Reflection week 7
Today I got to work with My friend Victor who is the one that works for petro mobile doing the tire Balance. I really thought this was cool because it looked interesting and I knew I couldn’t do it myself because it looks really difficult. So he described it to me and once again I took notes and I also looked on the internet. For the sake of example, assume you have driven your tires 5,000 miles since their purchase and it's time to rotate. Over the miles, turning left and right, hitting bumps and holes you could not see or avoid, and driving down uneven road surfaces have led to uneven tread wear on your tires. Perhaps a pothole has knocked-out your vehicle's alignment (this creates uneven tire wear). Well, besides rotating the tires and getting an alignment to set things right, you should also rebalance the tires. Even if you can't feel vibrations, they are present. The uneven tread wear has created an imbalance that generates excessive heat and wear on your tires. Considering the hundreds of dollars you spent on your tires, a rebalance is a wise expenditure. If you live near one of our stores, you should ask about the Lifetime Balancing program. For a nominal, one-time charge you can have your tires balanced at every rotation. Today's high performance tires and wheels are made with features that facilitate optimum mounting. Wheels are marked to identify the minimum radial run-out spot (low point) on the bead seat surface. Tires are marked with a high point location. Mounting the assembly to match these two points is called match mounting. This method minimizes the balance weight needed to correct any remaining imbalance and the radial run-out that may occur in the wheel/tire assembly. Force Variance On rare occasions, a tire may be manufactured with slightly inconsistent sidewall stiffness (creating what is called force variance) which leads to a ride problem. A new generation of balancers can detect this condition. The balancers can also guide tire technicians to remount the tire in an optimum position that puts the assembly within specification and eliminates the problem. If specifications cannot be achieved, the defective tire will be identified for replacement. Many of today's wheel designs necessitate unique wheel weight placement to achieve both precise balance and aesthetic appeal. Your tire dealer will inform you of the best method for your wheel type. Standard balance uses only clip-on weights as shown. This method is usually done on original equipment steel or alloy wheels. Different type wheel weights are used for each type of wheel. Mixed weights balance uses both clip-on and adhesive weights. The balance planes maintain the weights behind the face of the wheel. The use of adhesive weights is typically reserved for chrome or other wheels with a delicate finish. The balance planes maintain the weights behind the face of the wheel.