Tire Balance Made Easy (DIY)

[lgrt]

We recently installed our M/T tires on new wheels and instead of the usual lead weights we decided to try tiny high-density ceramic beads...

Wrote up all the info (how they work... do they work... how hard are they to install) off road tire balancing on the blog...

BTW: I'm carrying an extra bag of bead in case major tire maintenance is required that needs to pull a tire from the wheel on the trail.

Hope it helps.

 

[Pskhaat]

People've been using brass BBs for a long time; I've never tried it. It is hard for me to visualize how this works despite the displayed diagrams.

 

[michaelgroves]

Would be interesting to read a write-up where one started with wheels that are noticeably out-of balance, and then the beads are added...

 

[Metcalf]

I am using 6 golf balls per tire with my new setup....

These are 325/85r16 Michelin XMLs on 16x8" aluminum wheels.

Overall it works great 99% of the time.

Once in a while I get a weird out of balance bounce out of one corner, but in general you can't tell at all.

Keep in mind these are 39" tall 115lb tires with ZERO wheel weights on the rims.

I have had the truck up to 70-72mph without any problems.

 

[michaelgroves]

I have 33" (255/85-16) tyres on heavy steel rims on my Defender 130. These have not been balanced at all. I get no noticeable imbalance at any speeds (up to my top speed of around 80MPH).

But I used to get considerable wheel wobble with the old 7.50x16s which were on similar wheels - also unbalanced. So I guess I am just lucky with the new tyres.

If I had the old ones on still, I would try the idea of weighting beads, but with my current tyres, there seems no point.

 

[HenryJ]

I am currently running the Dyna beads in my dual sport motorcycle tires. Mine runs big fat heavy tires so a dynamic balance could be an advantage. It runs out smooth up to 65mph which is about the top for my gearing.
I bought enough to do the trucks tires at the next change. I hear lots of good things from those who have tried them. The bike works well, I have no doubt they will work for the truck too.

Dyna beads demo video on Youtube
How it works has pictures of it , but the bottle was a better example for me.
It is amazing how they react and move. There is a slight static charge in the plastic baggies. You can see the influence this has on the tiny ceramic orbs as they wiggle and jiggle around the influence. They pour like water out of the baggies into a bottle. You know how you flick the baggie to get all the crumbs to fall to the bottom? These really do seem to be influenced less by that method. Opening the bag and a little shake and they fall , better than tapping the bag. I may not be conveying that very well, but the properties are very different from a material that is less dense.
Maybe there is a little "magic" in these beads?

I have also been intrigued by the Airsoft pellets. They have less mass, but may be easier to find. Insertion through a valve stem is not an option, so these would only work in a tubeless mount.

Expedition Portal - airsoft pellet tire balancing?

Automatic Tire Balancing Using Airsoft Pellets

Another option for dynamic balancing is Centramatic Wheel Balancers. I have seen them on big trucks , but have no experience with them.

 

[dustboy]

Wouldn't a similar amount of water do the same thing? Granted it probably wouldn't be a good idea with steel wheels.

 

[lgrt]

I am using 6 golf balls per tire with my new setup....

I was going to try golf balls, a buddy of my runs his 33" with three... When ever he came to a stop he gets this star wars wined down sound that is kind of funny Do you get any of that?

 

[HenryJ]

Wouldn't a similar amount of water do the same thing?... it probably wouldn't be a good idea with steel wheels.

Or freezing temperatures.
There are several LTB (Liquid Tire Balancers). Most I have seen also double as a tire sealer. Most reports I have heard were not totally positive. The mass is lower so it takes more. The reaction time may not be as fast?

 

[Metcalf]

I don't get any noise from mine that I can tell. At lease not over the top of the general tire noise and Cummins noise...

Seems to work great.

I like NOT having to worry about loosing weights on the rims. The 16s are pretty tight on the front Dana 60 with the disc brake calipers.

 

[lgrt]

I like NOT having to worry about loosing weights on the rims.

That was a big motivator for me to use the beads over lead... I lost a couple weights on the trails from the old wheels so didn't want to even bother with that on the new ones.

 

[TheMike]

Just thought I would chime it. More expensive, only a one time purchase, unlimited tire changes, no noise to speak of, nothing to clump up or rust, and VERY functional - It's what I have been using for 3 years now - with ZERO led weights on any rim, both on the Jeep and the Chaser......

Centramatic Balancers.

Only draw back - if you consider it one - is that they are visible through the rim.

 

[hillbillyjake]

a buddy of mine has succesfully used the airsoft pellets on his 86 bronco. he has 37" km2's with the pellets and they ride like glass. even at 70, still super smooth. startign with a quality tire i am sure helped, but i think the air softs did a good job, too.

also ont he air softs. they can be bought at wal-mart. maybe more readily avalible than the others.

 

[SixLug]

:drool:

 

[Metcalf]

Exrunner,

You like the Dodge do you...

Its a good old truck. I rescued it and am slowly rebuilding and modifying it. I tend to use very low dollar and labor intensive build up methods. I don't think I have 4K in the truck yet as it sits.

I really really try and encourage people to build projects like this. You end up learning SOOOOO much compared to the more traditional buy and bolt on type buildups. You really end up learning the in's and out's of the vehicle.

If you like it now just wait about another year. Body work, paint, bumpers, rockers, SVO 3-tank system, lots more power, more gearing, lockers.....

Lots more to come....

Note: This is the first Dodge I have built. I really ended up loving this platform. It seems to combine the best of the 70s trucks, with there reliable and re-buildable drive trains, and the convince and power of the '90 and newer diesel trucks. I would highly recommend a 92-93 Dodge W250/350 with the Cummins and manual transmission to just about anyone.