A few years ago, most any tire and wheel shop did a pretty good job of balancing your tires. It used to be that the sidewall of your tire, that is the portion between your wheel and the tread, was anywhere from 75 to 80% as tall as the width of your tire. Now days, that distance is significantly smaller.
In a standard tire’s measurement, such as a 215/60R15, the “60” figure represents the percentage of the height of the sidewall versus the width of the tread. This number is also referred to as the aspect ratio of the tire. In this example, this tire’s sidewall is 60% as tall as the tire is wide. Passenger tires up through the late 1980s and early 1990s came equipped with tire sizes such as 235/75R15. That means that these car’s tires are 75% as tall as they were wide.
Today, a standard size tire for a Nissan Maxima is a 245/45VR18. The sidewall of these tires are only 45% as tall as the tire is wide. There are a number of vehicles that come with original equipment tires with sidewalls of 30 and 35% width to height ratios. There are even tires with sidewall aspect ratios of 15. This means the sidewall of the tire might be only an inch or so tall.
Why are we telling you all of this? With today’s lower profile tires, there is much less of a “cushion” for your vehicle to ride on. Minor problems can be amplified and transmitted into the car and you feel things a lot more than you used to. Just balancing your tires isn’t always the answer to guaranteeing a smooth ride.
Postle’s Tire Barn has the latest, most modern tire balancer available. It’s called a Hunter Road Force Balancer. This machine takes tire balancing to a whole new level.
Road Force Balancing Simulates The Weight of Your Vehicle
Our Road Force Balancer applies up to 1,200 pounds of pressure to simulate the weight of the vehicle on the tire as it rolls down the road. Computer sensors in the balancer sense variations in the tread. Our balancer senses stiffness, whether or not the tire is completely round, or anything that would prevent the tire from rolling smoothly when it’s weighted by the car.
It is state of the art in vibration diagnostics technology, and is the best tire balancing machine on the market today. Postle Tire Barn has it.
If you are experiencing a vibration problem, bring your car in to the professionals at Postle Tire Barn.
Postle Tire Barn has been serving the automotive service needs of Tuscaloosa and West Alabama for over 34 years. We specialize in vibration diagnostics and repair. We also specialize in new and used tire and wheel sales, wheel repair and refinishing, wheel alignment, and suspension work. We are fully licensed and insured. Call us today at 205-391-0062 to arrange a time to bring your vehicle in for a complete vibration diagnostics check.
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