Balancing act proves online hit for Harv’s

When Kelvin Harvey posted an educational tyre-balancing video to his business’ Facebook page, Harv’s Tyres, he had no idea it would go viral overnight.

The three-minute video is titled Wheel Balance Problems Explained and now has more than 1.6 million views and 4000 comments.

The clip of Mr Harvey in his workshop shows the correct way a tyre should be balanced and highlights a common and life- threatening mistake.

Using a centre comb which works off the tyre rim being a true shape and size, instead of a finger plate which works off the bolt holes, he said he realised he was one of the few tyre professionals using the correct tools.

“People go the cheap way around it and no one else here has got the right gear for the job,” he said.

“When they put the centre comb in, like you will see in the video, the wheel can move around,

“So when they balance it, the machine says that it is balanced … but only for a wobble though.

“They think they have balanced it but it’s not actually balanced at all.”

He said by balancing a tyre with the correct fitting, which had bolt holes, it mimicked exactly how it bolted to the car so you could get an accurate balance.

“You get wobble in the car and they tell people that that’s just what the tyres are ... but it’s not,” Mr Harvey said. “If its got the vibration in the steering wheel, then its got a problem.

“But being told around the area that that’s just those tyres after two or three times because they haven’t got the right tools — they don’t know what they’re doing.”

With experience as a diesel mechanic, racing speedway sponsored by Holden and working with Kevin Fitzsimons on V8 Supercars, he said he was fussy when it came to accuracy because people’s lives could be at stake. “I am not trying to sell them anything,” Mr Harvey said.

“I say ‘go and see your tyre guy and go and ask them about this’.”

Harv’s Tyres regularly puts up educational videos answering customers’ questions.