Where you feel it tells you where to look
A vibration is easier to track down when you notice where in the vehicle it reaches you, because front and rear imbalance travel through different paths.
In the steering wheel. The wheel shimmies or buzzes in your hands, usually within a particular speed range. That usually points to the front wheels, since they are connected to the steering.
In the seat or the floor. You feel it through your body rather than your hands, and the steering wheel is relatively calm. That more often points to the rear.
Both. Possibly more than one wheel, or something other than balance.
Then note the speed. A balance vibration typically appears in a band of speed, gets stronger through it, and eases above it. Tell the store the band, for example "between 55 and 65," and whether you feel it in the wheel or the seat. That narrows the search to a pair of wheels before anything comes off the vehicle.
Occasions that call for a balance
- New tires. Every new fitting is balanced.
- A tire repaired or remounted. Taking a tire off a wheel and refitting it changes the assembly.
- A missing weight. A clean patch on the rim where a weight used to sit.
- A vibration that was not there before, in a speed band, with tires that otherwise look fine.
When it is not balance
A pull, rather than a shake, is alignment. A vibration with a clunk, or one that changes over bumps, can be worn suspension. A shake that survives a careful balance is often the wheel itself, and wheel refurbishing is at this store. The national tire and wheel balancing page covers the process.
Other stores nearby
Tremonton balances tires and wheels to the north, and the Salt Lake City Truck Tire Center to the south.
About this store
The Ogden store carries all nine Purcell tire categories, stays open until 5:30 PM on weekdays, and is managed by Mike Theis.
See the national tire and wheel balancing page for all 51 locations.