Jason's Journal: Road Force Roundup
Modern automobiles continue to have larger and larger wheels. As the diameter of the wheel increases, the size of the tire must change as well. Because of this, many tires have smaller sidewalls. These lower profile sidewalls make even the slightest of imperfections in the wheel or tire balance much more noticeable. Wheel balance is used to cancel the vibration of an out of balance wheel and tire assembly. At 60 mph an average size tire rotates about 850 times per minute. At that speed, even slight variations in balance, sidewall stiffness and/or an out of round wheel or tire will be very noticeable to the driver and passengers. Not only does this significantly reduce the ride quality of your vehicle, it can also cause damage and unsafe conditions such as:
- Damage to suspension and steering components
- Excessive tire wear
- Steering and handling issues which can become unsafe
Traditionally, wheel vibration is corrected by a static or dynamic balance. Static balance corrects the up and down motion of an out of balance wheel and tire. Dynamic balance corrects not only the up and down vibration, but also corrects the side to side vibration. In most cases, the use of dynamic balance results in a smoother ride. That being said, an additional type of tire and wheel balance may be performed to ensure the smoothest ride possible, which is called “road force balance”.
Road force is the change of force acting on a wheel and tire assembly as it rolls. A road force tire balance not only performs a dynamic balance, it also simulates the weight of a vehicle on the tire. This is done by depressing a large spinning roller onto the tire while it is being balanced. The roller on the tire balancer applies between 1,200 and 1,400 pounds of pressure onto the tire and wheel assembly. This is used to simulate the weight of the vehicle on the tire against the road surface. This process is used to detect unfavorable construction characteristics in a tire, described as a stiff spot in the tire’s composition. Even with properly mounted and balanced tires, these stiff spots can cause vibrations to be transmitted through the vehicle. Using a road force balancer process called “match mounting,” the high spot, also known as the stiff spot (highest road force), in the tire matches to the low spot (least road force) of the wheel. This process lowers the tires overall road force, thus correcting any vibration that could be caused by inconsistencies in the tire or wheel.
Tires are a sizable investment. They are one of the most important items to keep maintained and in good condition. Road force balance uses an array of sensors and cameras to ensure that you have the highest level of ride quality possible. Road force balance will also increase the life of your tires and will enable the tires to be placed on the vehicle in a pattern to help eliminate the possibly of a slight pull to the right or left.
To help you get ready for summer travel, Volvo Cars is offering an instant rebate of $100.00 on any set of four Michelin, Continental or Pirelli tires purchased. I would recommend the use of a road force balance and it can be added to the cost of a normal tire mount and balance for a limited time of just $59.95. This service will also include the recommended match mounting process. The $100 instant rebate and the reduced road force balance price of $59.95 are both in effective until May 31, 2019. Taking advantage of these special offers will ensure that you have the smoothest ride possible.
Please contact me if you have any questions or would like further information at 717-755-7676 or jason@lehmanvolvocarsyork.com.
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