Do you balance your wheels?

Discussion in 'Questions To Truckers From The General Public' started by trucking_noob, Sep 12, 2013.

  1. trucking_noob

    trucking_noob Bobtail Member

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    I was at GATS in Dallas last month and I visited some guys selling wheel balancing devices. One stand (centromatic) was selling a device which mounted between dual wheels and used some bearings in a liquid to balance the wheel. Another guy was selling a balance which used mercury (yikes!).

    I was wondering if truckers generally considered balancing their tires on a regular basis? The centromatic guys said most truckers don't and cause their tires to wear prematurely. I think he said it was about $30 per tire to balance.

    Does anyone out there use any of these balancing devices? What's your feedback on those? The centromatic guys had a demo model that they said had 2.6 million miles on it and it still worked.

    Nick
     
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  3. Hammer166

    Hammer166 Crusty Information Officer

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    I know guys who have used them. They do help tire life by minimizing vibration and thus lowering tire temperature. Myself, I always used the balancing powder in all mine; drop a bag in when you mount the tire and you're done. A couple caveats to that: Always use dry air, wet air will clump the beads. And operation was all pavement, and a flat was a rare thing (you have to put another bag if you dismount to fix a flat.)

    If you search, you'll find guys who say they've had failures, but I've personally not known anyone who's had one.

    To my way of thinking, I'd rather spend the money and put on cats-eye's style of tire pressure equalizers on the duals. The increase in life from equal pressures exceeds the gains of perfect balance, as far as tire life and even wear patterns.
     
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  4. Big Duker

    Big Duker "Don Cheto"

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    I like the Cat Eyes as well. But ideal would be to have both. Centramatics work well. Never used the liquid mercury ones but heard good things about them. Just a little leery about mess they could make.
     
  5. Tama Mai Hawaii Nei

    Tama Mai Hawaii Nei Light Load Member

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    I only balance my steers the rest are a waste of time and money
     
  6. STexan

    STexan Road Train Member

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    It's important to balance all the tires ... not so much for the balancing benefit, but to look for "out-of-round" and "impossible to balance" tires. There are more and more of them these days and tire dealers would prefer the driver remain in the waiting room and not observe the process so they can get rid of these. Only when the driver runs empty will he notice and by then what's he going to do? If you run light or empty a good part of the time, a poorly balanced or OOR tire will surely be noticeable, even if on the drive or trailer.
     
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  7. Robert Gift

    Robert Gift Light Load Member

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    How does that work?
     
  8. FSU

    FSU Light Load Member

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    You know if you balance the steers at the same time you buy the centramatics, you do not have to pay the installation fee. I only had them on my front axle and I rotate every 30000. My tire life went from 120 to 175 and I could have run them longer. Going over the Cross Bronx Expy was really hurting them though. Never tried that other thing!

    Edited: I rotate not balance.
     
  9. Hammer166

    Hammer166 Crusty Information Officer

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    Robert Gift Thanks this.
  10. wore out

    wore out Numbered Classic

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    Say what you want I've done this for years, 3 golf balls inside each tire. Tried powder last time but as some one said dry air and add air to tire with valve stem up I guess the powder will stick in valve stem causes a small leak, I'm sure dry air would cure this too but out on road that is hard to gaurantee.
     
  11. andre

    andre Medium Load Member

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    Wore out, do you put golf balls in your steers and drives? Every tire?
     
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