Balancing Beads

[DGHall915]

Has anyone ever used the ceremic balancing beads, to balance their tires? I know the motorcycle guys swear by them. Some of the product names are Dyna Beads, which can be see at www.innovativebalancing.com or www.dynabeads.com. I am interested if that might help to solve some of the scuttle shake issues that we tend to have. I would be interested to hear if anyone has or is using them and what kind of results they gotten?

 

[John Turney]

You would be better off fixing whatever is out of balance: tires, wheels, brake drums, driveshaft, all of the above or some combination of the above.

 

[nevets]

Interesting concept. I never heard of balancing beads...wonder why they are not more popular?

 

[Randy Forbes]

Does that snake oil come in different flavors...?

 

[Keoke]

Hi Randy,
Beads are new to me too. However, sloted lead washer shaped weights that were attached to the spokes have been used for a number of years. Probably being unsifgtly keft them unpopular.--Keoke

 

[Hoghead]

Used them in my bikes for years and work great

 

[RAC68]

Actually, it is quite a common balancing method used on trucks, bikes, and rotating heavy equipment. Back in ’70, I tried a DIY version on my Healey using a tube attached to the rim with bird shot for dynamic balance. However, my fabrication left much to be desired and, although somewhat successful, I opted for on-car balancing instead.

This may a nice balancing alternative as it would dynamically shift weights to compensate for wheel and tire geometry changes. Since ceramic is being used, I would expect compensating weight response could be quite good.

Ray (64BJ8P1)

 

[Lotuswins]

I was told the CA is getting away from lead weights for eco reasons and everyone will need to use the bead system for balancing their wheels. Don't know when, but it sounds like something CA would legislate. Glad I'm out of there!

 

[Bob_Spidell]

I was told the CA is getting away from lead weights for eco reasons and everyone will need to use the bead system for balancing their wheels. Don't know when, but it sounds like something CA would legislate. Glad I'm out of there!

If you're going to slam California, at least get your facts straight:

https://www.ceh.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=371&Itemid=260

- and -

https://www.leadfreewheels.org/

You'll also need to slam Minnesota, Maine, Washington, Illinois, New York and Vermont and, eventually, the other 43 states--when they wise up (Oregon will be last)--while you're at it.

 

[jsfbond]

Here in Ver-mont(have you hugged your mother earth today?), my company has changed over to selling zinc wheel weights. "Equal" tire performace,by Rema/Tip top, is the in-tire balancing product we sell, started as an over the road/big truck application, and has since been applied to cars, and motorcycles. More of what I would descibe as a powder than a bead.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Here in Ver-mont(have you hugged your mother earth today?), my company has changed over to selling zinc wheel weights. "Equal" tire performace,by Rema/Tip top, is the in-tire balancing product we sell, started as an over the road/big truck application, and has since been applied to cars, and motorcycles. More of what I would descibe as a powder than a bead.

Soooooooooooooooooooooo ... does it work (the powder)?

 

[HealeyRick]

Ceramic beads are unlikely to address one of the main causes of scuttle shake ... unbalanced rear brake drums.

 

[jsfbond]

Sorry; Yes it works very well. we have a lot of shops calling for this stuff on thier stock orders. Once you get the vehicle up to speed (past 25-30) the powder will settle out, and take out the worn tire woes. The advantage is as the tire wears you get a new balance each trip. For over-the-road trucks this is huge! The motorcycle shop down the street says it works so well some Harley riders think they are on a Honda.(except for the oil leaks).Equal acts as a vibration damper.

 

[WaltCasten]

Any word on what it's like to deal with it as a tire shop? Is this going to make a huge mess when you have to bust a tire off that's full of it?

If you're going to slam California, at least get your facts straight:

https://www.ceh.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=371&Itemid=260

- and -

https://www.leadfreewheels.org/

You'll also need to slam Minnesota, Maine, Washington, Illinois, New York and Vermont and, eventually, the other 43 states--when they wise up (Oregon will be last)--while you're at it.

I love this, the word "facts" then links to two political special interest groups. Living in Wisconsin, I'm really getting tired of politics, I wish they didn't have to creep into this forum.

 

[Deleted member 8987]

This lead-free tyre weight garbage is just that.
Up here, they mandated we use steel or some kind of metal weight.....when you pitch a weight, the loose weights can puncture a tyre right freaking now....they don't bend out of the way when you hit them like lead did.
Tyre stores have seen a BIG increase in flat repair AND tyre replacement due to the non-lead rim weights.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

I love this, the word "facts" then links to two political special interest groups. Living in Wisconsin, I'm really getting tired of politics, I wish they didn't have to creep into this forum.

The 'facts' that I referred to--this is perhaps too subtle--is this was not a California government initiated action--as Mr. Rude implied (he said he 'was told,' IOW he didn't really know)--but action on the part of several states, after RFP and RFC periods, in response to a (IMO not unreasonable) request by environmental organizations, or 'special interest' groups if you prefer. Now that the EPA is involved the ban will eventually be nationwide. I've had non-lead wheel weights on my cars for years; they work fine except they are somewhat larger than equivalent-weight lead ones. Also, Mr. Rude essentially stated in CA we have to use the 'beads' (or powder), which is categorically untrue.

This was originally in response to Mr. Rude taking a cheap shot at California. No cheap shot from Mr. Rude, no 'politics' in this discussion. If you don't want to live in California--some people cannot handle the intensity and competitiveness here--that's fine by me. As a fourth-generation Californian I can't imagine living anywhere else. I believe Oregon has a fairly active environmental movement as well.

Being an old car owner and pilot, I have mixed feelings about this--'special interest groups' are trying to ban the lead in avgas, which may ultimately ground the piston-engined fleet--but as a thinking adult I cannot deny that environmental regs in California have made our air and water cleaner. If you want to argue that lead is good for the environment then there isn't much for us to discuss.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

...
Tyre stores have seen a BIG increase in flat repair AND tyre replacement due to the non-lead rim weights.

Have any data to support this? I've had maybe a half-dozen flats in the last twenty years and they've all been due to screws or nails. I'd be glad to take my chances with thrown wheel weights.

 

[RAC68]

Ceramic beads are unlikely to address one of the main causes of scuttle shake ... unbalanced rear brake drums.

Rick, I would expect to address the drums separately unless the applied power/bead weight was sufficient to address the requirements of both wheel and drum as a unit. If so, it could work and also eliminate the requirement of indexing the wheel and tire for dismounting/mounting as required when balancing wheels on the car.

Whether power or beads, the dynamics of these approaches is intriguing and I would like to hear more about it. Since the wires do flex and, between the wires and tires, change their geometry quite a bit, I would expect the dynamic balancing would be quite a benefit and very effective.

Ray (64BJ8P1)

 

[John Turney]

Since even lead weights have steel clips to hold them on the rim, I also doubt a big increase in flat repair and tire replacement. I don't see any more flats now in California than I used to, either.

 

[jsfbond]

...
Tyre stores have seen a BIG increase in flat repair AND tyre replacement due to the non-lead rim weights.

Have any data to support this? I've had maybe a half-dozen flats in the last twenty years and they've all been due to screws or nails. I'd be glad to take my chances with thrown wheel weights.

Youve uncovered the secret of the morphing wheel weight. once it loses contact with the wheel/rim it turns into a nail or sheetrock screw.The tire industry has the NSA (Nail/Screw Association) in its pocket, and now they will be watching you.