Balancing Rear Tires

[SuiteSuccess]

I am tandem and presently have liquid balance in drives. I am probably putting the Crossfires on the rears with the two pressure monitor setup like sclord2002. After talking to the rep, he suggested removing the liquid and advised against any beads or powder. I have read you don't really even need to balance the drives so thought I'd ask opinions. Am considering Centramatics but cost about $500 and presently my truck runs pretty smoothly.

[Imurphy907]

I used to work in a commercial tire shop 99% of the time rears were left unbalanced. But we did have certain operators who would go the extra mile and have them done, they said it did make a difference. We did always balance all tires on RV's. And I have always balanced all of my trailer tires. My HDT is balanced on all 4 corners. Would not personally go unbalanced. Just have to remember most trucks run with 15klbs on the drives or better, it nulls alot of issues. With our situation where we have 5-6k on the drives, those little vibrations can make a difference.

[hone eagle]

While camping I ask that very question of truckers I run into because my rears have been due for a couple of years ,(this spring they are getting replaced)

I will buy centramatics at this time,i asked a dump truck driver - na you don't need them things.However a owner operator said any vibration is bad because stuff gets loose and just because you can't feel it in the wheel or seat donesnt mean its not there.

And what about the trailer ? How would you know if a subtle shaking wasn't happening ?

I though he had good points ,so I will install balancers ,but I only need 2 not 4 like Carl.

[Ronbo]

My reared bounced all,over the place. When I put new tires I had the beads put in. It makes a lot of difference. Make sure you get some spare valve stems with the filters because some will still leak. I have 2 out of 8. I have balance masters on the front and love them. Lifetime warranty. Centramatics do not have lifetime.

[beyerjf]

Keep this in mind. No major truck manufacturer presently balances any tires, front or rear when the build a new truck. Balancing with weights is ineffective because as the tire wears it has to redone. Liquids or powders creat valve problems and have gone in and out of favor in the trucking industry in direct proportion to the advertising dollars spent. I have used Centimatics on the front on and off for 15 years and have no conclusive evidence one way or the other.

Do what feels good. The placebo effect can be very satisfying. Excuse me while I grab a cold placebo out of the fridge.

[SuiteSuccess]

Thank you all for the replies.

[Exile]

Watch the rear axles hopping on trucks as you pass them on the road from bad balance. Could be from flat spots from locking them up too, but not as likely on the tractors.

 

You will see bent axles, bent rims and other things too, but i dont think centramatics will fix that.

[Star Dreamer]

Make sure your wheel studs are long enough to add centramatics. When we added the Aluminum wheels on the outside rear, I think we used up our stud length so we might need to go with longer studs if we added the centramatics.

Dave

[peety3]

There was a time when my ex-wife and I drove a nearly-matched pair of Ford Excursions. (Disclaimer: I know it's not the same from LGT to HDT) After 40k, I got tired of the (load range D: 8-ply) Firestones and put on some (load range D: 10-ply) Michelins. Even though they were stiffer due to the two extra plies, they were significantly smoother. A couple weeks later, I took mine to a nearby truck tire shop to be trued (shaved to be perfectly round), balanced, and aligned. The improvement with that combo was absolutely spectacular (remember, I was driving the other Excursion while mine was in the shop, so I had a pretty good A/B comparison). The ride was absolutely Cadillac quality overnight, so much so that hers went in a week later for the same. Since they were a truck tire shop, I'm sure they could do the whole enchilada for any size truck.

 

Only caveat with trued tires is you should mark the tire and rim with alignment marks if you should ever need to remove the tire and remount it. If you follow that, they don't need to go back for another truing.

 

I'd highly recommend truing and balance.

[Randyretired]

When we bought out truck it had a vibration at about 55 and up. We put on Centramatics and it was better but not great. Then the truck was aligned and they found a bad tire. The place that did the alignment recommended we also balance the tires even with the Centramatics. When all was done it drove really nice. This fall we replaced the tires and the tire shop recommended we balance even with the Centramatics. At $10 a tire it seems pretty cheap compared to the cost of tires so I agreed. It still drives really nice.

[HERO Maker]

Carl, here is the link for my 2 cents on this subject.

 

They trued all of my tires, and you would be surprised at how bad some of them were! I saw Cisco trucks having brand new name brand tires being put on, and they all were trued before hitting the road.

[SuiteSuccess]

Well made a choice right or wrong. Spoke with the only tire truing place in K-ville and they wanted $600 to take the tires off, remove the liquid balance , and true the tires. Seemed kind of expensive but what do I know. Thought that would be reasonable if it included an alignment. Ordered Centramatics and Crossfires with three Schraeders/ Crossfire so I can also mount my TSTs. Cost of Centramatics and Crossfires $780. Will cost another $100 to have liquid balance removed. Based my decision on fact I am looking at replacing some tires in two years and I would be truing again while Centramatics can just be transferred. Plus Crossfires make tandem monitoring of dualies much easier. Will see if I made the right choice, but like they say "It's only money, they print it everyday".

[HERO Maker]

Carl, just my thoughts -

Since you're going with Centramatics, and Crossfires, you will certainly take care of any balance issues and set up your monitor system the way you like it.

But, if your tires are out-a-round, balancing won't help the bump in the tire. See how it rides and then maybe you'll still have to have them trued. but cost should be less, since you had to remove the liquid balance already!

 

I remember when mine were trued, they still balanced them while on the truck (old style). Smoothed it right out!

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

Well made a choice right or wrong. Spoke with the only tire truing place in K-ville and they wanted $600 to take the tires off, remove the liquid balance , and true the tires. Seemed kind of expensive but what do I know. Thought that would be reasonable if it included an alignment. Ordered Centramatics and Crossfires with three Schraeders/ Crossfire so I can also mount my TSTs. Cost of Centramatics and Crossfires $780. Will cost another $100 to have liquid balance removed. Based my decision on fact I am looking at replacing some tires in two years and I would be truing again while Centramatics can just be transferred. Plus Crossfires make tandem monitoring of dualies much easier. Will see if I made the right choice, but like they say "It's only money, they print it everyday".

WRONG.... Money grows in Cotton fields.... It's just shredded up blue jeans.....

 

The Centramatics and Crossfires work for me.

[SuiteSuccess]

Carl, just my thoughts -

Since you're going with Centramatics, and Crossfires, you will certainly take care of any balance issues and set up your monitor system the way you like it.

But, if your tires are out-a-round, balancing won't help the bump in the tire. See how it rides and then maybe you'll still have to have them trued. but cost should be less, since you had to remove the liquid balance already!

 

I remember when mine were trued, they still balanced them while on the truck (old style). Smoothed it right out!

Rocky,

 

Do you remember the cost estimate?

[Ronbo]

Why does the liquid balance have to be removed? Isn't truing done at slow speed?

[SuiteSuccess]

Why does the liquid balance have to be removed? Isn't truing done at slow speed?

Will gum up Crossfires and pressure monitors if you use either.

[HERO Maker]

Can't find my data, but here is a link to the guys I used. This is also the one that Jack turned me onto.

[SuiteSuccess]

Thanks Rocky

[Jack Mayer]

There is no way it costs $800 to true tires. That is $100 each. I cannot remember what I paid last time but it was nowhere near that.

 

I think your plan is reasonable. I'm personally not a big fan of Centramatics - I'd rather get the tire right to start with....but I suppose they work.

[SuiteSuccess]

Jack,

 

Your suggestion was appreciated and I had actually considered truing before I even considered the Centramatics. Since I'm getting older and since my injury last year I can't crawl around under the truck as easily so the Crossfires solved my monitoring issues. I considered doing nothing to the drives as Jeff suggested but went with the majority of some type of balancing and since it couldn't be beads, liquid, or powder that left external balancing. Apparently Nashville may have a good alignment shop that trues that I'm going to check into if ant issues. My truck runs pretty smoothly already. On edit, I thought $600 seemed high also if that didn't include a three axle alignment.

[GlennWest]

I find this very interesting. Picking mine up Monday. Reckon I will find out seeing I have a 300 mile trip.

[Hewhoknowslittle]

I find this very interesting. Picking mine up Monday. Reckon I will find out seeing I have a 300 mile trip.

You won't have a clue, ad it''s the first time you have driven the truck, you need to get some miles under you belt, the do one change at a time, to see what happens.

 

i have driven mine 50.000 miles and I don't change a thing till the 5,000 thousand mile mark.

you one the other hand don't have that time right now, so drive on i'll you do.

 

Roger

[Jack Mayer]

Glenn, the truck should drive with no vibration - none. And if properly aligned you should have little to no pull in the steering. I can take my hands off my wheel for 15+ seconds on a decent road....assuming such road exists. There should be no vibration in the floor or seat. You should be able to steer with "sawing" the wheel around - constant corrections mean something is up. Yes, it requires a little time behind the wheel. But it should be close to what your pickups were.

[Pappy Yokum]

Make sure your wheel studs are long enough to add centramatics. When we added the Aluminum wheels on the outside rear, I think we used up our stud length so we might need to go with longer studs if we added the centramatics.

Dave

 

Had same issue with my 1T LGT. - didn't feel comfortable with the remaining (stud) length left by the Centramatics (front-steers).

 

Went with Balance Masters = no problem.

 

When I returned the Centramatics, had a nice chat with the gal at Centramatics in TX.

She was very "up-front" with the problem and I got the impression they sell a lot of 'em to the HDT folks.

(Probably O/Os ?)

 

She also had the most outstanding TX (or maybe from elsewhere) ack-sent - like I hadn't heard in a long, long time!..

 

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