tire balancing
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Junior User
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
tire balancing
had two different tire business tell me you don't need to balance trailer tires. i don't care what kind of trailer i'm putting tires on i want them balance. I think it make them last longer. what do y'all think?
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
Don't "need" to do a lot of things, sounds like they are smoking their socks. Maybe there's a method to their madness. It may be the trailer tires are so schitty these days they can't be balanced, I dunno.
Normally though (well always), less vibration in a rotating assembly is a good thing. Less tire wear, bearing wear and tear etc.
Normally though (well always), less vibration in a rotating assembly is a good thing. Less tire wear, bearing wear and tear etc.
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 13,834
Likes: 26
From: Middle Tn.
IMHO all tires need balanced. You need to find a decent tire shop. America's Tires near me even encourages you to bring it back in every 5 to 7,000 miles for rebalance and rotation on my double axle unit.
Retired guy fixn stuff
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 3,227
Likes: 1,240
From: East TN
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,821
Likes: 19
From: South Dakota
I've installed a lot of tires in the past. Can't really say I remember anyone ever balancing a trailer tire. I know that I never did during that time.
Tow vehicles .... Absolutely.
Trailers.... Not so much imo. Depends on the trailer imo.
rvs ok... But I can't tell the difference but I'm sure there is less harmonic vibration in the trailer.
Utility trailers, boat trailers, etc,...never gonna happen. Just don't see the value. The .5 oz that it's possibly off won't matter in the grand scheme of things and sure can't be felt at highway speeds. Even cars won't feel that.
BTW all tires are high speed balanced unless you found some shop under a rock that still uses a bubble balancer.
Tow vehicles .... Absolutely.
Trailers.... Not so much imo. Depends on the trailer imo.
rvs ok... But I can't tell the difference but I'm sure there is less harmonic vibration in the trailer.
Utility trailers, boat trailers, etc,...never gonna happen. Just don't see the value. The .5 oz that it's possibly off won't matter in the grand scheme of things and sure can't be felt at highway speeds. Even cars won't feel that.
BTW all tires are high speed balanced unless you found some shop under a rock that still uses a bubble balancer.
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Brett Foote
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 142
Likes: 5
From: Fort Smith, AR
Have to respectfully disagree. My 16' tandem flatbed trailer came new with unbalanced tires and had a fairly constant and noticeable vibration above 40 mph. Then I put the Model T on it and the additional weight exaggerated the vibration. Had the wheels balanced and she's smooth as silk.
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 13,834
Likes: 26
From: Middle Tn.
I've installed a lot of tires in the past. Can't really say I remember anyone ever balancing a trailer tire. I know that I never did during that time.
Tow vehicles .... Absolutely.
Trailers.... Not so much imo. Depends on the trailer imo.
rvs ok... But I can't tell the difference but I'm sure there is less harmonic vibration in the trailer.
Utility trailers, boat trailers, etc,...never gonna happen. Just don't see the value. The .5 oz that it's possibly off won't matter in the grand scheme of things and sure can't be felt at highway speeds. Even cars won't feel that.
BTW all tires are high speed balanced unless you found some shop under a rock that still uses a bubble balancer.
Tow vehicles .... Absolutely.
Trailers.... Not so much imo. Depends on the trailer imo.
rvs ok... But I can't tell the difference but I'm sure there is less harmonic vibration in the trailer.
Utility trailers, boat trailers, etc,...never gonna happen. Just don't see the value. The .5 oz that it's possibly off won't matter in the grand scheme of things and sure can't be felt at highway speeds. Even cars won't feel that.
BTW all tires are high speed balanced unless you found some shop under a rock that still uses a bubble balancer.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,726
Likes: 2
From: Connecticut
When you are spending a lot of money for a RV, there is no way you don't want the tires balanced. Tire separation is a real thing. If you have a small trailer that all you do is haul leaves to the dump a couple of miles down the road okay not needed. Any type of highway travel I would balance the tires.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,821
Likes: 19
From: South Dakota
Guys your more than welcome to spend the money. I really don't care, but based on my experience in the past of installing thousands of tires, cupping and tread separation are not caused by balance. Those issues are related to suspension and tire defects.
Btw one hard turn on pavement with a double axel trailer will wipe out any balance you had on the tires, unless you can some how time you turns to evenly scrub the tires....
If you have a tire so far out of balance (4+oz)(it would take more than this to feel in the truck..) , you need to replace it, not bandaid it with rebalancing.
I see the value possibly in a rv, otherwise it's unnecessary.
Btw one hard turn on pavement with a double axel trailer will wipe out any balance you had on the tires, unless you can some how time you turns to evenly scrub the tires....
If you have a tire so far out of balance (4+oz)(it would take more than this to feel in the truck..) , you need to replace it, not bandaid it with rebalancing.
I see the value possibly in a rv, otherwise it's unnecessary.
More Turbo
Joined: Jun 2024
Posts: 630
Likes: 190
From: Southeastern US
Very old thread, I know.
But now Walmart doesn't seem to balance trailer tires either, even though they sell them.
I'm going liquid balance using 4 ounces of 50/50 antifreeze/water mix, just like in our old tractor tires. No need to buy beads or high cost liquids, weight is weight. Or I could use 4 ounces of Slime, but I rather prefer 50/50 mix.
But now Walmart doesn't seem to balance trailer tires either, even though they sell them.
I'm going liquid balance using 4 ounces of 50/50 antifreeze/water mix, just like in our old tractor tires. No need to buy beads or high cost liquids, weight is weight. Or I could use 4 ounces of Slime, but I rather prefer 50/50 mix.
Laughing Gas
Joined: May 2024
Posts: 912
Likes: 294
From: E TN
Just my 2 cents, I don't balance my trailer tires. If you do decide you want them balanced many trailer tires are lug centric not hub centric so if the balancer doesn't have the lug style adapter, you're not really balancing them.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 988
Likes: 596
From: Middle TN