All Things (not) Equal (1 Viewer)

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Jan 30, 2003
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I’ve recently begun driving the 40 to and from Rausch Creek to wheel instead of trailering it there, just because it’s easier and quicker :)30 drive time). Because I’m continually scrubbing off wheel weights on the trail, the worsening vibration on the interstate is nearing the point of being unsafe at certain speeds. It’s time consuming and basically a big hassle getting the tires balanced every few months as the closest place that can handle 36” tires is 45 minutes away.
So now I’m looking at the Equal alternative. Equal is a pelletized polymer that is placed inside the tire during mounting and acts to balance the tires every time you move. The pellets roll around freely inside the tire and somehow distribute themselves during rotation, balancing the tires by taking the place of the external wheel weights. Truckers and shipping companies have been using Equal for years in their tractor and trailer rigs so it must work, right?
Here are informative two sites I’ve found:

http://www.imiproducts.com/equal/index.aspx

http://www.tirereview.com/?type=art&id=1596&

Does anyone have any experience with this stuff? There must be pro’s and con’s to adding this to each tire or else everyone would be using it. Cost doesn’t seem to be an issue as I’m running 36’s and they want $15 for each tire. I know that Equal is effected by moisture, so steps to reduce or prevent moisture from entering the tire during inflation cycles must be addressed, if possible.

Mike in PA
 
I have no experience with equal but I can tell you after two sets of 36" SX, both sets were terrible on the road after a year or two of wear... I looked at equal and other dynamic balancing options but just got rid of the SX for the SSR's.

Equal, BB's, other alternatives are cheap but I think this is the ultimate:

http://www.centramatic.com/
 
Personally, I hate Equal. I have it in the 100 and whenever use my Trailhead deflators, they clog up and I have to pull the stems. Royal PITA, but I suppose if you just pull the stems to air down it'll be just fine. Just my .02.
 
i had something simular(might have been the same stuff:confused:) in a set of 33''s, that just would not keep a balance with weights.
it worked fine, and never had any issues with getting the stuff damp/wet.
 
Ran equal in the big trucks for years with great results. Ran equal in my pro comp mud terrianson my 40 with great results. You have to be sure to get the valve stems for the equal when you purchase it. Very important.(or they clog as was said earlier)

Centramatics are nice, although a little pricey, and if you dent a ring their scrap. The tires are also supposed to be balanced before installing even with the rings.
 
right, Equal makes a special valve core with a screen on it to keep it from clogging.

I have equal in my 35" Truxus on my 40 and have no problems with it. Does exactly what I want it to!

Only on road issue is sometimes when you're in a turn and hit a big bump it unsettles the equal for a second or to and you get a bit of unbalanced vibration. No big deal.

The advantage of never worrying about your wheel weights (I can NEVER keep my 80 balanced.... :mad:) really outweighs the couple small things.

Equal wont fix out of round or run out problems (that most of our tires have :D)

BTW: I constantly use my CO2 as well and haven't seen any issues with that either.
 
Hey Mike,

I run equal in my MTR's, the only problem I have is when you first start rolling it takes a little bit to settle in, and mine seems to run smoother at higher speeds. I know have a combination of stick on weights and equal.. I think I still have to much wobbbbble...:eek:
 
Matt,
did you originally have you're tires checked on a GOOD *road-force* style balancer?
IOW: do you know if your tires are out of round, or have runout? (varying sidewall so that your contact patch shifts L & R while rolling down the road) many MANY of our tires do and there's nothing to be done about THAT!

Also, once Equal is put in you can no longer balance your tires with weights. The machine no longer works properly and *could* make it worse. You would have to take all the Equal out first...
 
I was also told that my steel wheels were out of round from new...

I was thinking about starting over, by removing the equal and having them redone at another tire shop... Any recommendations for a good shop ???

Also, I forgot the product in my tires is called Ride-On :http://www.ride-on.com/prod_chs.asp
 
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That is a tad far from Harrisburg PA to get tires done :) I was hesitant to post a good shop in York.

*******************

Call Chuck at OK4WD in NJ. Great guy, fellow Cruiser head and they do great work there.

http://www.ok4wd.com/
 
Matt (and all),

After doing some research, Equal is out for me. Seems many have had problems with moisture and clumping as well as having issues with slow air down time and clogging of the valve stems.
Two products I’m considering right now are Dyna Beads by the company Innovative, and Air Soft pellets (indoor BB gun ammo?) which are reported to be available at Wal-Mart. Since this isn’t my DD, I’m leaning to the Air Soft Pellets as they are cheap and readily available, and seem to hold up over time. Some have reported problems with the Dyna Beads breaking down over time (silting, powdering) and then clumping with the introduction of moisture. I’m not always gonna have ‘dry’ air available when it’s time to air up, so the Air Soft pellets are tops on my list right now. Still, I remain undecided on a final choice.

Also Matt, IIRC, steel Toyota rims are lug-centric, not hub-centric, meaning the trueness of the rim is base on the center achieved by the location of the 6-lugs, and not the center achieved by the center hub (center hole) in your rim. A standard wheel balancing machine will balance all rims hub-centric unless they have the special adapter to balance tires lug-centric. Always be sure to ask if the shop your using has this lug-centric adapter or you’ll be throwing money into the wind.

Gotta get to work!!!1

Mike in PA
 
Thanks all for the excellent advice...Also thanks Mike for the good info (I did not know this) and will ask my local tire guy ("GCR" between E-town & Mt Joy)

I may see a road trip in my future....
 

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