Balancing a wheel-tire combo; brushing up on pet hair
Dear Car Talk: I have a comment on a recent article of yours in which you explained why all newly mounted tires need to be balanced. You explained that all tires come with small imperfections, and that balancing the tires on the wheel helps correct for those manufacturing flaws to ensure a smooth ride.
You forgot to mention that the wheel itself could also affect the balance of the whole assembly, not just the tires. I don’t think many wheels are manufactured perfectly balanced either, just like tires.
Even a perfect tire on any given wheel will probably not be “balanced.” Just sayin’. Love your articles and humor. — John
A: Thanks for reminding me that I forgot to insult the wheel manufacturers in that column, John. You’re right that it’s possible.
In my experience, the tires are much more likely to need balancing than the wheels. And because of their relative masses, and the tire’s greater distance from the center of the axle, an imperfection in the tire is more likely to be amplified than one in the wheel.
But wheels certainly can get bent from hitting potholes or curbstones, and that can contribute to, or cause, an imbalance.
We’d still try to address it the same way — by balancing the wheel and tire together, as a unit.
But if the wheel-tire combo couldn’t be balanced — or if the customer continued to experience a vibration at speed — the first thing I’d do is try another tire. If it still wouldn’t balance, then I’d suspect the wheel.
Dear Car Talk: I don’t have a question, but I do have a great tip for my fellow car and dog owners. Millions of cars have “gone to the dogs!” With pet hair covering my seats and car floors, I used to use a vacuum, which was pretty useless, because the fur seems to stick to the carpet and seats like glue.
Then, one day I tried our old trusty wood-handled, stiff bristled brush. It worked like magic! One or two swipes and voila! Brush, yes; vacuum, no!
HAIRS to ya, Ray! Keep up the great work. — Joel
A: This is great, Joel. Now I can stop shellacking my dog twice a week.
Got a question about cars? Write to Ray in care of King Features, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, or email by visiting the Car Talk website at cartalk.com.