Your life is on the tires when you are driving. Therefore, the good condition of the tires comes first when we consider safe driving. Over time, the tires can wear out due to different reasons, so the result will be unbalanced tires. How long can you drive on unbalanced tires? It is worth knowing what experts say about the lifespan of unbalanced tires because you are surely in danger if you continue using worn-out tires.
What are Unbalanced Tires?
If a part of the tire is lighter than other parts, it can be known as an unbalanced tire. Usually, the whole tire should have the same weight.
The reasons for unbalanced tires can be some issues with other components, faulty driving habits, or hitting curbs and potholes.
Although your tires are in good condition, some components can affect the performance of the tires. For instance, if one side of the suspension has worn out, the weight on the tires is unbalanced. And if you brake hard or brake during the acceleration, the tires can be unbalanced.
Finally, if the potholes and curbs are hit, the weight on the wheels might fall off.
There are some symptoms that alert you to identify unbalanced tires. You will experience that your steering wheel is vibrating.
It can be most felt while you drive at high speed. And sometimes, you might find that it is difficult to handle the steering wheel. Another thing you can notice is the uneven wear out of the tires.
How Do Unbalanced Tires Affect Driving?
Mainly, unbalanced tires can affect driving as follows.
- Poor Fuel Economy – the vehicle can consume a lot of fuel in this case when compared to regular fuel economy. So unbalanced tires bring you an additional cost. When you drive faster, this incident turns worse. Thus, if your tires have been unbalanced, it would be better to maintain an average speed.
- Damages in Other Components – If the tires are not balanced, it affects the other parts of the vehicle, such as shocks, bearings, wheel assembly, etc. Thus, the overall performance of the vehicle can be decreased.
- Uneven Tread Wear – unbalanced tires do not wear evenly. And they can be worn out faster too. If you were unable to fix the problem quickly, you might have to go for a replacement.
- Excessive Vibration – while you are driving, you might have to experience an excessive vibration, especially in the steering wheel.
The worst thing you can expect is the threat to your safety. It is not a good idea to drive a vehicle with worn-out components. And since the tires can wear out unevenly, you may not be able to control the vehicle in some situations especially in bad weather conditions.
How Long Can you Drive on Unbalanced Tires?
Approximately you are able to drive for 2 to 3 months on unbalanced tires. This time period is the average estimate for most models.
Indeed, you can drive on unbalanced tires for the aforesaid time period if the tires can run normally.
In case the imbalance is negligible, it is possible to drive safely for more than one year. But when all the tires are unbalanced vastly, you have to get the tires balanced or replace.
You should not neglect the signs of unbalanced tires because, at some point, the tires will not support driving at all, or they bring you a devastating effect like an accident.
The reason why, as we mentioned above, unbalanced tires can affect the overall performance of the vehicle. Thus, you are advised to drive a maximumly of 2 months on unbalanced tires.
Balanced tires will ensure your safety as well as a comfortable ride.
How to Prevent Tire Imbalance and Maintain the Safe Driving Condition?
The first thing you should fix is your driving habits. Make sure not to brake hard unnecessarily. And you should avoid braking during acceleration. And if your tires are somewhat old, do not often run the vehicle at a higher speed.
It is highly important to maintain the tires regularly. The intervals you should get the tires balanced depends on the condition of your vehicle, so meet a technician and do the repairs whenever it is necessary.
You can balance the tires using a tire balancer by yourself, but if you do not have such knowledge, get a professional service.
They will measure the weight of the tires and add some weight to balance them. And if there are worn-out parts in the wheel system of your vehicle, make sure to repair or replace them.
And remember to check the condition of your tires regularly, too; if you notice something that should be avoidable, take necessary actions.
If you have driven the vehicle for 2 to 3 months with unbalanced tires, do not delay to go to a technician and get the tires balanced.
It is a must to maintain a safe driving condition. Otherwise, you may have to face accidents.
At What Speed Do Unbalanced Tires Shake?
When you exceed the speed above 45 mph, the car might start to shake more than it generally does.
Some vehicles can start shaking around 55 mph as well. Depending on the condition of the tires, the exact speed can vary from one vehicle to the other.
Mostly, you will feel that your steering wheel vibrates when the front tires have the issue. If the rear tires are unbalanced, the seats can vibrate.
If the tires of your vehicle are in such a condition, always try to reduce the speed. As mentioned once, it directly affects the fuel economy of the vehicle as well.
Are Unbalanced Tires Loud?
This is not a very common symptom, but when the condition of the tires has become worse, the tires can emit a lot of noises.
The reason why, the tires cannot align properly, so the parts of the tires cannot involve driving in the same quantity.
Some parts have to make a lot of effort than others. Consequently, the tires can make louder noises, especially when you increase the speed of the vehicle.
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Video Credits – Auto V Fix
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