Balancing beads question..

[badwithcomputer]

I found one place that can do RoadForce balancing but he said for my size of tire it's better to go with balancing beads - which i've heard of. So to the internet I went. Looks like 8oz is the recommend for my 35" 6 ply tires. My question is, some guys are using airsoft pellet's some are using true balancing beads but at the end of the day is there any difference other than them being pre-measured for you? The airsoft kits just come in like 2500count cases but a little bit of math can fix that as they list the weight per BB. My only issue is them sticking together and maybe the true balancing beads have a feature which prevents that? Anyone know? FYI I'd need two kits from Walmart @ $11.97 a box or 4 bags of Dynabeads for $18 a bag. Sizeable savings to be had.

Thanks!

[GOAT]

I wouldn't worry about them sticking.... 5 min down the road and they will be bouncing around like the bingo cage......

[badwithcomputer]

Also do balancing beads work more effectively than stick on wheel weights? when I tried to get them balanced he said he couldn't stick a weight on top of a weight as it would just fall off after a bit and one spot needed 16oz. Should I plan to put more than 8oz of beads in? Or because the beads are closer to the actual spot of issue they need less weight to counter balance?

[Enos]

What is this "balancing" you speak of?

I've read recommendations on using Nitrogen fill with balancing beads to keep the moisture level down so they aren't as likely to freeze into a lump. Of course, that goes out the window the first time you air down unless you are carrying a nitrogen tank with you.

[GOAT]

I have never had any luck with stick on weights..... shortest time they stayed on was 3 days and longest was a month.....
I have never used the beads to balance tires but will be doing so in the new year with new tires..... Come on Santa ......

[Creepy]

Dec 12, 2013 13:36:08 GMT -4 GOAT said:

I wouldn't worry about them sticking.... 5 min down the road and they will be bouncing around like the bingo cage......

they do stick, and they should not bounce. bouncing around happens when they are clumped from water vapor condensating and freezing on them when not in motion. Then they don't balance anything, just clump and bounce. The operator should worry about this condition, as the effect of the clumping/bouncing is to throw the wheel out of balance. When functioning correctly, the balls roll together to a spot on the wheel that is imbalanced, and rotate with wheel in that spot, by centrifugal force.

They need to be dry, and that might mean using nitrogen.


Hey Brandon - just one bad wheel/tire combo? If you can't get all the weight you need on the rim, the tire should be indexed on the rim, and you try to balance again. This should be common knowledge, not knowing this is kinda hack for a professional shop.

[Deleted]

Here are a couple of threads from the Backcountry4x4 forum:
www.backcountry4x4club.ca/forums/topic/3600-alternative-wheel-balancing/
www.backcountry4x4club.ca/forums/topic/3637-tire-balancing-beeds-review/

[badwithcomputer]

He was able to balance two of them which I run on the front, the two in the rear have nothing on them. I was thinking of doing all four just for the sake of being equal. Luckily these are not my offroad tires so no chance of airing them down. Nitrogen should be a viable option to prevent clumping, what about spraying some WD40 in there for them to roll around in?. Can anyone speak to the effectiveness of the beads? more weight needed or should 8oz cover it? (which is what I've read)

[dan]

does anyone else think that 16oz seem a little much? my mechanic was astonished that one of my 35" tires needed a whopping 5.5oz!

[itsakeeper]

I used SS balls in a couple tires years ago - 8oz did the trick on 35's; I believe a member used #6 lead shot and it worked fine, no clumping and I think his was nitrogen filled while mine was just air

[casey]

we use alot of beads lately on bigger tires. main thing like creepy said is make sure the tire is dry, they will freeze if damp. and go light on the tire lube. i have them if all of my rigs and like them. and 8oz is right for 35s

[The Garagemahal]

Try windshield washer fluid

[ronin]

I've had 10ozs of soft pellets in my 35s on beadlocks for just about 3 years now . never had a problem . air down and up every run , never frozen , alyways run good on the hwy . Of course I can only go 80k tops .

[imstuck]

Dec 12, 2013 18:39:14 GMT -4 dan said:

does anyone else think that 16oz seem a little much? my mechanic was astonished that one of my 35" tires needed a whopping 5.5oz!

I agree with Dan.

Are the wheels mounted On the balancer right.

[badwithcomputer]

I just made the number up, I have no idea. I assumed 8oz was the largest a single weight could be and he said he couldn't stack two on top of each other hence the 16oz guess. I should have been more specific sorry.