
- Not Applying Enough Amount of Lubrication
Lubricators is a must for both the times, during the mounting process of the tire and then, when it is being removed. Though too much of lube or an incorrect proportion of mixtures that carry excessive water can create slippage and vibration problems for the tire-to-wheel areas, too less or no lube can equally cause damage to the wheels and tires. By using wrong amount of lubricants can create wheel corrosion in the long run, leakage and untimely failures. Thus, one has to make sure to lube all the areas like the inner toe area of the tire bead, the balcony of the wheel drop center and the bead seat.
- Using Hand-Held Bars for Holding the Bead in the Drop Center
While holding the bead in the drop-center, if the bar accidentally slips down and the tire comes up, the tire bead would rip apart. It may even damage the rim. To avoid all these risks, the Chevrolet service Lexington dealer advices to use a mechanical tool to hold up the tire into the drop center while mounting the upper bead and that would help from damaging the tire and rim.
Summing Up
Whether you are a mechanic fixing and balancing tires for your customers or you are a DIY freak, the above-said tips would help you balance your car in every respect.