Heavy-duty vehicles require precise alignment to ensure optimal handling and load distribution. There are three primary types of alignment used today:

Front-End Alignment

Also known as two-wheel alignment, this method adjusts only the front axle. It’s suitable for trucks and trailers where the rear axle position is fixed and aligned to the chassis.

Thrust Alignment

This method aligns the front wheels with the thrust line of the rear axle, ensuring that all wheels are parallel and the vehicle tracks straight. It’s particularly important for commercial trucks and buses with solid rear axles.

Four-Wheel Alignment

The most comprehensive method, used in vehicles with adjustable rear suspensions. It aligns both axles simultaneously, correcting camber, toe, and caster angles. This ensures maximum stability and uniform tire wear.

Even a perfectly aligned vehicle can experience:

• Steering wheel vibrations

• Uneven or scalloped tire wear

• Excessive fuel consumption

• Suspension stress

Why? Because alignment adjusts geometry, not balance. Tires and wheels can still have uneven weight distribution or develop dynamic imbalances as they rotate, especially under the heavy loads typical of commercial transport.

Wheel alignment ensures the correct angles for tire contact, while Counteract Balancing Beads ensure continuous balance throughout the tire’s rotation.

When installed inside the tire, the microbeads automatically reposition themselves to counter any imbalance caused by:

• Irregular tire wear

• Road debris buildup

• Changing load conditions

• Temperature and pressure variations

This dynamic adjustment delivers a smoother ride, reduces vibration, and lowers long-term maintenance costs.

In short: alignment keeps your tires pointing straight, Counteract keeps them rolling smoothly.

• Reduces vibration and steering fatigue

• Extends tire life by promoting even tread wear

• Protects suspension and steering components

• Lowers fuel consumption through reduced rolling resistance

• Minimizes the need for repeated alignments and rebalancing

Because Counteract continuously adapts, it provides balance long after traditional wheel weights would fail or fall off.

There are several ways to balance heavy-duty tires, but not all methods deliver the same results over time.

Fixed Wheel Weights

These are the traditional metal weights attached to the rim during static balancing. They correct imbalance only at specific points, but as the tire wears or the load changes, their effectiveness decreases. They can also fall off or corrode, leading to renewed vibration and imbalance.

Traditional Machine Balancing

This process is performed off the vehicle using specialized equipment. It measures imbalance and applies weights to restore balance. However, it only reflects conditions at the time of testing. Once the tire experiences wear, temperature changes or varying loads, the balance is lost and must be recalibrated.

Counteract Balancing Beads

Unlike fixed or external methods, Counteract’s internal microbeads automatically reposition themselves as the tire rotates. They continuously adapt to changes in weight distribution, wear and road conditions. This dynamic, self-adjusting system keeps the tire balanced throughout its entire lifespan, with no maintenance, no readjustments and no external weights required.

In practical terms, Counteract offers a long-term, maintenance-free solution that ensures stability, comfort and fuel efficiency far beyond traditional balancing methods.

Proper wheel alignment is essential for steering precision and tire longevity, but it’s only half the equation. To truly optimize performance, alignment and dynamic balancing must work together.

By combining the correct geometric setup with continuous, self-adjusting balance, fleets can achieve:

• Fewer vibrations

• Longer tire lifespan

• Lower fuel and maintenance costs

• Safer, smoother rides across every route

Counteract doesn’t replace alignment, it perfects it.