balancing swampers
Freshman User
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
From: Vacaville, California
About the equal packet balancing. You have to remember that all compressed air has moisture in it. No way around it except to use a filtered inert gas. I use Nitrogen in my tires for 1 1/2 years now and have seen better ride quality, very little loss of pressure vs. compressed air(doesn't permeate through the tire as easily) and in the old ladies car we got a little under 2 MPG better fuel mileage.
Also I would recommend just using an external balancing system on any radial as the construction is different than a Bias tire. You should have these large radials rebalanced every time you rotate them if you are not using an internal balancing system. PLus external systems balance radials regardless of how fast you are going.
And if you paid a $100 for a balance job you got ripped off. An experienced tire tech should have realized that a standard balance job wouldn't work on Bias tire. I pay $4 a tire for my balancing
Also I would recommend just using an external balancing system on any radial as the construction is different than a Bias tire. You should have these large radials rebalanced every time you rotate them if you are not using an internal balancing system. PLus external systems balance radials regardless of how fast you are going.
And if you paid a $100 for a balance job you got ripped off. An experienced tire tech should have realized that a standard balance job wouldn't work on Bias tire. I pay $4 a tire for my balancing
Lead Driver
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 8,466
Likes: 726
From: Calgary Canada
Originally Posted by DJEkim33
I use Nitrogen in my tires for 1 1/2 years now and have seen better ride quality, very little loss of pressure vs. compressed air(doesn't permeate through the tire as easily) and in the old ladies car we got a little under 2 MPG better fuel mileage.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 11,945
Likes: 3
From: Spokane, WA
I would assume nitrogen may give better mileage because it's more consistent in pressure. A lot of racers use nitrogen for this reason, as well as some jet fighters. Air pressure varies in a tire based on temperature, not only the temperature of your climate but the temperature caused by friction. As a tire warms up during driving the presure increases. Keeping consistent pressure may increase mileage, I just don't know how significantly. Using nitrogen in something like a Swamper typically isn't practical for as much as they're aired down and reinflated.
Butt-Head
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 9,448
Likes: 2,934
From: Reed Point, MT
So here comes the "I tried it and it didn't work" side of the argument.
I tried Equal in my 44" Hawgs. First, one bag. Ok, around town was fine but highway sucked. (By town I mean 35-40 MPH)
Then came 2 bags/tire. Highway was a little better, but town REALLY sucked. I figured if I went to 3 bags/tire I wouldn't be able to mall-crawl due to the hop I'd get at 30-40 MPH. (By hop I mean once stopped and started rolling, all the friggin' weight would stay at one point in the tire until it dispersed)
So, I finally had the tire shop statically balance the tires. It only took about 2.5 POUNDS of weight on the inside bead of the wheel. They rode terrrific after that at all speeds. (Oh, and they burned up the motor in their balancer, too!!)
With my 49" Iroks, no weight at all provided the best ride at 75 MPH. With Equal (already in tires when I bought them), they bounced all over the road and I couldn't drive it around town without looking like I was having a head-banging party. Too bad I have short hair.
Once I had the Equal vacuumed out, driving it was way more pleasurable at all speeds.
Cody
I tried Equal in my 44" Hawgs. First, one bag. Ok, around town was fine but highway sucked. (By town I mean 35-40 MPH)
Then came 2 bags/tire. Highway was a little better, but town REALLY sucked. I figured if I went to 3 bags/tire I wouldn't be able to mall-crawl due to the hop I'd get at 30-40 MPH. (By hop I mean once stopped and started rolling, all the friggin' weight would stay at one point in the tire until it dispersed)
So, I finally had the tire shop statically balance the tires. It only took about 2.5 POUNDS of weight on the inside bead of the wheel. They rode terrrific after that at all speeds. (Oh, and they burned up the motor in their balancer, too!!)
With my 49" Iroks, no weight at all provided the best ride at 75 MPH. With Equal (already in tires when I bought them), they bounced all over the road and I couldn't drive it around town without looking like I was having a head-banging party. Too bad I have short hair.
Once I had the Equal vacuumed out, driving it was way more pleasurable at all speeds.
Cody
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
From: oregon
balancing swampers
well u guys have alot of good ideas but none of them seem to be working. i think i might just take the equal out of both front tires and leave the weight on the inside of the wheel and see what happens
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,899
Likes: 2
From: Lynnwood, WA
Originally Posted by DJEkim33
I use Nitrogen in my tires for 1 1/2 years now and have seen better ride quality, very little loss of pressure vs. compressed air(doesn't permeate through the tire as easily) and in the old ladies car we got a little under 2 MPG better fuel mileage.
Freshman User
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
From: Vacaville, California
According to my O2 meter at work our oxygen content around here is 20.9%. What is in my tires is 99.7% Nitrogen. The gas mileage is not a factor in the trucks due to larger tires, heavier wieghts, larger motors. But my little 2002 Cougar has a pretty low profile tire. Thus the smaller air space in the tire heats up quicker, and hotter. Which increases the hot tire pressure more than a truck tire would.
The pressure doesn't drop as much over time in my truck which is why I like to use it. Keeps the locker happy. Also with out moisture in the tire the rim and valve don't show as much corrosion over time. I also fill my power tanks with it so I have it to air back up and for any tools I may need.
Its basically free for me so it makes since to use it instead of air
The pressure doesn't drop as much over time in my truck which is why I like to use it. Keeps the locker happy. Also with out moisture in the tire the rim and valve don't show as much corrosion over time. I also fill my power tanks with it so I have it to air back up and for any tools I may need.
Its basically free for me so it makes since to use it instead of air
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
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
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,148
Likes: 0
From: Seneca, SC
hey those centramatic's seem to make a lot of sense. I mean at 60 bucks an alignment, they'll pay for themselves in three sets of tires. And they would compensate for any loss of balance in the rotors/drums/rims. Man the more I think about it the more sense these make. I wonder why they arent' just put on all cars?
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
