Should I Balance My New Tires?

I've never seen a brake drum or a disc brake rotor that wasn't dynamically balanced in 30 years. They might exist but not in my world.

mike-s wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:
So you don't balance the wheels/tires on your car either? Many shops balance tires off the vehicle, so what's the difference. I do agree that balancing on the vehicle is best, but sometimes that simply isn't done.

What did I say to give you that idea? Brake rotors tend to be much more in balance than trailer drums, which have a large part of their mass farther from the axle. I suspect vehicle drums are also better than trailer drums - unless you buy the cheapest you can find, like trailers have.

Actually this is what gave me that idea:

"Unless the brake hubs are balanced separately, doing just the tires/wheels can make things better or worse. You can also make things better or worse simply based on how the hub/wheel are clocked."

After all not all vehicles are equipped with disc brakes front and rear. I didn't see any exceptions mentioned, as you did in this post.

Some places have balancing included in the cost of the tire. No brainer there.

fj12ryder wrote:
So you don't balance the wheels/tires on your car either? Many shops balance tires off the vehicle, so what's the difference. I do agree that balancing on the vehicle is best, but sometimes that simply isn't done.

What did I say to give you that idea? Brake rotors tend to be much more in balance than trailer drums, which have a large part of their mass farther from the axle. I suspect vehicle drums are also better than trailer drums - unless you buy the cheapest you can find, like trailers have.

mike-s wrote:
Yep. Unless the brake hubs are balanced separately, doing just the tires/wheels can make things better or worse. You can also make things better or worse simply based on how the hub/wheel are clocked.

Find a shop with one of these, and mark a stud and wheel hole so they always get clocked the same.

I have an on the vehicle balancer but not the ride on model in the video. I can tell you that I have had drums that were as much as 5.5 oz. out of balance. Unless one knows the condition of the hub/ drum, balancing is just a fell good exercise.

A tire, wheel and drum assembly can be static balanced on the spindle if all grease is removed, the seal is removed and the bearings lubricated with very light oil. I have mentioned this before, but have never heard of anyone making the effort.

mike-s wrote:

JIMNLIN wrote:
One of my truck tire dealers will not balance a tire, used in a trailer position, on a machine but if asked to do so will balance a tire on a trailer only with the old spin the tire/wheel/hub assy on the trailer....then match marks them. That way when the wheels are removed for bearing/brake service they stay clocked in balance position.

Yep. Unless the brake hubs are balanced separately, doing just the tires/wheels can make things better or worse. You can also make things better or worse simply based on how the hub/wheel are clocked.

Find a shop with one of these, and mark a stud and wheel hole so they always get clocked the same.

So you don't balance the wheels/tires on your car either? Many shops balance tires off the vehicle, so what's the difference. I do agree that balancing on the vehicle is best, but sometimes that simply isn't done.

JIMNLIN wrote:
One of my truck tire dealers will not balance a tire, used in a trailer position, on a machine but if asked to do so will balance a tire on a trailer only with the old spin the tire/wheel/hub assy on the trailer....then match marks them. That way when the wheels are removed for bearing/brake service they stay clocked in balance position.

Yep. Unless the brake hubs are balanced separately, doing just the tires/wheels can make things better or worse. You can also make things better or worse simply based on how the hub/wheel are clocked.

Find a shop with one of these, and mark a stud and wheel hole so they always get clocked the same.

I always have tires balanced, no matter what they are going on. I'm also on the "Yes" side of the fence.

The question I would ask myself is "Why would I NOT balance the tires?" What is there to be gained by not balancing?

I have mine balanced.

I do. and a few friends asked how I keep stuff from moving around in the cabinets etc. in the trailer. I said. don't do anything but balance tires. They hadn't and after they had them balanced said they were amazed at how well things stayed put in the trailer. Well.... Duh.

and it helps keep the tire belts etc. from being beat to **** as well.