Balancing TT wheels?

[eldermike]

There is balance fluid and beads. I have used the fluid and had good results and I know others that will only use the fluid.

My current tires are balanced with weights.

I do agree that ST tires will be changed out before they wear out, balanced or not balanced.

[WIBadger]

I believe in balancing the TT tires. Most mnfrs don't because of the added cost. Many folks have chimed-in on this topic over the past few years (ie, balance vs not to balance), so I'm not gonna start sowing an already well plowed field. I'll just say that if you approach this from a mechanical/engineering perspective, there is no valid reason for not balancing your wheels.

Having said that, the wheels need to be properly balanced, which I suspect some are not doing (or having done) correctly. Be careful.

Steel wheels are stamped and not machine center bored as most car wheels. Instead, the wheel is centered by the lugs rather than by the hub (aka "lug centric"), where the lugs hold the wheel and support the weight. Therefore, using the typical spin machine requires that the store/shop balance the tire/wheel combo with a lug centric adapter (NOT the hub centric cone typically used for car wheels). The problem: many tire stores/shops don’t have them or have ever seen one and if you're not watching or aware of the issue (ie, ignorance is bliss!), the tech will balance them on a hub centric cone, but the tire/wheel combo will NOT be balanced. Bottomline: Make sure it is lug centric and not hub centric when it goes on the balancer.

I'm going to be replacing my TT tires either this season or next (and I haven't made a decision as to which tire mnfr). When I do, I will be adding beads inside the tires (I have already purchased the beads). See DynaBeads Tire Balancing Beads.

Bottomline: get your tires properly balanced.

[Scoutr2]

Originally Posted by WIBadger

Steel wheels are stamped and not machine center bored as most car wheels. Instead, the wheel is centered by the lugs rather than by the hub (aka "lug centric"), where the lugs hold the wheel and support the weight. Therefore, using the typical spin machine requires that the store/shop balance the tire/wheel combo with a lug centric adapter (NOT the hub centric cone typically used for car wheels). The problem: many tire stores/shops don’t have them or have ever seen one and if you're not watching or aware of the issue (ie, ignorance is bliss!), the tech will balance them on a hub centric cone, but the tire/wheel combo will NOT be balanced. Bottomline: Make sure it is lug centric and not hub centric when it goes on the balancer.

My TT has aluminum mags from the Jayco factory. Do these need to be lug-centric balanced? I'm going to get mine balanced by a reputable tire store here in Peoria, but want to make sure they are doing it correctly. I don't want to pay for nothing, and surely don't want to make matters worse!

[WIBadger]

Scoutr2 -- I don't know off-hand the specifics for your aluminum mags. You might want to give Jayco a call to determine the mnfr of your wheels and go from there.

However, You can usually just look at the lug nuts to determine if it is hub-centric or lug-centric. Lug-centric will have slightly beveled holes for the lugs to seat in and will use tapered lugs. Hub-centric will have a flat recess around the holes and will use a shouldered lug nut. The lug-centric use lugs to center the wheel; the hub-centric use a very tight clearance around the center hub to center the wheels, where the lugs basically just hold the wheel/tire assembly onto the hub.

[David472]

Originally Posted by David472

With our first Jayco TT five years ago, I removed the wheels and had them balanced by a local shop. The tech shook his head and said, you don't really want to balance those do you? I said why not? His reply was that ST tires are known for being "not round". When he put them on the spin balancer, I could see what he meant. His point was, the out-of-round would still result in some amount of vibration. I will say this however, the TV TT combination I had at that time was marginal for pulling power, and after balancing, it was noticably easier to pull at highway speed. So, now I always balance my TT wheels.

A comment re: hub centric vs lug centric --
As I recall, when watching the Tech in the situation above, the rim was spinning true, but the tread of the ST tire was not. This condition is otherwise known as runout. I can certainly see where stamped rims would require an adaptor.

[VicS1950]

Originally Posted by WIBadger

... so I'm not gonna start sowing an already well plowed field.... I'll just say that if you approach this from a mechanical/engineering perspective, there is no valid reason for not balancing your wheels.
...

Exactly.

If only it were so simple.

Every capital and maintenance project I ever managed had labor and budget constraints. There are no real problems until you run out of money.

Is it worth the time, money, and effort for someone who puts 2000 miles per year, or less, on their TT to balance the already installed tires when 98% of the TT's are happily running their tires unbalanced as they came from the manufacturer(s)? In a low miles per year scenario the tire treads will still be good when the tires are replaced due to age and the inevitable sidewall cracks noticed and condemned by even a mildly observant professional. Balancing or not is an issue that only the trailer owner can decide which road to go down.

I always have my replacement tires balanced. I'm not so certain that I'd pull good tires, showing no evidence of problems, off a trailer and take them just to be balanced.

I'm just helping to rotate the crops on the always fertile forum fields.

Cheers. vic

[Edd505]

I ran Cetramatic Balancers on a big truck steer tires, it noticeably reduced steering vibration. 10-12000 miles a month looking at the center line any reduction in vibrations a good thing.

As for balancing TT tires, we balance tow vehicle tires to to eliminate vibrations and shake, why wouldn't you balance TT tires. TT tires going down the road at the same speed as the tow vehicle why not less shake in the towed unit? No brainier to me.