Kia Sportage: Wheel alignment and tire balance

The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced carefully at the factory to give you the longest tire life and best overall performance.

If you notice unusual tire wear or your vehicle pulling one way or the other, the alignment may need to be reset.

If you notice your vehicle vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your wheels may need to be rebalanced.

CAUTION

Wheel weight

Improper wheel weights can damage your vehicle's aluminum wheels.

Use only approved wheel weights.

Tire replacement

If the tire is worn evenly, a tread wear indicator will appear as a solid band across the tread.

1. Tread wear indicator

This shows there is less than 1/16 in (1.6 mm) of tread left on the tire.

Replace the tire when this happens.

Do not wait for the band to appear across the entire tread before replacing the tire.

The Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) works by comparing the speed of the wheels. The tire size affects wheel speed. When replacing tires, all 4 tires must use the same size originally supplied with the vehicle.

Using tires of a different size can cause the ABS and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) to work irregularly.

It is best to replace all four tires at the same time. If that is not possible, or necessary, then replace the two front or two rear tires as a pair.

Replacing just one tire can seriously affect your vehicle's handling.

NOTICE

We recommend that when replacing tires, use the same originally supplied with the vehicles. If not, that affects driving performance.

Wheel replacement

When replacing the metal wheels for any reason, make sure the new wheels are equivalent to the original factory units in diameter, rim width and offset.

A wheel with an incorrect size may adversely affect many things: wheel and bearing life, braking and stopping abilities, handling characteristics, ground clearance, body-to-tire clearance, snow chain clearance, speedometer and odometer calibration, headlamp aiming and bumper height.

CAUTION

Wheels

Wheels that do not meet Kia specifications may fit poorly and result in damage to the vehicle or unusual handling and poor vehicle control.

Tire traction

Tire traction can be reduced if you drive on worn tires, tires that are improperly inflated or on slippery road surfaces.

Tires should be replaced when tread wear indicators appear. Slow down whenever there is rain, snow or ice on the road to reduce the possibility of losing control of the vehicle.

Tire maintenance

In addition to proper inflation, correct wheel alignment helps to decrease tire wear.

If you find a tire is worn unevenly, have your dealer check the wheel alignment.

Make sure the newly installed tires are balanced correctly to increase vehicle ride comfort and tire life. In addition, always rebalance the tire when the tire is removed from the wheel.

READ NEXT: