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Balancing beads "Work, or crap?"

26K views 20 replies 18 participants last post by  YJ fanatic 
#1 ·
So I keep seeing the ceramic balancing beads popping up on Ebay and places while looking around. Has anyone had any dealings with them. Do they work, or is it another crap product that will just drive you crazy. I have a tire that I just can't seem to get perfect and at higher speeds cause a bit of a vibration, not bad, just a bit, but it is making me crazy.

Any thoughts......
 
#2 ·
Absolutly work. I have never used dyna beads or the fancy ceramic ones. I have used regular airsoft bbs in many tires.

Including getting bias ply 42in tsls to balance.
 
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#4 ·
I will never go back to lead weights. Balance beads for sure the way to go. No rebalanceing ever, get mud/snow packed on inside of wheel it rebalances itself. However if u get a flat and have to take tire apart its reccomended to clean all old out and put new bag in. as to avoid beads getting court in beads of tire causing slow leak. Mine cost me 2 bucks a piece...with discount through work. As for the vibration, beads will work unless you have very odd tire wear.
 
#6 ·
They didn't work for me. The tire shop was amazed it didn't due to they have used them many times. I have a very aggressive mud terrain tire. My offroad shop said they haven't had good luck with them either. I had them redone with sticky weights and they're WAY better now. Who knows......if the tire shop would've put more beads in maybe it would be ok, but man did it shake when it was first done! I was charged $10 a bag for them.....1 bag per tire.
 
#7 ·
They absolutely work for me. I'm running them in my 33's and they are perfect. Also switched to them on the street bike. My wife's truck is next. I just used the dynabeads website for the amount of "airsoft" bb's i needed.
 
#9 ·
I have run the beads in my 35s for years. The only problem is hitting a pothole at highway speeds can sometimes knock a tire out of balance. After coming to a complete stop, they will correct themselves when you take off again. I was so impressed with the concept, I put #8 birdshot in my 5th wheel trailer tires and the dishes don't rattle out of the cupboards anymore.
 
#13 ·
I understand how the beads are done and why they work. The question I have is why not use half a cup of water instead of the beads.....seems to me like it would do the same thing? Or some RV anti-freeze so it won't freeze in one clump?
 
#14 ·
Well water freezes not so good for us northern people. RV antifreeze...I don't know much about it but liquids expand at a different rate than air and may cause air pressures to go too high at highway speeds. Not to mention the possibility that the rv coolant could cause corrosion to either the tire or wheel or both.
 
#15 ·
Also, wonder if the heat from the road would cause some evap. Obviously the moisture would go no where, but if it were suspended in the air in the tire, then It would not do much good for balance weight...
 
#16 ·
Water inside a tire is a bad idea for the steel belting of a tire. If there is any pores for the water to see into, the tire will eventually fall apart while driving.
 
#18 ·
Local gear head, former Jeep tech, now some kind of oil analysis guy...swears by them has an extensive write up on our local Jeep page...explains figuring the proper amount etc... I am sure his is not the only write up, but he uses words I understand and explains his "thoughts" he used the air soft as well...next time around I am going to the air softs. From what I understand there is not a "problem" if the correct amount is used based on the size of the tire and the weight of tire as well.
 
#19 ·
Update. Have been running the beads for over a year now with no issues and great results. Will never go back to conventional tire weights. I think I wound up with either 8 or 10 oz. per tire with my 36 swampers and they work flawlessly. Funny note, the first time I just popped my jeep in neutral to push it back in the drive way to do something without it running, the sound made me panic a bit. Couldn't figure out what the hell that noise was and was out there 5 minutes pushing it around before it dawned on me... Felt like an idiot... There, now I am not just laughing at myself...
 
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