Need rear tire balanced!

[2ndChildhood]

I used balance beads in the rear tire 4 ounces. They work great. I am going to put them in the front tires also 2 ounces each. The only problem I had was getting them. I had to have one side of the tire open up and poured them in.

[Michael211_2000]

I am aware of dynamic balancers (such as centramatics which I have on my 1-ton dually truck but didn't know they made them to Spyder wheel sizes may look into them later) and tire beads that go inside the tire. Yes it's a Kendra tire same as my front tires are (I'm funny that way I don't like mixing tire types/brands on my vehicles).

Any tire has a probability of being perfectly balanced without weights when 1st put on, it's just luck of the draw whether any tire needs weights added or not. Just because you lucked out and didn't need balance weights doesn't mean that tire type never needs balance weights every tire and unless you have the tire balance checked with a machine you may not realize how far out of balance your tire may be (good shock and suspension design can absorb quite a lot of imbalance, just because you don't feel imbalance doesn't mean it isn't there just saying...... ).

Anyhows, I just want to get my Spyder back together again with good rear rubber again I would prefer to get the wheel static balanced before fighting 3 hours to put it back on though and that's where I'm stuck apart right now.

- Michael

[Bensonoid]

Do you have a Harbor Freight nearby? I used their motorcycle wheel balancer on mine and it worked great.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Do you have a Harbor Freight nearby? I used their motorcycle wheel balancer on mine and it worked great.

If you are referring t o the one that has the ROD & CONES for positioning .... I have been thinking of getting one also .......... I haven't because they don't say what size the Rubber CONES are .....since you have one can you share that info ......Thanks , Mike

[jcthorne]

If you are referring t o the one that has the ROD & CONES for positioning .... I have been thinking of getting one also .......... I haven't because they don't say what size the Rubber CONES are .....since you have one can you share that info ......Thanks , Mike

The cones are steel and they fit the rear spyder wheel fine. I would guess they are about 1.5" diameter and fit the 1" shaft hole well. IF you go to get one, open the box and check the bearings on the roller wheels the rod sits in. They MUST spin freely and without friction. I went though several to get 4 good bearings. But this was years ago, they may be better now.

[Michael211_2000]

I gave up and poured 3 oz of beads into it and put the wheel assembly back together and back on my Spyder. Haven't road tested it just yet but soon.

Places I was told could balance a Spyder rear wheel but in fact could or would not (when I took it to them):

Powersports of Conroe (balance machine is broken and no ETA when it might be repaired)
Walmart Automotive (shaft to big for center of wheel)
Discount Tire (shaft too big for center of wheel)
Harley Davidson of Kingwood (said their machine could do it, but won't because its not off a Harley Davidson motorcycle)
Mancuso North (actually they said they don't have a balance machine at all, that they only use tire beads)
and The Cycle Shack of Conroe (shaft too big for center of wheel, again)

Well this was tonnes of fun! I would never have guessed it when I went to change my rear tire. I did ask if removing the bearing in the center would help, but was told no the center of the wheel would still be too small.

fyi: Using the axle shaft on jackstands technique, this Kendra tire balances perfectly just like your car tires. However I suspect this technique doesn't allow for much precision hence I went ahead and added tire beads to it anyways.

Regards and safe riding ya'll!

- Michael