Every vehicle finally runs on wheels and tires. None of them will be able to finally move, if any of these components are out of order, however well the other mechanisms might be working.
So, every vehicle owner will need to have some basic knowledge about how to keep these parts in good running condition. For this what becomes important is to know at first is, what could go wrong with them. At the same time, it is also important to have the knowledge that there are many myths and misconceptions making rounds among the car users regarding these two parts. For example, you might hear the phrase like how to check your tire alignment, whereas, the correct version would be how to check your wheel alignment.
Difference Between Maintaining Wheels and Tires
To understand the difference between the maintenance of wheels and tires, we must know the difference between these two parts itself. The wheels of a vehicle are those hard round metal parts on which the rubber tubes called tires are fixed.
So, maintaining the wheels of a car will involve procedures like wheel balancing, wheel alignment and wheel rim repair, while maintaining the tires will involve steps like tire pressure checking, tire inflation, tire rotation and tire replacement.
Repairs for the Wheel
The wheels of a vehicle can go out of their place, which is called wheel misalignment. This issue is addressed by wheel alignment. This repair work is focused on placing the wheels to their respective grooves, without leaving any loose end.
Sometimes the car wheels can go imbalanced when all the wheels are not on the same height. This can cause the vehicle lose its balance and topple down. To avoid such incidents, wheel balancing is necessary where it is ensured that all the wheels are touching the ground with equal weight.
After a collision, the rims of the structure of the wheel might get damaged or go out of shape. That will not allow the tires to stay fixed properly and won’t allow a smooth roll of the vehicle. These damages are addressed by straightening of the wheel frame back to their original shape. In cases, where the damage is beyond repair, the wheels are required to be replaced.
Repairs Done to the Tires
The tires are the rubberized parts used to make the vehicle move smoothly on the road surfaces. These tires are inflated with air blown into them. Without the optimum air pressure filled to the tires, they will refuse to work their usual manner. So, the most common part of tire maintenance is tire pressure check and inflation. This is a frequently done maintenance for the car tires, since the air pressure in these tires tend to fall, after a certain amount of usage.
The next common thing done to the tires is tire rotation. This is the process where the positions of the tires of a vehicle are interchanged to maintain even tire tread wear. Since it is nearly impossible to load equal pressure to all the tires, while driving a car, because of uneven weight carried in it, the wear caused to the treads of each tire or more commonly to a pair of tires will invariably be uneven.
Finally, when a tire is worn out beyond repair, it is replaced, explained a staff who work at a tire alignment shop near Monterey.
