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View Full Version : water/sand/shot to balance tires



Nordic1
04-01-2005, 12:29 AM
I'm doing to do some DIY beadlocks and I was going to see if you guys new of a simple way to internally balance the tires. For anybody that has, have you tried water/sand/shot/etc? Any recommendations?

rubicondave33
04-01-2005, 05:30 AM
Golf balls. Have the mounted tire spin balanced to find out how much total weight is needed, and add golf balls of about the same weight.
The problem with the sand and the shot, etc. is the air has to be dry, or the moisture causes clumping of the sand or corrosion of the shot. If you air up anyplace like a gas station, they do not have air dryers on their compressors.

Jim311
04-01-2005, 06:53 AM
Michelin did a study about internal balancing a while back. Golf balls actually wore out the INSIDE of the tire. After maybe 5-10 thousand miles the golf balls stopped being round! The insides of tires were not meant to come into contact with objects constantly apparently. I have a friend who is an instructor at my local community college in the automotive department. He recommended the "Equal" type balancers, but not golf balls or BBs.

nate
04-01-2005, 07:21 AM
Yup. I had a guy come into the shop saying he had a bad vibration over 45. I took it for a ride, and it seems like the tires were WAY out of balance.
I pulled the tires off the rims, and I find 2 of them that had a few small rocks in them. I'm guessing they were stored outside and the lazy ass tire guy didn't bother to clean the tires out.

Anyhow, there was a good 2 handfuls of rubber in each tire from the rocks rubbing the inside and wearing it away.. I was worn right to the steel belts in some spots.
For a trail rig maybe ok... but who cares about balanced tires then? For something that sees highway use, bad idea if you ask me. Maybe plastic BBs would be ok, but I'd try the Equal powder. I know a few guys that run that stuff in Boggers and Swampers and they were pleased with the results.

Jim311
04-01-2005, 08:19 AM
Yeah, I've heard Equal is good stuff. Plus you don't have to deal with any clanking or wierd noises from golf balls flying around inside your tire :o

JeepinHank
04-01-2005, 10:10 AM
I've heard good things about these:

http://www.innovativebalancing.com/gallery1.htm

Ceramic beads, small and don't rust out. Probably woouldn't damage the inner wall of the tire nearly as much as the golf balls. (or rocks :rolleyes: )

A little high... With 35x12.50 R15s you'd be looking at around $50 + S&H for the beads for all 4 tires + the filtered valve stems and applicator. That's a couple of typical tire balancing sessions. Then again, you wouldn't have to worry about knocking off or moving your wheel weights when you're out wheeling. That's my biggest problem with the standard clip-on style wheel weights.

RufftyTuffty
04-01-2005, 10:48 AM
I've heard good things about these:

http://www.innovativebalancing.com/gallery1.htm

Ceramic beads, small and don't rust out. Probably woouldn't damage the inner wall of the tire nearly as much as the golf balls. (or rocks :rolleyes: )

A little high... With 35x12.50 R15s you'd be looking at around $50 + S&H for the beads for all 4 tires + the filtered valve stems and applicator. That's a couple of typical tire balancing sessions. Then again, you wouldn't have to worry about knocking off or moving your wheel weights when you're out wheeling. That's my biggest problem with the standard clip-on style wheel weights.

Good link :supz:

~Mike

speedmontzj
04-01-2005, 11:36 AM
i bought some of this stuff to put in my tires. look under specialty products , its balance plus. i will let you know how it works in a few days.

sorry i forgot the link http://www.pjhbrands.com/

Krash80
04-03-2005, 03:57 PM
On my new front tires on my dumptruck, the shop actually put 4 HANKOOK golf balls into each tire before mounting them. If 4 golfballs are enough to balance those tires I'd imagine 2 would be more than enough to balance any tires you'll put on your jeep.
I'm also thinking that if this tire shop is installing golf balls into semi tires that see a couple hundred thousand miles per year, the golf balls probably aren't destroying the insides of the tires.

nate
04-03-2005, 05:49 PM
I dunno. I know what small rocks did, I guess maybe golf balls would roll around better.. I'm sticking with lead weights :mrgreen:

herojeep
07-07-2005, 01:33 AM
I had run the Equal in my 35MTR's instead of wheel weights originally. It helped tremendously over no balancing but still shook. I reverted back to the traditional method of lead and never had a problem. The Equal also requires a dry air environment which is hard to come by on occassional fill ups at the pump or out on the trail.

LouisianaZJ
07-07-2005, 01:54 AM
ok not to be an asshole but chances are with those diy beadlocks dont bother even attempting to balance them. it is going to be near impossible

OverkillZJ
07-07-2005, 12:56 PM
Search for my thread from a couple months ago, someone posted pictures of what happens to golf balls inside of tires. I wouldn't do it.

I put 10oz of that innovative bead stuff in each of my tires, wasn't quited enough so I balanced them the old way in a hurry. Next time I"ll try 20 oz, but these tires are pretty beat up.

nate
07-07-2005, 02:27 PM
Dyna Beads? That's what I run in my Swampers. 8oz was all it took. I had them on a balanced before and the best tire needed 13oz on one side and 4 or 5 on the other.

OverkillZJ
07-07-2005, 02:39 PM
Dyna Beads? That's what I run in my Swampers. 8oz was all it took. I had them on a balanced before and the best tire needed 13oz on one side and 4 or 5 on the other.

I've got 2 tires that are torn to hell and bent to hell steel wheels, I'm sure 10oz would be plenty in most situations.

JohnBoulderCO
07-10-2005, 02:03 PM
So, are these beads working for people?

I lost 1-2oz of weight yesterday while wheeling on the trail. Noticed this morning that 3-4oz is gone off anther wheel. Probably loosened it up on the trail and tossed it while driving home.

I'm tires of getting them re-balanced, even if it is free.

OverkillZJ
07-10-2005, 02:13 PM
It seems to be working for everyone except me :butthead:

JohnBoulderCO
07-10-2005, 02:41 PM
Well, if you have bent wheels, that might be the problem.

I'm going to give it a try.

nate
07-10-2005, 02:50 PM
Yeah my Jeep is pretty smooth up to around 80mph... which is about as fast as it can go anyway. hahaha.

chadjans
07-10-2005, 02:56 PM
Don't put water in a steel wheel.

JohnBoulderCO
07-10-2005, 05:04 PM
Water in a steel wheel would be bad.

But in sounds like these might do the trick. 80mph is plenty fast for a smooth ride with out leaving lead weights all over the trail. Thanks, I'm going to give it a try.

Jim311
07-10-2005, 05:15 PM
I like to load mine up with old grade 8 hardware I have lying around.

nate
07-10-2005, 08:24 PM
Water? I guess it'd work in the summer... 2lb block of ice in each tire in the winter would suck though.

Jim311
07-10-2005, 10:15 PM
Water? I guess it'd work in the summer... 2lb block of ice in each tire in the winter would suck though.

:rofl:

EVIL_CONSERVATIVE
10-21-2011, 07:47 PM
Look Guys all this aftermarket ballancing crap is HOOPLAH ! For years Truck drivers, the military, heavy equipment operators and us old 4x4 Red Necks used a couple handfulls of basic Silicon Dioxide ( sand ) in the tire ! One hand full for a 35", two for a 38-40" three for a 44" and if youre really radical 6 handfulls in the Good Year 66" monster truck tires.
you can buy a 50 pound bag for about $4.00 US ! at your local hardware store. I have successfully ballanced the old Ground Hawg 44" Gumbo Mudders to about 75 MPH with just Silicon Dioxide ! and if you can find a shop to spin them up on a ballancer or bubble ballance youd see 100mph stable easily with little lead. (spin ballance after adding sand) !
Its amazing how many tire shops today dont know this basic little trick . P.S. you dont need filtered valve stems (another scam) just make sure the stem is in the 12 o'clock position when guageing.

1997 F-350 Old Body Style 460 EFI BUILT 13.40:1 .040 over Arias domes,+300Hp N2o dual stage direct port, Loud as hell Gear Drive Pete Jackson, 37" Auburn Engineering Speed Brain Fully Programable ECM ( A9L) Nitto Mud Grapplers on Weld spun customs 9" lift 4:56 gears detroit locker rear air locker front all in shining BLACK !

Dodges might have great warranties but they usually need them ... Only music teachers, liberals and sissies wear Bow Ties !
Thank The Lord For The Big Block Ford !

BigDaveZJ
10-21-2011, 07:54 PM
This HAS to be a record for bumping a dead thread!

EVIL_CONSERVATIVE
10-21-2011, 08:06 PM
Damn Straight ! LOL just found it But I did have a point !

What do I win > ?

EVIL_CONSERVATIVE
10-21-2011, 08:20 PM
Big Dave what is the ride in your avatar ? hard to tell from pic .. S-10 ? or Jeep ?
Looks like an old S-10, I had a stock 03 company vehicle it was indestructable and would go places I wouldnt take my M-16

BigDaveZJ
10-21-2011, 10:05 PM
That's my ZJ.

BigClay
10-21-2011, 10:38 PM
This is a joke, right?

96RedZJ
10-22-2011, 02:26 AM
This is a joke, right?

God I hope so. He couldn't even tell what his ava was.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

Sudz
10-22-2011, 09:46 AM
What do I win > ?a dunce cap and a stool

Kauzi Zj
10-22-2011, 11:55 AM
What do I win > ?


http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f351/luft11_hoflich/Avatars%20and%20Smileys/kick_Nuts.gif

Rodzilla
12-20-2011, 11:28 PM
Equal will only work if the insides of your tires are clean and dry. But it was all stuck to everything in mine even after washing and drying everything. Golf balls go beserk in your tires. So much so that you can hear it going down the road. I broke down and bought the centramatic automatic balancers. Worked like a champ on brand new swamper radials for a few thousand miles. Now out of balance again. I figure the same would be true for sand. I don't know if there is a way around periodic balancing. But last time I checked, the centramatics were just starting to let it feel out of balance around 9 OZ of inbalance. So maybe they are working pretty good, but my tires are way out of whack. Centramatics are a little pricy at $200 a set and come in 8 lug and jeep 5 lug. If you wanna check it out. I'll get mine balanced soon and see how far they are out. And post here fyi.