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OverkillZJ
04-19-2005, 10:09 AM
I knock off a wheel weight almost every time I wheel. That and my 35" MTR's (I'm sure came from a bad run at the factory) take an absolutely insane amount of weight to balance, as bad as swampers. I'm sick of getting them balanced after every wheeling trip and only being truly "in balance" for a week or so.

That being said, I'm interested in trying "alternative" methods of balance, such as GOLF BALLS! :weedman:

I know everyone "knows a guy" or "has heard of" someone who tried it, but has anyone here actually DONE IT (used golf balls, that is!) How many golf balls? How loud is it really? Does varying the speed on the highway often cause the vehicle to vibrate while equilibriam is reached?

Jim311
04-19-2005, 10:44 AM
Bad idea for a daily driven rig.

OverkillZJ
04-19-2005, 10:46 AM
Bad idea for a daily driven rig.

Good, it hasn't moved since July :finga:

Jim311
04-19-2005, 11:37 AM
Golf balls just weren't meant to travel at a million miles per minute inside a rubber tire. I've heard of the golf balls actually going flat on the sides or even wearing the inside of the tires down to the steel belts. But the best question is.. if you're running large enough tires on a trail only rig... why would you care about balancing them? I'd consider "Equal" type substances personally if you still want to go that route.

Pearce
04-19-2005, 12:41 PM
Tried it on my 37" MTR's and didnt like it. Was worth the $100 to get life time balanceing from the local tire shop. Of course that was before I knew I would be trailering it.

CrisT
04-19-2005, 01:59 PM
There was a thread on Pirate a while ago about a different kind of balancer, sounded like it was easier to install than Equal. This is their website http://www.innovativebalancing.com/

Here's the link to the actual thread, there were some other product suggestions too.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=341266&highlight=balance

RufftyTuffty
04-19-2005, 03:28 PM
There was a thread on Pirate a while ago about a different kind of balancer, sounded like it was easier to install than Equal. This is their website http://www.innovativebalancing.com/

Here's the link to the actual thread, there were some other product suggestions too.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=341266&highlight=balance

I just ordered my Dyna Beads the other day....should be here anythime now :mrgreen: ....bad SX vibs at 55-75.

~Mike

OverkillZJ
04-19-2005, 03:30 PM
Thanks guys, just the kind of info I was looking for. I have lifetime balance, but it's at wal-mart, so you can imagine how good they are :butthead:

I have lifetime at Big-O in CO but there's none anywhere near me and I find that it only lasts a week before I'm vibrating my way down the highway again.

I might considering these dyna bead things as I keep reading up on them... I don't like equal since you need to use filtered/dry air or something, and I'm sure moisture would mess with that (read: gas statio air pump after wheeling) :smt003

Pearce
04-19-2005, 07:08 PM
I forgot another thing to consider is getting aluminum wheels. I remember never being able to get any one of 3 different kind of tires right on steel. Mostly because the steel wheels were always slighly out of round anyway. Make a gauge of some kind and set it next to the rim of the wheel to see if there is play in it. If so, no amount of weight will fix it.
I am really impressed with how good the 37 MTRs are on aluminum.

Jim311
04-19-2005, 09:00 PM
Yeah, on a road force balancing machine it actually uses two different sets of parameters, one for steel wheels and one for aluminum. It's considered acceptable for steel wheels to be quite a bit out of balance/round.

JohnBoulderCO
04-19-2005, 09:13 PM
Yeah, on a road force balancing machine it actually uses two different sets of parameters, one for steel wheels and one for aluminum. It's considered acceptable for steel wheels to be quite a bit out of balance/round.

Interesting.

I bought my MTR's at Discount Tire, so free to re-balance. I was having that done after coming back from Moab and I could see the run out from the parking lot. I yelled over to the guy, he brought me over to the machine and said, "Nope, these look pretty good for steel wheels."

Maybe I should pony up for some AL ones ones when it's time for new tires.

Jim311
04-19-2005, 10:47 PM
Yeah, on a road force balancing machine it actually uses two different sets of parameters, one for steel wheels and one for aluminum. It's considered acceptable for steel wheels to be quite a bit out of balance/round.

Interesting.

I bought my MTR's at Discount Tire, so free to re-balance. I was having that done after coming back from Moab and I could see the run out from the parking lot. I yelled over to the guy, he brought me over to the machine and said, "Nope, these look pretty good for steel wheels."

Maybe I should pony up for some AL ones ones when it's time for new tires.

If it's really an issue to you. Once an aluminum rim is out of round (by even a minute amount on the road force machine) then it's wasted. They can compensate by rotate the tire over the surface of the rim for better balancing or to compensate for a bent wheel, which is best for steel wheels.

ELLLLLIOTTTTT
04-20-2005, 12:50 AM
how can wally world be bad at balancing a tire, a machine does it for them, all they do is tap on the right amount of weights. i too have life-time balancing from walmart and they come through pretty well, but this is only on 33's.

Jim311
04-20-2005, 07:35 AM
It actually is possible to screw up a balance, but it's pretty tough. It really depends on the type of machine they've got. I'd look for a place that can do road force variation if you're really concerned about a good balance.

nate
04-20-2005, 01:23 PM
If you balance tires everyday, you will quickly find that some people really need to go to tire school or something. Weights hanging off every random spot on the rim, etc. What the heck?? :rolleyes:

OverkillZJ
04-21-2005, 04:20 PM
Ordered my dyna - beads, maybe I'll stop vibrating my way down the highway now :partyman:

nate
04-21-2005, 05:45 PM
dyna beada huh... I think I seen those in a porn once. :mrgreen:

Jim311
04-22-2005, 12:35 AM
I think that was a different brand...


Ana-Bead...

nate
04-22-2005, 01:43 AM
With the dyna beads, how much of that did you order? 10oz per wheel?

Golfballs: http://www.trucktires.com/publications/periodicals/realanswers/01v6iss2/ra9.asp

OverkillZJ
04-22-2005, 02:46 AM
Ordered 10oz per tire. If it works at all, they're going in the Corolla tires too 'cause I manage to keep throwing weights on those too...

nate
04-22-2005, 06:43 AM
I may get some... I tried to balance my tires today and the best one needed like 11oz on one side and 3 on the other. :rolleyes:

mbp9997
06-02-2005, 03:05 PM
Why not just get the tires trued. I worked at a tire store for years (w/roadforce) and it seemed the only way to get good ride out of >35" was to true them first and then balance.

Kraqa
06-02-2005, 03:12 PM
lo li balanced my 38's the guy did it for free. i drove down the road. maybe 5-10 min later i herd CLANG CLANG THUD CLUNK and then saw a pile of lead fly in every direction. meedless to say the tires have nto been balanced since and it really isn;t THAT bad.

nate
06-02-2005, 04:24 PM
I got the Dyna Beads. for my Q78s, the guy the owns the place Bob? said 8oz. They were a real bitch to get in, kept on clogging in teh valve stem. Not sure how they work since the Jeep hasn't been over 20mph yet.

OverkillZJ
06-02-2005, 06:58 PM
Ya... Turns out 10 oz per tire = NOT ENOUGH!

Kraqa
06-02-2005, 07:19 PM
Ya... Turns out 10 oz per tire = NOT ENOUGH!

throw in some lead shot. after watching Bowling for columbine apparantly you can get it at wallmart.

nate
06-03-2005, 07:18 AM
Really? What tires are you running?.. The MTRs?. I got the Jeep up to 35-40mph today (still no shocks :mrgreen: ) and the tires were pretty smooth for TSLs. I'll find out later this week how it works out. I can deal with some vibes. I have been driving a pickup on 37" Boggers for the past few weeks. haha.

Jim311
06-03-2005, 05:26 PM
Ugh, a tractor will feel smooth compared to bias ply boggers! I learned that lesson a few years ago. Bias ply = crap anywhere but the trail.