Tyre Balancing, Alignment and Rotation
Balance
Having your customers’ tyres balanced and their vehicles properly aligned is important not only to the longevity of the tyres, but to the safety of the driver and to the performance of the vehicle. Unbalanced tyres cause road vibration, which leads to driver fatigue, premature tyre wear (also known as cupping or dipping) and unnecessary wear to a vehicle’s suspension. Tyres should be balanced when they are mounted wheels for the first time or when they are remounted after a repair. They should be rebalanced at the first sign of a vibration or shimmy, and should be balanced at least once a year, regardless.
Alignment

A vehicle is said to be properly aligned when all suspension and steering components are sound and when tyre and wheel assemblies are running straight and true. Proper alignment is necessary for even treadwear and precise steering. Uneven front or rear tyre wear, or changes in a vehicle’s handling or steering, can indicate misalignment.
Let your customers know that the cost of keeping their tyres balanced and vehicle properly aligned will more than pay for itself in tyre mileage, performance and comfort.
Rotation

Rotating your tyres regularly helps even out tyre wear by allowing each tyre to serve in as many of the vehicle’s wheel positions as possible, hopefully promoting even wear across the tyre tread pattern. We recommend doing tyre rotations at every 8,000-kilometer mark.
Remember: tyre rotation can’t correct wear problems due to worn mechanical parts or incorrect inflation pressures.
The following are popular rotation patterns. However, some tyres cannot be rotated according to popular patterns. Such tyres include uni-directional tyres with asymmetric tread designs. Also, some vehicles may have different sized tyres mounted on the front and rear axles, and these different sized tyres may also have rotation restrictions. Check your owner’s manual or visit your Westlake tyre dealer for recommendations for these special cases.