tire balancing
More Turbo
Joined: Jun 2024
Posts: 631
Likes: 192
From: Southeastern US
Unless you run pure nitrogen in your tires, you will build up moisture in the tire from adding air every time.
Four ounces of beads is equivalent to four ounces of liquid. Could be a anti-freeze mix, or Slime, or BB's, or ceramic *****.
The physics is the same, only the level of granularity is different. The beauty of the anti-freeze mix is no wear inside the tire from the friction of the balance material. And it's readily available everywhere.
Moderator
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,514
Likes: 670
From: Sioux Falls Area
Just because you can’t feel it doesn’t mean it isn’t shaking.
the point about lug centric vs hub centric is a valid point. From the trailer tires that I’ve balanced I can say that they aren’t very true and they aren’t very concentric so you will never get them perfect. You can get them to a zero balance, but if you rotate them 90 degrees on the balancer hub and spin them again it won’t likely show a zero balance again.
balancing trailer tires is more about getting them better than getting them actually balanced. But with that said, most of the ones that I have balance took around 2.5 ounces in a static balance to get a zero reading.
at that kind of inbalance, you won’t feel it as the driver, but the bearings are going to feel it and the trailer is going to feel it.
will it matter? I’ve done it both ways and never seen any ill effects from it either way.
but I balance them when I can.
the point about lug centric vs hub centric is a valid point. From the trailer tires that I’ve balanced I can say that they aren’t very true and they aren’t very concentric so you will never get them perfect. You can get them to a zero balance, but if you rotate them 90 degrees on the balancer hub and spin them again it won’t likely show a zero balance again.
balancing trailer tires is more about getting them better than getting them actually balanced. But with that said, most of the ones that I have balance took around 2.5 ounces in a static balance to get a zero reading.
at that kind of inbalance, you won’t feel it as the driver, but the bearings are going to feel it and the trailer is going to feel it.
will it matter? I’ve done it both ways and never seen any ill effects from it either way.
but I balance them when I can.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2023
Posts: 1,598
Likes: 939
But four ounces (fluid ounces) of regular glycol based automotive antifreeze weighs in at 128.9 grams. Lots of engineering calculations have been messed up over the years from people doing mass to volume conversions and using ounces as equivalent in both. Not a huge deal in this case, but something to be aware of if you're trying to add a given amount of mass correction to wheel.
...
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 19,719
Likes: 12,861
From: Wyoming
I balance my trailer tires. I check the tires as they come out of the shop for balance weights because often the tech doesn't balance them even though I paid for balancing.
My new trailer came with LT tires from the factory. When I had the Ford TPMS sensors installed the tires were balanced. I asked the tech how out of balance they were. He said there were no balance weights at all on the wheels. So the factory didn't balance them.
My new trailer came with LT tires from the factory. When I had the Ford TPMS sensors installed the tires were balanced. I asked the tech how out of balance they were. He said there were no balance weights at all on the wheels. So the factory didn't balance them.
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,861
Likes: 1,042
Again, it's not that much money and you can discuss this all you want. The choice is to either balance or not.
More Turbo
Joined: Jun 2024
Posts: 631
Likes: 192
From: Southeastern US
Ounces can be both a measure of mass and of volume. For example , 4 ounces of counteract balancing beads weighs in at 113 grams (see amazon link below to counteract beads)
https://www.amazon.com/Counteract-Ba...35179018&psc=1
But four ounces (fluid ounces) of regular glycol based automotive antifreeze weighs in at 128.9 grams. Lots of engineering calculations have been messed up over the years from people doing mass to volume conversions and using ounces as equivalent in both. Not a huge deal in this case, but something to be aware of if you're trying to add a given amount of mass correction to wheel.
...
https://www.amazon.com/Counteract-Ba...35179018&psc=1
But four ounces (fluid ounces) of regular glycol based automotive antifreeze weighs in at 128.9 grams. Lots of engineering calculations have been messed up over the years from people doing mass to volume conversions and using ounces as equivalent in both. Not a huge deal in this case, but something to be aware of if you're trying to add a given amount of mass correction to wheel.
...
It's easy for that to get mixed up (pun intended) and cause the wrong weight in something when it does matter.
Moderator
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 6,530
Likes: 928
From: Home Base Nebraska
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
Top 6 Best Deals Available on New Fords & Lincolns Right Now
Brett Foote
This Hennessey Takes the Expedition Tremor's Off-Roading Capability to the Next Level
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals
Joe Kucinski
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership
Brett Foote
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches
Pouria Savadkouei
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained
Brett Foote
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Laughing Gas
Joined: May 2024
Posts: 915
Likes: 296
From: E TN
Huh, didn't know that, which leads me to a really dumb question. How can you tell which one you have? Tapered lug nuts, or fit on the hub, or something else? They weren't going to do it, but I insisted on having mine balanced at a Firestone shop when they installed TPMS sensors for me. I didn't know to discuss hub or lug, hoping they got it right.
https://www.etrailer.com/question-722061.html Here's what etrailer says about tire balancing on trailers.
Moderator
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,514
Likes: 670
From: Sioux Falls Area
This applies to most everything, especially with balancing. Does not matter what you are spinning. Alignments are the same way. Nothing is ever exactly the same once something is moved.
Again, it's not that much money and you can discuss this all you want. The choice is to either balance or not.
Again, it's not that much money and you can discuss this all you want. The choice is to either balance or not.
trailer rims are just not that straight and they aren’t true to the center of the hub bore. You can use the lug centric adapter but it really won’t help much because they just aren’t that straight. The steel ones anyway, maybe the aluminum ones are better. I haven’t done any aluminum trailer wheels.
but the steel ones I did by matching the tires as suggested in the etrailer link but they were all still around 2.5 ounces out of balance. To me that is worth getting it closer to zero.
Understanding the zero isn’t truly zero, you can get it closer than 2 ounces. If your car tire is out that much you WILL feel it (go pull a weight off your car if you don’t believe me). That’s the same thing that’s going on at the trailer if it is that far out.
there is really no reason not to balance them other than to save a few dollars. As the driver you will never know the difference, so to some it feels like money wasted.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 19,719
Likes: 12,861
From: Wyoming
I prefer to spend the money up front as insurance for not having to spend money later due to catastrophic tire failure, premature end of tire life and excessive wear and tear on the suspension.
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,861
Likes: 1,042
It's been years since I have balanced a tire. I started with a bubble and eventually worked at places where they were spin. As the years went by, the manufacturers [German] insisted that the dealership spends even more money on tire mounting/balancing machines. Manufacturers really do not care how much the dealerships spend, so they always opted for the most high tech machines.
Our latest machine would balance to zero, but they had a bypass where you could actually see what the difference was. They had a automatic zero mode used 'Just in case the customer is watching'. I did not do it often but I would rotate tires on the machine just to see the difference. Amazing, they all read zero, until you put it in bypass mode. They all changed. Yes, minor, but it was always different.
Same way with an alignment machine. Do an alignment. Take all the heads off the wheels. Reinstall the heads and do it again, they were always off. Not by much, but enough for the computer to see the differences.
Not certain what you mean when it is straight and true. It's always mounted straight when it's on the balancer. If not, you will notice it really quick.
Just sharing my life experiences after 40+ years.
Our latest machine would balance to zero, but they had a bypass where you could actually see what the difference was. They had a automatic zero mode used 'Just in case the customer is watching'. I did not do it often but I would rotate tires on the machine just to see the difference. Amazing, they all read zero, until you put it in bypass mode. They all changed. Yes, minor, but it was always different.
Same way with an alignment machine. Do an alignment. Take all the heads off the wheels. Reinstall the heads and do it again, they were always off. Not by much, but enough for the computer to see the differences.
Not certain what you mean when it is straight and true. It's always mounted straight when it's on the balancer. If not, you will notice it really quick.
Just sharing my life experiences after 40+ years.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 994
Likes: 601
From: Middle TN
Thanks Denny, that was pretty cool, and pretty convincing if you're in the "I like to balance my tires" camp like me. Interesting that the Counteract brand specifically says no harm to your rubber and totally compatible with TPMS sensors. Looks like they recommend 4 oz. per tire for my trailer tire size, and four bags run $28 on Amazon. So yeah, I'll spend $7 per tire. I don't think I'll mess with it right now since I have Ford TPMS sensors installed, but I'm definitely gonna put some beads in next time I buy tires. Another cool thing I learned on FTE!
Moderator
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 6,530
Likes: 928
From: Home Base Nebraska
Thanks Denny, that was pretty cool, and pretty convincing if you're in the "I like to balance my tires" camp like me. Interesting that the Counteract brand specifically says no harm to your rubber and totally compatible with TPMS sensors. Looks like they recommend 4 oz. per tire for my trailer tire size, and four bags run $28 on Amazon. So yeah, I'll spend $7 per tire. I don't think I'll mess with it right now since I have Ford TPMS sensors installed, but I'm definitely gonna put some beads in next time I buy tires. Another cool thing I learned on FTE!
I've been running DRW trucks for 24 years and getting the rear tires balanced has always been a problem but now the they are running smooth with beads.
Don't try and put them in through the valve stem, it can be done but it's a real pain. It's easier just to break the head and pour them in.
Denny