Tire assembly tire wheel assembly wheel assembly assembly rims

All parts may show signs of wear!

The wheels can become unbalanced, especially after changing tires or wheels. The result: vibrations, higher wear, less driving safety.

Our master workshop explains how to recognize an imbalance - and we'll be happy to answer how much it costs to balance your wheels.

Simply ask us your question here in writing and our employees will immediately send you information or the price.

A properly running wheel is important for driving safety and comfort. Only if a tire is perfectly balanced can it optimally bring its positive properties to the road. However, the weight distribution on the wheel is not always perfect: the valve, curb collisions or unevenly worn rubber cause the wheel to become unbalanced - an imbalance occurs. This not only causes the tires to wear out more quickly, but over a longer period of time the steering and chassis can also be damaged. That's why it's important to have the wheels balanced at the first sign of imbalance.

How does an imbalance occur in car tires and rims?

An imbalance is nothing more than an imbalance in the wheel. There are many causes for this. One of them is the valve: without a counterweight, the tire would not rotate evenly around the axle. Another reason for imbalance is uneven tire tread wear. Strong braking maneuvers and cornering wear the rubber unevenly. Even the smallest changes in weight can have a major impact on the concentricity due to the centrifugal forces created during rotation: at a speed of 100 km/h, an imbalance of just ten grams can already have an effect of 2.5 kilos on the wheel.

Balancing a wheel: how does it work?

Strictly speaking, it is not the tire that is balanced, but the entire wheel. Colloquially, however, it has become commonplace to speak of “balancing the tire.” The imbalance is compensated for by specifically attaching small counterweights to the rim. Balancing the tires is only possible in the workshop with appropriate equipment. To do this, the wheel is clamped into a special machine. This simulates the rolling movements of the tire on the car and determines the imbalance on the wheel to the nearest gram. The machine then shows the fitter the weight and the location where he has to attach the counterweight on the rim. After balancing, vibrations can still be noticeable despite the wheels now running smoothly, because possible imbalances - originating from the brake discs, drums or wheel hub - are not taken into account by the balancing machine. This then requires so-called fine balancing directly on the vehicle using a mobile wheel balancing machine.

How do you recognize an imbalance?

There are several signs that indicate imbalance:
• Steering wheel wobble at certain speeds
• Vibrations on the steering wheel
• Unusual noises at speeds of around 100 km/h
• The car feels spongy between 120 and 190 km/h (almost like aquaplaning)
• Unevenly worn tires

How noticeable the signs are depends on the driving speed and the wheel diameter. In other words: Fast sports cars with large tuning wheels react particularly sensitively if the weights are not positioned correctly. As a rule of thumb: Even a small imbalance of ten grams pulls 7.5 kilos on the wheel at 100 km/h.

How often should you balance your tires?

There are no fixed intervals for balancing tires. Some drivers have their wheels balanced every seasonal tire change, while others only have their wheels balanced once after installing new tires.

BMW car parts & workshop
Master workshop
Tel.: 030-39871970

Opening hours:
Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m
Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m