When the car starts to shake
A vibration that comes in at 90 or 110 km/h is often a wheel that has thrown a weight, or a tyre that was never balanced after a puncture repair. It is not always a bent rim and it is not always four new tyres.
We balance every new tyre we fit. If you had a puncture patched last month and the car has hummed since, say so. That is a balance job, not a shopping trip.
Passenger cars and vans at Grattan Quay
Most family cars, vans and 4x4s are a Grattan Quay job. The wheel comes off. We clean the bead seat and the inside of the rim, spin it, and add or move weights until it runs true.
If the rim is buckled or the tyre has a bulge we will show you rather than chasing a number that will not hold. A weight will not straighten a banana.
- Included with every new tyre we fit
- Standalone if a weight has shifted or a repair was done elsewhere
- All four wheels if the shake is in the steering or the seat
Truck balance at Newrath
Light truck through trailer is Newrath. Commercial wheels need the right machine, the right torque and a bay that can take the axle. Do not bring a 22.5" steel to the quay hoping we will squeeze it in.
Fleet work is quoted on the vehicle. Call 051 857666 with the size and how many wheels, or send an enquiry and we will put you on the commercial side.
What balancing will not fix
Cupping, a bent rim, a separated belt, or geometry that is still toed-in will still shake after the weights are perfect. Balancing is one check. It is not a cure-all.
| Symptom | Often | Not a balance job |
|---|---|---|
| Shake at a set motorway speed | Lost weight or a recent repair | A tyre with a bulge |
| Pull to one side | Tracking | Spinning the wheel on the balancer |
| Wear on one shoulder | Alignment or load | More stick-on weights |
| Thump that does not change with speed | Flat spot or belt | Another gram on the rim |
After a puncture or a kerb
A patch done elsewhere, a space-saver that sat on for a week, or a kerb on the quay can throw a weight or knock a rim out. Bring the car. Tell us what happened. We would rather spin the wheel than sell you a set you do not need.
Clip-on and stick-on weights
Steel wheels usually take clip-on weights on the flange. Alloys often take stick-on weights on the inner barrel so they do not chew the face. Mixed styles on one wheel are how a weight falls off on the ring road.
We pick the weight that matches the rim, not the one that is left in the tub. If an old alloy is packed with mismatched lead we will clean it off and start again.
How to enquire
This is workshop labour. There is no Stripe checkout on a balance. Send an enquiry or call. We confirm a time. You pay in the bay.
- Tell us the vehicle and when the shake started. Say if a tyre was repaired or a kerb was hit.
- We confirm a time at Grattan Quay for cars, or Newrath for truck.
- Wheels off, balanced, torqued. You pay in the workshop.
Do not ignore it
A small shake eats bearings, bushes and the new tyre you have not bought yet. If the steering wheel nips at motorway speed, come in before the next long run on the N25.
What to have ready
- The vehicle
- When the vibration started
- Whether a tyre was repaired or replaced recently
Need this done?
Make an enquiry and we call you back. You do not pay labour online. Where: Both Waterford locations.