LTB's not round? (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Mar 6, 2007
Threads
20
Messages
141
I bought 34x10.5x15 LTB's and mounted on stock steels because they look the best. my question is: shouldn't they be round? I haven't had this rough a ride since my first pair of buckshot mudders slipped their beads resulting in grapefruit sized protrusions.
I had been warned they flat spotted, but would expect them to round up after driving. I've driven them about 500mi on two different width rim sets. First unbalanced, then balanced with each set of wheels. I questioned the shop that balanced them, and was told they were manufactured that way.
Anyone running LTB's have any advice? Should I contact the shop I special ordered them through? The manufacturer, Interco? Warranty? or Just deal with it, they're all like this?
Signed, Bumping down the road.
 
They are notorious for not being round. Excellent value for a 100% trail truck, miserable for a street driven truck.

You might try some BBs for dynamic balancing, but you're probably not ever going to get a "good" ride on asphalt with them.
 
I run the 31/1150/15's up front. It doesn't seem right for them to still be 'bumping' after 500 miles. Do they wobble/vibrate like an unbalanced tire, or does it feel like you're running over a tiny speed bump every few feet? Before my LTB's, I ran Ground Hawgs and during a cold morning commute, I could count on them *not* warming up in the stop and go traffic. Therefore, I got to 'bump' all the way to class. The LTB's feel like high speed radials compared to those monstrosities. I still get a little flat spotting from them on cooler mornings, but it only lasts for a couple of miles. I never bothered to try to balance either the Swampers or the Hawgs, but I could see a tire shop throwing out the line, "They aren't round" since they are bias plys, but once they're warmed up, they shouldn't be that bad.
 
They are notorious for not being round. Excellent value for a 100% trail truck, miserable for a street driven truck.

You might try some BBs for dynamic balancing, but you're probably not ever going to get a "good" ride on asphalt with them.

MOfj40- Your bezel is upside down!

As far as comfort goes. I have pretty low standards. I ran my daily driver 40 on Ground Hawgs for years, so I suppose I might not be the best point of reference for what's really 'not that bad'.
 
It is a bias ply Swamper; they are not going to run smooth, like a radial tire will, even when they warm up.
 
I had the same issue only it doesn't sound like mine were as bad as yours. Mine rode terrible at lower speeds (below 45). I contacted the company and they shipped me new ones free of charge, they said they would pick up the old ones but never did, now I have a butload of tires clogging up my garage.

Even the new ones they sent me were not perfect (ie f'n ROUND:mad:) , and again they took a rediculous amount of weight to balance. I should have used golf balls or something internal. I slung a big weight in a turn and thought I was going to f'n crash.

I decided to just keep them as trail only tires and use some smaller coopers I had on some stock rims for my daily commutes.
 
When you go to get them balanced make sure the tire is hot, I drive 15mi on the freeway before i take them in and i make they put the truck on the lift right when i get there. This has helped me get a good balance on them, it should take about 1 lb. most shops dont like to put that much weight on a rim, tell them its cool. They had to put those glue on weights stacked 3 high, you can only do 3 and still have clearance on the rotor.

Also when were you slip both beads you need to re-balance because thew tires orientation with the rim has changed.
 
I had the same tire and size on my truck. They shook that thing to pieces. The tire shop had to put a 16oz lead patch on the inside of one of them.
 
thanks for the responses. I'm at 10,000 feet and drive only 15miles at a time, so mabye they never heat up.
35inchoverdrive, they don't seem out of balance. The truck is bouncing up and down--alot. i.e. speedbumps.
I never expected a Michelin ltx ride. I'm used to knobby tires. I expected excessive noise, wandering, and an overnight rough ride. 78v8yota you hit the nail on the head, they are shaking my truck to pices.
 
I just recently started running the same set-up. 34x10.50-15 LTB's on the stock steelies. The ride is definately rougher but not unexpected for a Bias Ply tire. I put them on for trail duty which is my 40's main occupation. On the road they handle well enough and track straight, but I do have some shaking at certain speeds. Small price to pay for an extremely tough trail tire at a low price. Trail test this weekend ! :grinpimp:

141445196-L.jpg
 
Small price to pay for an extremely tough trail tire at a low price.

And for the best look of all time!

My 31x9.5 radials are even a bit shakey after a couple thousand miles. I swapped out for some 33" Big-O A/T radials for a long road trip (towed), and they make a huge difference.
 
As soon as my Q78 Swampers warm up a bit they are pretty damn smooth on the highway. I expected much worse.
Q78.jpg
 
thanks for the responses. I'm at 10,000 feet and drive only 15miles at a time, so mabye they never heat up.
35inchoverdrive, they don't seem out of balance. The truck is bouncing up and down--alot. i.e. speedbumps.
I never expected a Michelin ltx ride. I'm used to knobby tires. I expected excessive noise, wandering, and an overnight rough ride. 78v8yota you hit the nail on the head, they are shaking my truck to pices.

Mine warm up after just a couple of miles even on the chillier days. Maybe I just got lucky and got a set of almost-round ones.
 
I just recently started running the same set-up. 34x10.50-15 LTB's on the stock steelies. The ride is definately rougher but not unexpected for a Bias Ply tire. I put them on for trail duty which is my 40's main occupation. On the road they handle well enough and track straight, but I do have some shaking at certain speeds. Small price to pay for an extremely tough trail tire at a low price. Trail test this weekend ! :grinpimp:

141445196-L.jpg

nice truck.
so when I order my set, I'll make sure to specify the round ones :D

planning on going w/16" LTBs
 
thanks for the responses. I'm at 10,000 feet and drive only 15miles at a time, so mabye they never heat up.



Bingo!



they don't seem out of balance. The truck is bouncing up and down--alot. i.e. speedbumps.




Go for ride, for a while, and get some heat in the tires. You have flat spots in them, which develop from sitting because they are a bias-ply tire. They will behave this way until they get some heat in them, and fifteen miles is not going to cut it.



Good luck!


-Steve
 
update

Bingo!
Go for ride, for a while, and get some heat in the tires. You have flat spots in them, which develop from sitting because they are a bias-ply tire. They will behave this way until they get some heat in them, and fifteen miles is not going to cut it.




So---
I shook the 40 to Moab and back last weekend stopping only for gas, about 350 miles each way. No wheeling just MTB. Plenty of time on road, no ipod or stereo.
The tires still shake the cruiser like waves of nausea. and I think I may have suffered permanent hearing loss.
No regrets, I love driving my cruiser. I am stoked it made it with only minor mechanicals. Next time though I won't forget my earplugs!
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom