When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Centramatic experts; I just replaced the Continentals (terrible in winter) on my F-450 with Toyo M655's. I elected not to balance the aluminum wheels, figuring the Centramatics would do the job for me and I would prefer not to have weights on them. Now the wheels are not quite balanced; feels like a front wheel. I guess I will go back and have the aluminum wheels balanced; asking for stick on weights, but why don't the Centramatic balancers take care of this? I figured Toyo tires are good quality and did not expect this problem.
Last edited by Y2KW57; Jun 7, 2025 at 04:57 PM.
Reason: Thread title change, per OP request
Looking at some old threads, I realized I never posted the final solution to my tire issue. After all the time everyone spent helping me, you deserve the rest of the story.
I made two trips to the tire shop where they made multiple attempts to balance the Toyo’s. One of the managers came with me on each test drive and agreed there was a still a problem. They finally asked me if I would be willing to drive two hours to one of their other stores that has new equipment including a road force machine. I agreed to do it. They guys at the “new” store put all the wheels on their road force machine and concluded “these tires will never balance”. I had the numbers but have since misplaced them. I made sure these guys called the original store and reported their findings.
Back to the original shop; they said “what do you want to do?". My response; "what are you going to do?". We ended up pulling the Toyo’s off and returning them. I bought a set of six Roadmaster RM257 tires (in the correct size 225/70R19.5 G) for $1500 less than the seven Toyo’s (one of my Continentals back on the spare). These mounted and balanced much better than the Toyo’s.
I still had a slight hop above 75mph, but, since I seldom drive that fast, something I was willing to live with, especially after spending four days in a tire store. I was almost convinced I had a drive shaft out-of-balance.
I have run the Roadmasters for 18 months (including a trip to Yukon) and I’m happy with them.
In Sept, 2024 I was at a good brake & alignment shop to have the 5th wheel aligned. They seemed to be quite competent so I asked about the high-speed hop. After a test drive, they used their on-vehicle balancing machine to spin up each front tire and found the problem; the right side started hopping when it came up to speed; not quite round. This shop still has the equipment and expertise to true tires (not many shops can true tires these days). They trued the right front tire and solved the hopping at high speed.
Centramatics can only correct so much imbalance before they are beyond their range, and of course they won't correct a tire deficiency, like an out of round or some other such defect.
I have them on my truck, and have always had my wheels/tires balanced even with them on there, and they compensate for any wear induced imbalance that may occur later on.
And, when you balance the wheels/tires, you may find that there is a issue beyond balancing.
Centramatics can only correct so much imbalance before they are beyond their range, and of course they won't correct a tire deficiency, like an out of round or some other such defect.
I have them on my truck, and have always had my wheels/tires balanced even with them on there, and they compensate for any wear induced imbalance that may occur later on.
And, when you balance the wheels/tires, you may find that there is a issue beyond balancing.
I'm going to have the tire shop take a look at them in case one is defective.
I bought a set and took them off with in 50 miles and through them in the dumpster.
The front rubbed a hole in them from the calipers, it was either the rim pushing the beveled one in which I didn’t think was right or the straight one I thought would clear it but obviously it wasn’t. I didn’t like how much it shortened the studs by pushing the wheel out and the noise at low speeds drove me crazy.
I bought a set and took them off with in 50 miles and through them in the dumpster.
The front rubbed a hole in them from the calipers, it was either the rim pushing the beveled one in which I didn’t think was right or the straight one I thought would clear it but obviously it wasn’t. I didn’t like how much it shortened the studs by pushing the wheel out and the noise at low speeds drove me crazy.
You must have had them installed incorrectly.
And, as thin as the centers are, how could they have possibly shortened the wheel studs too much???
As to noise, I hardly hear mine, and you can roll the window up and or crank the volume on the radio.
And, it must be nice to be able to just throw that much money in the dumpster.
I bought a set and took them off with in 50 miles and through them in the dumpster.
The front rubbed a hole in them from the calipers, it was either the rim pushing the beveled one in which I didn’t think was right or the straight one I thought would clear it but obviously it wasn’t. I didn’t like how much it shortened the studs by pushing the wheel out and the noise at low speeds drove me crazy.
I don't understand this; did you change wheels? I have had noisy tires before and these are not noisy, Only slightly more than the OEM Continentals; I doubt most could tell a difference.
Where is this dumpster? For $4k I'm on the way! I even saved the Continentals.
I don't understand this; did you change wheels? I have had noisy tires before and these are not noisy, Only slightly more than the OEM Continentals; I doubt most could tell a difference.
Where is this dumpster? For $4k I'm on the way! I even saved the Continentals.
I threw the centramatics away not the tires. After all two of them were junk from holes rubbed in them.
I was stopped multiple times in parking lots because a Good Samaritan thought I had a leaking tire because of the whooshing sound.
As for the short studs there was no stud left outside the nut after everything was tightened up.
I run centramatics on my kw, and have gotten tires they don't fix, pulled them off, thought it was balancer and truck shook terribly, the helped it quit a bit. They work but as said, they only do so much. Wouldn't hurt to have tire spun balanced and see what they say, my f450 came from factory with so many weights on 2 tires, I'm surprised they didn't reject them.
I threw the centramatics away not the tires. After all two of them were junk from holes rubbed in them.
I was stopped multiple times in parking lots because a Good Samaritan thought I had a leaking tire because of the whooshing sound.
As for the short studs there was no stud left outside the nut after everything was tightened up.
And no, I had the factory lariat wheels.
They are only just over 1/16" thick, no possible way they should make the studs not stick through enough, even with the spacer on they wouldn't do that.
Very strange.
I have them on my Lariat with no stud length issues, and they fit perfectly.
And, a quick call to centramatic would very likely gotten any issues you had with them taken care of, they have good customer service.
Centramatics can only correct so much imbalance before they are beyond their range, and of course they won't correct a tire deficiency, like an out of round or some other such defect.
I have them on my truck, and have always had my wheels/tires balanced even with them on there, and they compensate for any wear induced imbalance that may occur later on.
And, when you balance the wheels/tires, you may find that there is a issue beyond balancing.
If the tire shop had the tire standing on the tread when they aired it up it most likely isn't centered on the rim, no balance in the world will fix that.
any tapered bead tire, ie. Any tire that the size ends with .5
needs to be laying flat on the ground when the beads are seated.
If the tire shop had the tire standing on the tread when they aired it up it most likely isn't centered on the rim, no balance in the world will fix that.
any tapered bead tire, ie. Any tire that the size ends with .5
needs to be laying flat on the ground when the beads are seated.
They make tire machines that bead up the tire standing up? I've done about 400 tires in 20 years, never beaded one up, without it being flat on the machine.
If I didn't have my own machines and had to go "somewhere", I would drive my vehicle for 20-30 miles, come immediately home and remove all the tires/wheels I wanted balanced.
Then take just the tires/wheels to the shop. PIA, but most shops don't have the time or desire to run your tires on the truck long enough, to guarantee any flat spots are completely gone.
They make tire machines that bead up the tire standing up? I've done about 400 tires in 20 years, never beaded one up, without it being flat on the machine.
If I didn't have my own machines and had to go "somewhere", I would drive my vehicle for 20-30 miles, come immediately home and remove all the tires/wheels I wanted balanced.
Then take just the tires/wheels to the shop. PIA, but most shops don't have the time or desire to run your tires on the truck long enough, to guarantee any flat spots are completely gone.
I used to repair tires for the military and split rim wheels were rolled into a cage for inflation as they sometimes flew apart. Nothing to do with tire balance, I know. They killed several workers!
I'm about to have my F-350 SRW tires rotated and rebalanced at 40kmi as there's a little shake on the front around 70mph. I was considering installing some balancing beads if the vibration doesn't go away. I have 48oz of the ceramic ones that go in through the valve stem. One of my FORD TPMS sensors failed at 37kmi, so maybe I should swap my spare and program the TPMS in it to the truck? Decisions to make I guess.
It's a shame that one of the two FORD shops removed my FORSCAN OBDII Bluetooth link as I'll have to order another to program the one TPMS module. I'll get that ordered today from Amazon or Ebay.
