One of the major dilemmas for vehicle buyers is knowing whether they need to do balancing, alignment, and camber together. According to Carlos Fabrício Correia, after-sales manager at Prime Hyundai, the answer is no.
"Most car manufacturers indicate that balancing and alignment should be done every 10,000 km service, but that doesn't mean they won't be necessary at some point. The ideal is to evaluate what is most urgent," he says.
And why do these services need to be done? According to Correia, vehicle use causes natural wear over time, so care is necessary. "Over time or with irregular vehicle use, it is common for parts to deteriorate. Therefore, it is important to carry out maintenance and adjustments on them."
What are alignment, balancing, and camber?
In popular terms, alignment corrects the steering wheel in relation to the communication with the wheels. "It is important to always do the alignment with properly inflated tires," warns the after-sales manager at Prime Hyundai.
Although balancing is interconnected with alignment, we must clearly understand that we have a set of components that must work together for a balanced wheel. "Every time the tires are removed and mounted, to help eliminate vibration and avoid premature wear caused by an imbalance in the wheel and tire assembly, balancing is recommended," says Correia.
Camber, also known as camber angle, is a measurement that refers to the perpendicularity of the wheel in relation to the ground. "When the vehicle's wheels have an inclination angle of 90º in relation to the asphalt, it is not necessary to adjust the camber," he reminds.
Why are these services necessary?
Alignment helps preserve tire life and even fuel consumption. If you feel instability, especially in curves, it's time to align the tires. But if the intention is just to change the tires or rotate them, it is important to balance all four wheels.
Over time, there is natural wear and loss of factory parameters for balancing. Due to the amount of rubber, tires may show variations in diameter, which causes vibration.
"When we drive on very bumpy streets, we feel an unevenness in the tires. This 'shaking' will pass through the suspension, and the driver will feel this difference. When balancing, the technician will compensate for this variation with lead weights on the balancing machine," he explains.
Camber is not mandatory when alignment and balancing are done. The procedure involves replacing parts when there is a change in the camber angle, so it is not always necessary.
When should I do it?
Whenever there is a tire change or rotation. Hitting potholes or driving on very uneven roads, such as dirt roads, can contribute to tire deformities and variations in rubber.
"If the vehicle also shows abnormal vibration when the driver reaches speeds above 30 km/h, it is important to perform balancing," reinforces Correia.
How to avoid needing these services?
He emphasizes that avoiding potholes, steep climbs, and hard hits; or driving too fast over speed bumps, ditches, and curbs greatly helps preserve tire quality and does not harm the wheels.
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