Wheel Weights & Balancing

A tire and wheel are never perfectly even. One spot is a little heavier. When that assembly spins, the heavy spot hops — you feel it in the steering wheel or the seat, especially at highway speed. We spin the wheel on a balancer, find that heavy spot, and put a small weight opposite it so the assembly runs true. That’s balancing.

• What wheel weights are Wheel weights are small pieces of metal we put on the rim after we mount a tire, or when a wheel already on the car starts to shake. They stay on the wheel. You might see them on the outer lip or inside the barrel — that’s normal.
• Why a wheel gets weights After a tire change the new tire and the old wheel don’t weigh the same around the circle. An old balance can also be off if a weight fell off or the tire wore uneven. If the car shakes, a balance is the first thing we check before you buy new parts.
• What putting weights on the wheel does The weight counters the heavy spot so the wheel doesn’t hop as it turns. That cuts vibration, helps the tire wear even, and keeps the steering from shivering at speed. It does not fix a bent rim or a damaged tire — those need a different job.

• Shop or roadside — $20 first, $5 each extra
• After a mount, or when the wheel shakes
• Weights cancel a heavy spot so the assembly doesn’t hop
• Not sales tax — see Prices to add it to a quote