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Anchorage, Alaska

Tire & Wheel Balancing in Anchorage, AK

Purcell Tire & Service balances tires and wheels at 342 Chipperfield Dr in Anchorage, for commercial units and light vehicles alike. Call (907) 276-7515.

Call (907) 276-7515Anchorage Store

The vibration is the symptom, not the problem

No tire and wheel assembly is perfectly even. At low speed that is harmless. As the wheel spins faster the heavy spot is thrown outward harder, until it shakes the whole vehicle.

Balancing measures where the assembly is heavy and adds counterweights to even it out. What it prevents is not just discomfort:

  • Patchy tread wear, which shortens the life of a set you have just paid for.
  • Suspension and steering wear, from components being shaken continuously.
  • Casing damage on commercial tires, which can cost a casing its retread life.

When to have it done

Whenever a tire is fitted, which is standard practice here. When a vibration appears at a particular speed and fades above and below it. After hitting something hard enough to knock a weight off, or if a wheel weight is visibly missing, which is worth looking for after a curb strike.

Balancing is not alignment

They get confused constantly, and the quick version is worth having:

  • Balancing fixes a vibration. It is about weight distribution around the wheel.
  • Alignment fixes a pull, a crooked steering wheel and uneven wear across the tread. It is about the angles the wheels sit at.

Both can be true at once, which is why a store looks at both when a new set goes on.

Commercial assemblies too

This is not only a car service. Commercial truck assemblies are balanced for the same reasons and with more at stake, because the vibration is being fed into a vehicle covering far more miles. Fleets running a Purcell account have balancing built into fitting as standard.

About this store

The Anchorage store is a commercial location open Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, managed by Ty Jordan. It carries seven tire categories and offers 24-hour roadside assistance, fleet services, heavy-duty truck alignment and car and light truck alignment. It performs no general vehicle repair.

The same service elsewhere in Alaska

Questions

Balancing questions, Anchorage

My steering wheel shakes at highway speed. Is that balance?

Most often, particularly when it appears at one speed range and settles above and below it. Balancing is the sensible first check. If it does not fix it, the tires themselves and the suspension are next.

Is balancing included when I buy tires?

It is part of fitting a tire properly and is done as standard with a fitting here. Confirm when you book so there is no confusion at the counter.

Do truck tires need balancing?

Commercial assemblies are balanced for the same reasons, and the mileage makes the stakes higher. Fleets on a scheduled program have it built into fitting.

Book a fitting and balance in Anchorage

Call (907) 276-7515 with the vehicle and the size.

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