A wheel that's slightly out of balance makes itself known as a vibration at speed, and a tired valve as a tyre that keeps going soft. NRH Autoworks balances wheels and replaces tyre valves at our garage on Windsor Road in Bray, for drivers from Maidenhead, Windsor and the surrounding villages.
Enter your registration on the enquiry form, choose wheel balancing and valves, and describe what you've noticed: the speed the vibration starts at, whether you feel it through the steering wheel or the seat, and whether it followed a pothole or kerb strike. We'll reply by phone or email.
What we can help with
- Wheel balancing, front and rear
- Wheels balanced whenever new tyres are fitted
- Lost or damaged balance weights replaced
- New rubber valves when tyres are fitted
- Leaking valves found and replaced
- Tyre, wheel and suspension checks where a vibration persists
Signs of a balance or valve problem
- The steering wheel vibrating at motorway speeds
- A shake that comes and goes as your speed changes
- Vibration through the seat or the floor
- A vibration that started after a pothole or kerb strike
- A clean patch on the wheel rim where a weight used to be
- A tyre that slowly loses pressure with no obvious puncture
- A rubber valve that looks cracked or perished
What wheel balancing is
No wheel and tyre is perfectly uniform: there's always a little more weight in one place than another. At low speed it makes no difference, but at motorway speeds that uneven weight makes the wheel shake as it spins. Balancing corrects it. The wheel and tyre assembly is spun on a balancer, which measures where the heavy spots are, and small weights are fixed to the rim to even things out.
The classic sign is a vibration through the steering wheel that comes and goes with speed, usually from a front wheel. A vibration felt through the seat or floor more often points to a rear wheel. Weights can be knocked off by a kerb or a pothole, which is why a shake sometimes appears overnight. Wheels are balanced whenever we fit new tyres.
Balancing is not wheel alignment
The two are often confused, but they're different jobs. Balancing deals with how weight is distributed around a wheel and tyre, and it cures vibration. Alignment is about the angles the wheels sit at relative to the car and to each other, and it affects whether the car pulls to one side, whether the steering wheel sits straight and how evenly the tyres wear.
To be upfront: wheel alignment isn't offered at this site. If your symptoms sound like alignment rather than balance, we'll tell you. It's also worth knowing that pulling and uneven tyre wear are often caused by worn suspension or steering parts, which we can inspect and repair, leaving the alignment to be set elsewhere afterwards.
Valves, and when vibration isn't balance
Most cars use a simple rubber valve that pulls through a hole in the wheel. The rubber perishes with age and can crack at the base, so these valves are replaced when tyres are fitted. A leaking valve is a common cause of a slow pressure loss. Cars with tyre pressure sensors have a different type of valve, so ask us and we'll advise.
Not every vibration is a balance problem. A damaged or misshapen tyre, a bent wheel or worn suspension can all cause a similar shake, so we inspect rather than assume. If balancing the wheels wouldn't cure it, we'll explain what we've found and what would, before any further work is done.
Wheel Balancing & Valves: common questions
Why does my steering wheel shake at 60 to 70mph?
A vibration that appears in a particular speed range and fades above or below it is most often a front wheel out of balance, sometimes after a weight has been knocked off. It can also come from a damaged tyre, a bent wheel or worn suspension, so we check those before assuming balancing alone will fix it.
What's the difference between wheel balancing and wheel alignment?
Balancing corrects uneven weight around the wheel and tyre using small weights, and cures vibration at speed. Alignment sets the angles of the wheels and affects pulling, steering wheel position and tyre wear. We carry out balancing, but wheel alignment isn't offered at this site. We'll tell you if alignment is what your car needs.
Do I need my wheels balanced when I have new tyres fitted?
Yes, and it's part of the job. Every new tyre changes the weight distribution of the wheel, so wheels are balanced whenever we fit new tyres. If a vibration appears some time later, a weight may have come off or something else may have changed, so let us know and we'll take a look.
Can a valve cause a slow puncture?
Yes. Rubber valves perish with age and can leak from the base or from the valve core inside, letting pressure drop over days or weeks. It's one of the first things we check on a tyre that keeps going soft. If the tread is damaged instead, see our puncture repairs page.
My car has tyre pressure sensors. Does that change anything?
Cars with tyre pressure sensors in the wheels have a different type of valve from the ordinary rubber kind, and what's involved varies from car to car. Rather than guess, ask us: include your registration in the enquiry and mention any tyre pressure warning on the dashboard, and we'll advise on the best way forward.