Rear tire balancing? What have car tire DIY'ers been doing?

[DrewNJ]

Thanks. When I get to that point and if I have to go that route I'll post up some pics! I'd rather go this route than putting stuff inside.

 

[finless]

On the harbor frieght web site for that balancer there is a tab at the top to allow you to download the instructions.

FYI I use this exact same device but a smaller version to balance RC airplane props and RC Heli main blades.
It's pretty easy to use.

But my question about that device is, will the rear tire fit on it between the left and right suppoorts? I saw no specs on it about width.

Bob

 

[finless]

FYI, you all might read the reviews on this balancer on Harbor Frieght. Not too good. Appears the QC on these is not great. Bent shafts, stuck bearings, etc. So if you buy one, check it out fully!

I think I am going with the ride-on though or the balance beads.
I will flip a coin and decide

Bob

 

[bscrive]

The problem that I have found with wheel weights are that they sometimes fall off or the wheel is not balanced correctly in the first place. The nice thing about Ride-on or balance beads is that they will redistribute as the tire gets worn down providing true balance the whole life of the tire. With weights, the tire can come out of balance and get worse as the tire gets worn down.

 

[finless]

What bothers me about ride-on or beads, is why this is not mainstream on cars if they work so well?
If they are so great, why are car tire places still using weights?

Bob

 

[DrewNJ]

What bothers me about ride-on or beads, is why this is not mainstream on cars if they work so well?
If they are so great, why are car tire places still using weights?

Bob

My question as well.
Also, what about winter riding. Is that too going to be all thick at the bottom of the tire after sitting on my cold garage floor for a period of time.
"It will smooth out over a few miles" just doesn't work for me. Reminds me of the old bias ply tire days!...haha

 

[DrewNJ]

FYI, you all might read the reviews on this balancer on Harbor Frieght. Not too good. Appears the QC on these is not great. Bent shafts, stuck bearings, etc. So if you buy one, check it out fully!

I think I am going with the ride-on though or the balance beads.
I will flip a coin and decide

Bob

Will do. Thanks!

 

[PW2013STL]

Go buy a static tire balancer at harbor freight tools and do it yourself. That's what I use.

http://m.harborfreight.com/motorcyc...d-98488.html?utm_referrer=direct/not provided

I have the Marc Parnes balancer it is a percision unit and they make conversion kits to upgrade the harbor freight one.

http://www.marcparnes.com/BalancerUpgrade.htm

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

ADD THIS TO PROBLEMS

The problem that I have found with wheel weights are that they sometimes fall off or the wheel is not balanced correctly in the first place. The nice thing about Ride-on or balance beads is that they will redistribute as the tire gets worn down providing true balance the whole life of the tire. With weights, the tire can come out of balance and get worse as the tire gets worn down.

:lecturef_smilie:.....And if you don't set your watch to the correct time it's not giving correct information :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:................Mike

 

[Highwayman2013]

What bothers me about ride-on or beads, is why this is not mainstream on cars if they work so well?
If they are so great, why are car tire places still using weights?

Bob

I think it comes down to cost and past practice. I have the beads in both tires on my two wheeler (13,000 miles) and the rear tire of my wife's RT (5,500 miles). They work.

 

[PW2013STL]

My question as well.
Also, what about winter riding. Is that too going to be all thick at the bottom of the tire after sitting on my cold garage floor for a period of time.
"It will smooth out over a few miles" just doesn't work for me. Reminds me of the old bias ply tire days!...haha

Good question! If I ever ride my Spyder in the winter I will let you know.

I can tell you that last Saturday I road in 29 - 32 fahrenheit fot two hours and I had no issues with the ride on for balance.

I will agree that sitting for long periods will cause the Ride-On to settle in the bottom of the tire and that does take a few miles to redistribute. Not an issue for me, but if that will trouble you than you should not use it.

 

[kinggeek]

I've always been curious about these. The spyder wheel fits and it works good?
Any advice or tips on actually using it? Thanks!

The rear wheel fits yes and it is stone simple. Look up static tire balancing on YouTube

 

[Gray Ghost]

What bothers me about ride-on or beads, is why this is not mainstream on cars if they work so well?
If they are so great, why are car tire places still using weights?
Bob

Ride on is available for all types of tires, including cars. But ride-on is primarily a tire sealant gel that as a side effect balances your tires, and is not cheap. For most folks, including me, I don't worry that if I get a flat on my car I am going to end up sliding down the pavement, nor will I have to buy a brand new tire. Weights are a very low cost alternative. (I have used ride on for several years now in my two wheel bikes and now in the Spyder).

My question as well.
Also, what about winter riding. Is that too going to be all thick at the bottom of the tire after sitting on my cold garage floor for a period of time.
"It will smooth out over a few miles" just doesn't work for me. Reminds me of the old bias ply tire days!...haha

The slight amount of time it takes to redistribute the gel is nothing relative to the peace of mind I have that a nail in the road is not going to result in me having to buy a new tire. On my Venture I have found nails in the tire that have obviously been there awhile due to the road wear on the head but never gave me any indication of tire problems.

 

[BajaRon]

I don't have much experience with Ride-On due to the fact I used it for the first time last week. I had new tires put on my Victory and afterward I had a small vibration in the front tire. They balanced it at the dealer but they're 120 miles away so I decided to try the Ride-On. After putting the Ride-On in the tire I rode the bike down the road and within about 3 miles the vibration was gone.
I'm going to put it in the tires on the Rt tomorrow just for the sealing ability and maybe it will keep the tires running smooth as they wear. If I couldn't balance my tires I would give Ride-On a try.

For the Spyder, be sure to use the Car version and not the MC version. The car version is much better at balancing and is also less expensive than the MC version.

There are advantages and disadvantages to any of the approaches suggested. Ride-On has the added advantage of sealing leaks/holes and helps your tires to run cooler while balancing them. It is also a dynamic balance so it can adjust as your tires wear keeping them in balance throughout their life span. I don't think that any of the other methods will give you all of these features.

Disadvantages include higher cost than weights (though you have to consider the cost of labor to spin or bubble balance), and when you do, Ride-On is usually less expensive. There is a limit as to how much out of balance Ride-On will resolve. And there is the goo to deal with when changing or repairing a tire. Though it's not really a big deal. You can also get the cold weather 'Bump' which will also occur if you let your Spyder sit for a long period. You have to ride out this 'Bump' which is simply an out of balance condition created when all the goo settles to the bottom of the tire. This will also occur the 1st time you put the Ride-On in. It usually takes a few miles of 30-45 mph to get the bump to go away and you're good for the rest of the day and usually for a few weeks of letting you Spyder sit afterwards.

The best of all worlds is to have your tires spin balanced with weights and then add Ride-On or Beads. It's also the most expensive and the spin balance may not be necessary.

Weights are cheap but you have the labor cost. They are not dynamic so your balance may go away as the tire wears requiring re-balance or (what usually happens) you just let the tire wear more quickly.

Beads are expensive and can be hard to get into the tire. They are dynamic, like Ride-On but they will not plug a leak or seal a puncture. Beads settle anytime you're not going fast enough to distribute them. But they re-distribute much more quickly than Ride-On so you pretty much eliminate the 'Bump' issue. They are re-usable when you change tires (though they are not that much fun to retrieve from the old tire and will be mixed with rubber fragments).

As always, do your research, pay your money and take your best shot. All of these work for somebody. None of them work for everybody.

 

[AbNormy]

After discount tire put my Michelin on then they tell me they couldn't balance it so I took it to an independent bike shop cause they were closer and they did a good job had the adapter s for their spin balance er