dennistrackum Report post Posted July 16, 2015 Love tire dealer is recommending: Counteract balancing beads instead of regular balancing of my new tires for my 1999 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom with GoodYear G670 275/80R22.5 / load range H tires. Anybody have feedback on this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted July 16, 2015 My coach has them in the steer axle and the Wheelmaster balancing discs on the drive axle (no idea why the previous owner had this arrangment). I have no issues so far...but with the last steer tires and these I only have accumulated 8000 miles. Not enough time for a real evaluation, so far so good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted July 16, 2015 Lots of opinions for and against balancing tires using beads. They ARE easier for the dealer. I am still old fashion enough to: 1. Check tires for runout. Fix if over .035" runout (even a well balanced egg will.... well, it will roll like an egg. 2. Balance front tires ON THE COACH. That way all rotating masses are in balance, not just the tire and wheel. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rossboyer Report post Posted July 16, 2015 I use Wheelmaster balancing discs on front tires only. I have used them on three coaches, and they have worked well. I have never balanced rear, but I have had alignment done including rear axle. All track very well. Possibly beads will not have the problem, but powder will cause problems with TPMS sensors if the wrong Valve Stem is used. I think the correct one has a red ring at the seal, but you would have to remove to check. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
huffypuff Report post Posted July 17, 2015 The problem I have with balancing beads or disc is simple logic. When you are driving up to speed the beads would end up in the light area from the opposing heavy force. Every time you stop the beads would fall to the bottom by gravity. The wheels would be out of balance until the coach gets up to speed again. Hitting a bump in the road has the similar effect as it could toss the beads in an unbalance area for the moment. I rather stick to the old fashion balance. When I got my tires they were balance statically and dynamically. This seem to work well in most cases. Caution: If you have front tires spun balance on the coach be sure that the grease don't get spun out of the bearings. No problem with wet hubs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted July 17, 2015 And, certainly, if there is any moisture in the tire (either from mounting or using air from a non-dryer equipped source), clumping could occur. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
obedb Report post Posted July 17, 2015 I have not seen tires balanced on a vehicle in many years. There are probably shops that still do it but could be difficult to find. Since Brett mentioned it, he probably knows where to find them, but my guess is they are few and far between. Of course I could be wrong, but it has never been offered to me over the years. I do remember seeing steer tires, after being put on the rim, placed on a rather high tech looking machine that spun them for computer balancing at Service Tire in Harrisburg. I was told that if the tire exceeded normal balancing weights, it was rejected and sent back to the manufacturer. They never offered that service when drive tires were installed on the trucks I ran over the years. When I had 6 new Michelin XZE tires installed June of last year, I brought Centramatic Wheel Balancers with me that I ordered from the manufacturer in Alvarado Texas. Have used them for years on 18 wheelers with very good results. They are expensive, but they can be moved from one unit to the next. On the rare stretches of highway that are really smooth, that is all that I feel. SMOOTH!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tireman9 Report post Posted July 18, 2015 While I was waiting to get my new coach on the alignment machine I watched the shop finish up a front end on vehicle spin balance on a big dump truck. Balancing on the vehicle will help with out of balance hubs & brakes as well as make out of round tire, OOR tire mounting or OOR wheel to hub condition. Brett talks about balancing an egg. I prefer to think of balancing a cinder block. Can be done but don't ride worth a darn. Hope to see some of you in Madison at my tire seminars. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
obedb Report post Posted July 18, 2015 Spin balancing makes good sense, but I have not seen it done in many years. Never been offered to me as a choice. My guess is that quality control at high end manufacturers (especially Michelin $$$) would not let a bad build out the door. Maybe truckers around here are just a bunch of rubes, and don't demand the best. Getting the wheel centered on the studs is easier with the new standard of hub piloting, but still not perfect in every case. Regardless/ couldn't be happier with our new tires. Quality manufacturer, gold standard dealer, and centramatics $$$. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
