Tire Balancing without lead

[lgrt]

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

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

Hope it helps.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Sweet. I'm planning on doing the same for my 36's, but with plastic BB's instead of the DynaBeads.

Glad to hear it worked out well!

 

[lgrt]

Sweet. I'm planning on doing the same for my 36's, but with plastic BB's instead of the DynaBeads.

Glad to hear it worked out well!

Thx... good luck with the 36's

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Thx... good luck with the 36's

So you basically used the upper weight for your tire size off of the dynabead website? Which chart did you use?

 

[lgrt]

So you basically used the upper weight for your tire size off of the dynabead website? Which chart did you use?

I used Aggressive Tire Chart and since I run 295/r70x17 E rated... I went up to the 305s..

 

[Waorani]

I just put a new set of 285 BFG ATs on an Excursion and as usual they're not well balanced. This is my main travel vehicle and its frustrating not to have a smooth ride. I'd be willing to give this a try but am curious if anyone else has had any experience with this kind of balancing before I start yanking off weights.

 

[kbill45]

balance

Had my new 33X10.50 BFGs on Procomp rims static balanced at Walmart for $5 a piece. I don't know what static balance means but no visible weights and rides like a dream.

 

[Family 40's]

Static balance means weights on only the inside of the wheels. A true wheel balance is inside and outside the wheel.

 

[Family 40's]

Not sure how I feel about the balancing with out lead. There are ways you can offroad tires but most shops don't do it because it takes extra time and care and correct equipment. Road force balancers have the capability to do so by turning the tires marking the spot that requires balancing on the tires and where they sit on the wheels, pulling the tires off the wheels, placing the patch on the tire, and putting the tire exactly where they were first turn, then balance the wheel as required with lead. Like I said it takes alot of work but if you do your research you can find a shop to do it, I've seen tires come in with the s*** in the tires to help balance them but they came in for a balance. Thats just my experience with the stuff not saying it doesn't work just don't believe in it. If there is an inbalance in a the roll of a tire or wheel it is untrue, how will beads spread evenly around a tire on the freeway help this inbalance?

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I just installed air soft beads in my 36x13.50's, and the difference is night and day vs the lead balancers. I still have a little vibes above 60, but I'm thinking that's because I don't have shocks right now. I accelerated perfectly smooth up to 65 or 70 and cruised there for a while, but hit a bump and the vibes wouldn't go away. Shocks next, then a full report.

 

[toomanymachines]

I run a small tire shop and have always used lead weights clipped on to the inside..static. they take care of any vibration and do not let the rim corrode under the weight where you can see it. everyone has been pleased. Now with all the 18" and 20" and the flat rims they hold alot of mud. So a new product exists that uses beads in the tires. it replaces the lead ballast that was used a few years ago. they are safe to use in wheels equiped with pressure sensors. i HAVE HAD GOOD LUCK AND POOR LUCK sme people are happy but not everyone. It still seems to take a while for the beads to roll out and balance.
My father ran a tire shop for 39 years. He always stated that if you had water in a tire it would always automaticly balance. Now of course we connot have that as it would turn into ice, but I am still tempted to use antifreeze mix. I think that about the same mass as what it would require for a lead weight. maybe around the 6 oz mark.

 

[malcb]

but I am still tempted to use antifreeze mix. I think that about the same mass as what it would require for a lead weight. maybe around the 6 oz mark.

Interesting thread. In the UK and Europe most people use stick on weights on the flat inside edge of the rim rather than the knock on weights, very few people run anything bigger than 31 or 32, very few 36 and anything bigger is rare.

One problem with water in a tire is tire pressue can vary more as the tire warms, antifreeze mix may perish the rubber.

 

[malcb]

If there is an inbalance in a the roll of a tire or wheel it is untrue, how will beads spread evenly around a tire on the freeway help this inbalance?

Beads don't spread evenly thats how it works, they will move so they counteract the "heavy" spots in the tire.

 

[bkfj40]

I ran equal on some goodyear MT/R probably 5 years ago or so and was not impressed. The problem I see with the airsoft is how you can get enough of them in a 36" tire to balance it out. The airsoft pellets just aren't that heavy. I would think bbs or golf balls could do a little better job...

 

[bkfj40]

I just installed air soft beads in my 36x13.50's, and the difference is night and day vs the lead balancers. I still have a little vibes above 60, but I'm thinking that's because I don't have shocks right now. I accelerated perfectly smooth up to 65 or 70 and cruised there for a while, but hit a bump and the vibes wouldn't go away. Shocks next, then a full report.

I think if you would load those tires up with some wet socks, they would balance out a whole lot better

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I think if you would load those tires up with some wet socks, they would balance out a whole lot better

Nope. Got some shocks on and she's smooth as butter. Even lost a few bb's on the trail when I popped a bead, but it's golden. 11oz per tire

 

[toomanymachines]

Had a person come back to remove the beads.. they work However after you stop and restart the need time to position themselves. Same things is suppose to happen when you hit a bad bump, they scatter and require time to reposition. I guess it is better than nothing but still not like the real thing.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Had a person come back to remove the beads.. they work However after you stop and restart the need time to position themselves. Same things is suppose to happen when you hit a bad bump, they scatter and require time to reposition. I guess it is better than nothing but still not like the real thing.

From a dead stop, they require a couple of seconds to re-distribute. Bumps on the highway are negligible, in my experience anyway.

 

[Halogrinder]

golf balls SUCK.
air soft pellets work, but take a metric s***ton
i use BB's in my 38.5 boggers.... about a level brake clean cap full in each one. it rides like a car once they warm up. even when sitting for a few weeks, they will straighten up their act in about 4 miles or so.

 

[Interceptor]

I have Dynabeads in my truck tires (265/75-16) and two of my motorcycles, also two of my brothers have them in their truck tires.

I started with 5oz in the truck tires and had a little vibration at 45mph, I added another 3oz per tire and it smoothed out. No problems in the other vehicles. They seem to be really popular for motorcycles. I think they are more effective on tall skinny tires, and not so much on wide or low profile tires.

I wonder if liquid wouldn't work as well or better. Lots of guys use glycol/water mix in tractor tires for weight.