Balancing Trailer Tires - yes or no

[PeteK-Hou]

Replaced the tires on the trailer yesterday (Goodyear Endurance). After mounting the new tires, the guys were bringing them over to the trailer to install. I asked if they had been balanced and they said they usually didn't balance trailer tires as the vibrations wouldn't be felt in the tow vehicle. I thought that was a bit strange so I asked them to balance them anyway, which they did. A balanced tire has to be better then one that isn't...right?

[phillyg]

Cleary, its roughly 50/50 to balance, or not. Here's an example of why it makes sense to balance the wheel/tire, notwithstanding that the hubs and discs may be out. I think their mass is more concentrated nearer the center. Thus of less impact.

Here's a link to fairly dramatic trailer wheel hopping. I've actually seen worse on a TT. I can't be convinced that it's okay for tires to hop thusly. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
https://youtu.be/GcISwBlCAKsre

[Lynnmor]

Turtle n Peeps wrote:
Unless you spin balance your tires on your trailer you're pretty much wasting your time. Unlike car and truck hubs and drums, trailer components don't have balance weights. You can get your tires within a micro gram but everything else will be out to lunch which means everything else will be out to lunch.......or on the money......you just can't tell unless everything in the system is balanced.

I have posted similar comments for years now. The thing is that you won't convince anyone and I have never heard back that a drum or hub was ever checked. I balance mine as an assembly, others will be blissfully unaware that they still have a poorly balanced assembly.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

Unless you spin balance your tires on your trailer you're pretty much wasting your time. Unlike car and truck hubs and drums, trailer components don't have balance weights. You can get your tires within a micro gram but everything else will be out to lunch which means everything else will be out to lunch.......or on the money......you just can't tell unless everything in the system is balanced.

[campigloo]

Seems to me a round tire will perform better and longer than an oval tire. Seems like there would be less stress on most components. I may be wasting my time and money but I really don’t care either. I have had to have mild arguments with some installers and those usually walk away shaking their head with a confused look but in the end they’ll do it. I also think more and more dealers are asking if I want them balanced.

[marcsbigfoot20b]

Jay Coe wrote:
No, because the short spring and no shock produces far more vibration than a tire will. This is asked often, and there's a very good explanation out there if you google it. I'm not going to bother searching for it again, but trailer tires do NOT need to be balanced because they are part of an inherently unbalanced system.

Mine has shocks.
Car tires dont NEED to be balanced either, but they are.
More wear and tear on all parts if tires are not balanced.

In my opinion all tires should be balanced, car truck motorcycle trailer etc.....anything that will go over 40 mph.

[phillyg]

I think the no balance crowd is listening to old school thoughts. If you've ever seen a trailer tire bouncing up and down while going down the road, it looks like the springs and axle are going to depart the trailer at any moment. Balancing is a small price to pay for a smoother ride, IMHO.

[Jay_Coe]

No, because the short spring and no shock produces far more vibration than a tire will. This is asked often, and there's a very good explanation out there if you google it. I'm not going to bother searching for it again, but trailer tires do NOT need to be balanced because they are part of an inherently unbalanced system.

[ksbowman]

I always balance tires, whether it is on a trailer or vehicle. It would have to cause wear problems if part of the tire has more contact pressure than another and I watch tires very closely. One bouncing would drive me nuts and for me that's a short drive anyway.

[jerem0621]

I had mine balanced on the TT. Even balanced them on my PUP.

I am not concerned with what the industry does. I do what makes sense to me. Balancing tires just makes sense to me

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[SmokinJoe73]

Mechanics get lazy and used to skimping where possible. I found the same poor logic on my motorcycle. They claimed they didn't balance rear tires. They had zero reason except that's the way they were taught.
Makes no sense at both wheels are turning at the same speed etc.
I have had tons of issues even getting my tow vehicle wheels balanced properly, having to stop on a long trip to rebalance and fight with first shop over the botched job.

[tomman58]

I used to do it but the installer (more than once) told me it isn't needed on a heavy TT. I looked at my new Jayco with the Goodyears and nope they are not balanced.
Ask yourself have you ever seen a TT tire with wear spots on the tire from being out of balance????? Me neither!

[PeteK-Hou]

jerryjay11 wrote:
You'll find most tire sales businesses are use to mounting tires on small utility trailers that may carry a landscapers equipment to the tiny 4" X 6" trailers. I have had the same funny look and response from local tire dealers, but when you run a TT at highway speeds the balancing is a bit more critical.

This was my thought also. They are more used to utility trailers than travel trailers.

[rhagfo]

Yes! Ballance

[jerryjay11]

You'll find most tire sales businesses are use to mounting tires on small utility trailers that may carry a landscapers equipment to the tiny 4" X 6" trailers. I have had the same funny look and response from local tire dealers, but when you run a TT at highway speeds the balancing is a bit more critical.

[deltabravo]

PeteK-Hou wrote:
A balanced tire has to be better then one that isn't...right?

YES!

By all means, have trailer tires balanced.

My opinion that all trailer tires should be balanced began back in 2008 when I bought a flat bed car hauler trailer (new from a dealer).

The trip home was about 30 miles. On the interstate, the vibration was so bad that it could be felt in my truck.

I took the tires off the trailer and went to a tire shop to have them balanced. Several of them were so badly manufactured (out-of-round) that the tire store was not able to get them balanced properly.

I took all 4 tires/wheels back to the trailer dealer and asked for new ones.
The sales guy looked at me in disbelief that I was "balancing" my trailer tires. He made some totally off the wall comment about it.
They did get me new tires/wheels, which balanced fine.

Since then, I've always balanced my trailer tires.

Last year I bought a utility trailer. It also had vibrations I could feel in the truck prior to getting the tires balanced.

Here's a video I made of those tires.

Here's a video I made comparing Goodyear Endurance tires to another brand of ST tire