What is the differene between wheel alignment and wheel balancing? And when to do these maintenances?

Answer 1

A wheel alignment keeps your tires from wearing out prematurely.
Wheel balancing keeps the tires from vibrating and causing cupped areas on the tires.
Maintenance (alignment)should be performed when you notice uneven wear on your tires. If you feel a vibration from the front or rear, have your tires balanced.
Hope this helps.
Master tech 40 yrs.

Answer 2

Wheel alignment is how the wheels track, either front wheels - more important, or all wheels - more costly. Wheel balancing is when any imperfections in the weight of wheel or tyre is balance by adding small weights to the rim. You know the tracking is out if you let go of the wheel and it pulls to one side, or when the streeing wheel is in the striaght ahead position and the car doesn't go straight. Wheel balancing is needed if you feel vibration thorugh the steering wheel, especially at a specific speed. If you haven't had either done recently and you are driving a 2nd hand car, get it done and you should feel the difference, you only need to get it done again if you feel a deterioration in the ride quality or you hit something, like a kerb, or a pothole.

Answer 3

Wheel alignment is whether the wheels point the same way. Wheel balancing is whether the wheels weigh the same around the edges.

A misaligned wheel will cause wear because the wheels will be trying to go in different directions. You'll feel the car want to pull to the left or right. It might also mean the wheels are tilted too much in or out causing inside wear or outside wear.

A misaligned wheel won't spin smoothly. This causes wear by the momentum of the wheel spinning around. You might notice a pulsing in the tires as the heavier and lighter part of the wheel spin around. The pulsing will change with the car's speed.