Update-Balanceing Trailer Tires with Dyna Beads

My educations continues.

A few days ago, I asked a stupid question about balancing trailer tires.

During the discussion, fellow forum member, Huntingdog (Many Thanks), educated me on 'hub-centric' (auto) versus 'lug-centric' (trailer) rims.

I had taken my boat trailer tires to a local shop for balancing, guy comes back says my wheels are badly bent. I now know that on a lug-centric trailer tire that the center (pilot) hole can be 'off-center' and only purpose is for the hub to stick thru.

I removed those big, honking weights, S-hook from bungy cord worked great.

Huntingdog provided some links and told me that lug-centric rim required an adapter plate to be balanced on todays machines, which is rare and finding a tire person to even admit such a thing exists is rarer.

During all this discussion, I discover Dyna-beads. Once, I'm satisfied that Dyna-beads are legit, I called and ordered some, paid extra to rush them as I was in a hurry.

Installation was super easy thru the valve stem, used my Sonic Care toothbrush for vibration, less than 3 min. per tire.

Went to our 1 source of free air, small town, air hose gone. Put 4 quarters in another place, airing up with wore-out chuck when it slips off and all kinds of******comes out of the air hose. This was on a Sunday.

On Monday, Called Tech support, Guy says 'if any compressor oil got inside the tire, the beads won't work'. So, after all of this, I'm going to start over. Do it right.

Called my Ford Dealer, service advisor told me that their air compressor had several water and oil filters/traps, come on in.

Break down the tires, and sure enough, one of the tires had the dyna-beads stuck to the inside, like 'fly-paper'. Good thing I caught this. Wash the insides out, twice, and a final wipe with alcohol just before remounting. After airing up, I waiting a few days before adding the beads, wanting to ensure no leaks.

At this time my Ford Techs was interested and wanted to see my process for getting the beads inside the tire. Friday, I went in, set up shop on my tailgate, had my little bottle, stem, and....my Sonic Care toothbrush....

Remember, this is the 3rd time, I have balanced this tires!!!

Ford Tech says, 'Wow, this is neat, I'm getting the Boss!!!'

Now the Service Manager is brand new at my Dealer and I had not met him yet. He comes over as I'm starting putting in the beads for the last tire. At to my suprise, he knows about 'hub' versus 'lug' centric wheels and he was familar with the Dyna-beads.

We talked for a while and I'm getting a 'good' feeling about this guy. During our talk, he said 'Fred, Why didn't you let us balance your tires, you have spent a lot of time and money on the Dyna-beads.' Bill, 'I would have but you do not have the proper adaptor plate.'

At this point Bill went over to the balancing machine and pulled it out. 'Here it is, looks like it has never been used, I saw it when I was checking things out'.:S:S:S

Hope you enjoyed,

Fred

shootandfish1
Explorer
Aug 12, 2013
FastEagle wrote:
Here is a paragraph from page two of the reference provided below. “The addition of liquid, solid or gaseous materials other than air, nitrogen or carbon dioxide (for example, waterbase sealers or balancing substances” You might want to get Michelin to clarify that balancing substances remark.

Click Here!

On edit: That statement is really on the top of page #3 under the heading - What is not covered.

FastEagle

Let me clarify, I used the beads for one of my trailers, not my f-250 which has the Michelin xps. I only brought up the Michelins because I also need a 12v compressor capable of 80psi.

For the last 2 posters, No, I did not have the guy set up the adapter, it was late in the day and they was closing.

Fred
fj12ryder
Explorer III
Aug 12, 2013
Dyna Beads say their beads won't balance a tire using a tire balancer. Something about the tire has to be free to move other than just rotate? So you can't actually check to see if the Dyna Beads actually work. Pretty sweet deal isn't it? :) Snake oil.
time2roll
Nomad
Aug 12, 2013
So did he put the dynabead tires on the machine with the correct adapter?
Did the machine call for any weights?
FastEagle
Explorer
Aug 12, 2013
Here is a paragraph from page two of the reference provided below. “The addition of liquid, solid or gaseous materials other than air, nitrogen or carbon dioxide (for example, waterbase sealers or balancing substances” You might want to get Michelin to clarify that balancing substances remark.

Click Here!

On edit: That statement is really on the top of page #3 under the heading - What is not covered.

FastEagle
Huntindog
Explorer
Aug 12, 2013
The balancing on the TT has a couple of downsides.
If this is done, then that tire MUST stay on that drum, and on the same stud position.
And if the spare is ever called into service ,,,it won't be balanced.

These reasons are probably why it has fallen out of favor, and isn't done much.

And though I do think that the drum SHOULD be balanced, it probably isn't as important as the tire. It has a much smaller diameter so it will have less effect.
It is also the reason that 3 oz of beads can correct a drum that is out of balance by more than that. The beads are right next to the tread, much further out than the drum, so the centrifical force is greater there.
Lynnmor
Explorer
Aug 11, 2013
I mark and balance the wheel, tire and drum as an assembly. It is a waste of effort to just balance the tire because the drums are way out of balance on most trailers.

The drums have no provision for balancing. I removed as much metal as I deemed safe, from the heavy side, but still couldn't get close.
Huntindog
Explorer
Aug 11, 2013
Huntindog wrote:
I got this one a couple of years ago.Air compressor

I haven't had to use it much, but I am impressed with it.
Very quiet, and fast. Other good things too. Will follow up later as work is calling.
Just looked at the Viair... NICE unit.

As promised, some more info on mine.
Pepboys has them 50% every so often. I only paid 20.00 for it. It has a standard air chuck fitting which is unusual for a 12V
unit. This allows you to use any regular air hose.
It comes with a 15' hose. I went to harbor Freight and got a 25' coiled hose and two female fittings for it. With this setup, I can reach any tire on my rig (coupled with the volt power cord) and use any air tool I want such as a standard air chuck, long dually chuck etc.
Pepboys also has another model up of the same brand that is much more powerful, but it uses the alligator battery attachments as it draws more amps than the lighter plugs can supply.
It gets good reviews as well. Costs about twice as much.

Best of all. Both are made in the USA.
shootandfish1
Explorer
Aug 11, 2013
fj12ryder wrote:
Dyna Beads are thought by a lot of people who have tried them as snake oil. Especially motorcycle people who have had less than stellar luck with them. Personally I'd either use metal weights or leave them unbalanced. JMO of course.

During my 'very limited and fast' research indicated that the Dyna-beads are the 'real deal', but one has to FOLLOW the instructions, which means nothing but air and beads in the tire.

My 'research' quoted that only 2% (don't ask where I found this) balance trailer tires. However, balanced trailer tires made life easier on the hubs and bearings.

Since I eventually plan on towing my trailers 'very long' distances (up to cross country), I want my equipment in proper order.

Necessary, I will never know.

Had I known my Ford Dealer had the adapter, I would have not have done the beads, but others have said that the beads balance all the rotating things (hubs and drums), so maybe, I made a better choice.

What would have been a true learning experience is, that once I had the tires balanced at the local Mom and Pop shop, where no one had a clue about a lug-centric wheel, was to have left to weights on, recorded the amount and location, removed them, then balanced the tires with the lug adapter plate. And see the difference.

Someone more learned than me will have to chime in.

Fred
hddecker
Explorer
Aug 11, 2013
pugslyyy wrote:
Lynnmor wrote:
My brake drums are out of balance by 5.5 oz. The tire/wheel assembly is out by 2 oz. Please explain how 3 oz. of beads will correct this balance, and at what speed.

How are you using tire weights to balance your brake drums currently?

As a practical matter if I was getting bad vibration at a corner and thought it was due to brake drums and I was using beads I would try rotating the wheel 180 degrees on the hub so that the out of balances counteract each other.

At least until I could get the brake drums turned and balanced.

Find a shop that stilll has one of the old machines that balance wheels on the vehicle.

They run the wheel to find the best balance, as stated above by rotating the tire until they get the least amount of weight difference. Once that is done they then balance the whole assembly. Once everything is balanced they mark the rim and one of the studs, so the rim always goes back in the right position after being removed.

You will probably have to search out an old timer in an independant shop, to find somebody that knows how to use the machine.

The other way go, would be to take your drums to a shop that balances drive line parts. This route in not cheap and the number of shops doing this type of work are becoming in short supply. The shop that I used to balance drive shafts went out of business about 15 years ago.
shootandfish1
Explorer
Aug 11, 2013
Garry&Gayle wrote:
Get a Viair, quality units Clicky

Short answer is that I think a Viair with 100% duty cycle is what I think I need (Want!!).

Mainly due to my Michelins XPS' like 80 PSI and I don't want to a unit that 'struggles' to get there.