The farm UTV deserves a balance too
A utility vehicle on a farm or a large property started life as something that crawled around fields. Many now spend a good part of their time on gravel lanes and paved roads between fields, at speeds their owners would not have imagined a few years ago.
That changes what the tires need. At walking pace, an imbalance makes no difference at all. At road speed it does, for the same reasons it does on a pickup: a shake through the steering, uneven tread wear, and extra work for suspension parts that are much lighter than a truck's.
There are reasons UTV tires are often out of balance even when they are new.
Mud and debris. Off-road tires and wheels pick up packed mud inside the rim. A heavy clump changes the balance as much as a missing weight would.
Aggressive treads. Tall, blocky tread patterns are less uniform than a road tire's, and small differences in weight around the tire matter more at speed.
Nobody balances them. UTV tires are often mounted and run, on the assumption that balancing is for road vehicles.
When it is worth doing
If a UTV regularly runs on gravel or paved roads, and especially if it vibrates at higher speeds, balancing is worth considering. Clean the wheels first, because mud is the usual culprit. If the shake survives clean wheels, ask the store about balancing those tires. Henderson carries UTV and ATV tires among its nine categories, so new tires and the fitting can happen at the same visit.
Pickups and cars
The same logic applies to every road vehicle: a vibration at speed that was not there before is worth checking. A pull rather than a shake is car and light truck alignment, and worn parts are suspension repair, both here. The national tire and wheel balancing page covers the occasions worth asking for a balance.
About this store
The Henderson store carries all nine Purcell tire categories and is managed by Derrick Madewell.
See the national tire and wheel balancing page for all 51 locations.