Every year or so, someone posts about "balancing beads" on the H.A.M.B. Typically, this post is followed by guys that swear by their magic and others who say there is no possible way that they could work. A couple of weeks ago, this scenario played i... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
Years ago I had a set of General radials that vibrated no matter what anyone did. I found a shop that pumped in some blue goop, I don't remember what it was called, and it smoothed them out. Hadn't heard much about that kind of stuff for a while. What goes around comes around!
Ya know I have never known why that it works or even cared why it works. Just the fact that it works is good for me. Glad it worked out for ya.
A timely thread - I saw an ad for these the other day, and as I have a set of 17" Firestones to mount shortly, I was wondering if these beads really worked. Surely there must be some downside to using them?
Thanks for the link. I hated to see half a dozen weights on my freshly powder coated wheels, hope they come off OK.
That will be addressed in the thread that comes right after his obituary and the thread "Cochrans widow files lawsuit".
I've been using these for years in my 40 Ford coupe, Ryan, and they work and work real well. Yep, it's a pain to get them installed but once in, they do their magic!
Just call the folks at Innovative Balancing and they will tell you how much you will need - make sure you get their applicator/installer - it does make life somewhat easier.
Basic physics, really. Any spinning body will try to balance itself out. I know they work, as does Slime gel, but I wonder if they eventually ruin the inside of the tire, rendering it unrepairable? (Chafing)
You almost have to suck all the air out of the tube first....I sat on the tire and put the beads in as I let the tire back up, kinda gets a suction that way! Big pain in the ass but well worth it.
I got 'em sitting on my desk, I'm gonna put 'em in the slicks on the Packford this weekend, I'll report on the outcome.
Years ago there were roll-up balancers that spun the front wheel while it was still on the car and you could adjust the weight with a adapter that clipped on the wheel. Once in a while, Tires done on the computerized balancer wouldn't be right for some reason, but you could get them smoothed out on the floor balancer. Same principle. Centrifugal force finding it's own balance, and it balances the tire, wheel, and everything else spinning in there as a unit. But you still had to bang a lead weight on there. This sounds pretty cool. Does it work on just bias ply with tubes or on everything?
When it was up on jack stands, I rolled the assembly and you could hear them in there... However, it wasn't loud. Once back on the car it doesn't make a difference... You can't hear shit over my flathead.
Since they're round, I can't imagine that they'd do much harm. The folks I've known who used them all had tube-type tires, so I can't say for certain. My buddy Ken runs them in his Model A. Made a world of difference in that car. We had it on the Interstate this weekend... no vibrations that I felt.
Ok, you got me. I've been reading about them too. I'll be giving them a try real soon. Unless I have grandchildren soon, don't think I'll be doing the kid poo thing though.
I would be curious about this as well. Also does the tire have to have tubes, I have tubeless bias plys on my 54 and would like to give it a try. Would I remove the weights that are already there too?
I put some in my Phaeton over the weekend and love the new ride. I'm going to do the same to all of my cars!!!!!!!!
Yes they work, do they balance the tire, at a constant speed they may, for the most part what they do is dampen the vibration. I'll use them in a situation that I can not balance the wheel/tire. But I'll still go for the balance first.
It could be worse, it could be that there were no beads and you had to put poo in the tires. I would bet that poop would work though. Can you see yourself trying to stick hamster terds in your tires, have the ol lady catch you doin something like that, she'd have grounds.
I got mine from So-Cal Phoenix about 5 years ago. They have worked wonders in my Radials ever since, and we're talking some serious speeds at times too. I did devise a better way to install them though - I went to the dollar store and bought a stack able funnel set for you guessed it 1$. In that set there is always a small funnel, and being made of cheap soft plastic, this guy will thread right over the cap end of the valve stem. Turn the wheel to the seven o clock position, and start filling slowly while gently shaking the funnel back and forth. You'd be amazed at how well and quickly this works. Just have a small chunk of .023 mig wire handy to poke through if it does clog, but by the time I did the last one, I had it down. There is no noise to speak of, but then again, you can hardly hear your self think in the Plymouth any way. So- Cal Phoenix has a chart to tell you what amount is necessary for what size wheel. These solved one major problem for me, which was rear wheels constantly out of balance. I have just enough horse power on tap, and am just a big enough squirrel that I would frequently spin the wheels inside the rear tires. Got old rebalancing the tires every time I did goofy stuff!
Yes, they are. I also remember years ago JCWhitney selling balancing rings that bolted in behind the wheels to do the same thing.