What a Difference!

May 14, 2015
125
12
Sunrise, Florida
A week or so ago I installed 2 ounces of balancing beads in each of the rear tires on my conversion. I checked with Dyna-Bead and told it was OK to add 2 ounces even though I had lead weights still on. I just came back from a 400+ mile ride and was amazed at the difference it made. I had a vibration from what I thought was just an inherit vibration due to the conversion, raking and lousy suspension of the front end. I read that you can feel the vibration even if it comes from the rear tires. So I figured what the heck. I am very happy. At 80MPH it was very smooth compared to what it was. I originally tried not to go above 75 due to it feeling like I was driving a truck. I got up to 80-85 and was very happy at the difference.
 
A week or so ago I installed 2 ounces of balancing beads in each of the rear tires on my conversion. I checked with Dyna-Bead and told it was OK to add 2 ounces even though I had lead weights still on. I just came back from a 400+ mile ride and was amazed at the difference it made. I had a vibration from what I thought was just an inherit vibration due to the conversion, raking and lousy suspension of the front end. I read that you can feel the vibration even if it comes from the rear tires. So I figured what the heck. I am very happy. At 80MPH it was very smooth compared to what it was. I originally tried not to go above 75 due to it feeling like I was driving a truck. I got up to 80-85 and was very happy at the difference.

YUP, I'm a believer also!!

For years now I have had my rear tires Road Force balanced then added the two ounces of Dyna Beads. To me it's the most we can do to cure/reduce that dreaded lateral imbalance gremlin. :xszpv::xszpv:
 
YUP, I'm a believer also!! For years now I have had my rear tires Road Force balanced then added the two ounces of Dyna Beads. To me it's the most we can do to cure/reduce that dreaded lateral imbalance gremlin. :xszpv::xszpv:

I think I'll give this a try once I get the trike out next month. I've had a front shimmy at 65-70 mph that has been annoying--been there since the conversion. I have the Centramatics on my front wheel and that has always been very smooth. But I've got no idea how well the rears are balanced--just assumed CSC had it right from the factory.

Is 2 oz. really enough for those auto-sized tires? I thought I read they recommended 3 oz. for a rear motorcycle tire.
 
I think I'll give this a try once I get the trike out next month. I've had a front shimmy at 65-70 mph that has been annoying--been there since the conversion. I have the Centramatics on my front wheel and that has always been very smooth. But I've got no idea how well the rears are balanced--just assumed CSC had it right from the factory.

Is 2 oz. really enough for those auto-sized tires? I thought I read they recommended 3 oz. for a rear motorcycle tire.

Below is the recommendations from Dyna-Beads. I have 17" tires with an aspect ratio of 45 and after reading this I may install 2 more ounces in each. My tires are balanced inside and out from CSC.

Dyna Beads® with Low Profile Tires

You will note that we do not market to cars, SUV’s or personal minivans, mostly due to low profile, low aspect ratio tires.

If you have low-profile tires, that being any tire with an aspect ratio 65 or below, you may have balancing issues that precludes using Dyna Beads as the sole balancing method.

Our official policy is that we do not advise using Dyna Beads in any car, truck or SUV tire with an aspect ratio 65 or below unless used in conjunction with weights.**

The reason for this is that this type of tire has a higher incidence of lateral imbalance, which is basically that one side of the tire is heavier than the other side, creating a “wobbling” effect, or “shaking” of the steering wheel. This type of imbalance can only be corrected by careful placement of traditional weights on the wheel rim.

That being said, the physics principle of how Dyna Beads functions is still the same, and the addition of a Maintenance amount will usually* smooth out the ride, add additional tire mileage, and reduce, if not eliminate, any future rebalancing issues.



Maintenance levels:

13” to 14” - 2oz per tire.

15” to 16” - 3 oz per tire

17” to 18” - 4 oz per tire

20” - 5 oz per tire

22” to 26 - 6 oz per tire

* While Maintenance levels have been very successful with customers, there are too many variables for us to accurately predict its success in a particular vehicle/tire type, and so we offer no assurance or guarantee using this method on your vehicle.
 
Yep ..... I've done a lot of experimentation with bead balancing.

Our Mustang has 235/55-17 tires on it and TPMS and chrome plated alloy wheels with a fat lip so no clip on outside weights. All balance weight must be done with stick on weights behind spokes or on inside lip. I put new Goodyear RS-A tires on it last year and found that oem had a large concentration of weight inside opposite TPMS. In my balancing I found that's where weight is largely concentrated again, with some variance between tires.

At speed on interstate it maintained a slight vibration, I rebalanced again with same result. I can get them balanced perfectly either dynamically or statically .... but not both. Even let the guy who runs the shop I visit try, same deal.

Finally in desperation, I balanced it to a reading of all zeros on a dynamic setting that allowed for designating how far from lip stick on weights go ....

then threw in 3 ounces of Air Soft Red Jacket hard plastic BBs and now ..... she's smooth.

've also, as an experiment, tried them as sole balance media in a 60 series tire like the industry peeps say won't work .... and they don't work too well there where the inner floor of the tire is flat allowing beads to form up on either side. This was a '92 Thunderbird with 225/60-16 tires. The balance "comes and goes" as you drive along ..... "cyclical" like.

They do seem to work well alone in 70 series and narrower tires though and in lessor amounts, work great as a supplemental balance media with the wider ones.

(I use Air Soft Red Jacket BBs as I'm just cheap and they are easy to vacuum out with a small wand, cleaned via rinse and dried and reused)
 
]Would like to put beads in my Bushtec trailer tires. Any idea on the weight of the beads I should add

Bushtec tires have an inner tube. I don't believe it is recommended for that application.

Anyway I dont think they need balancing.

You can err mail Bushtec and dyna-Bead and ask though.
 

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