Tire Ballancing With Beads?
***That bead balancing product or one very similiar was tried out and written about in MCN and found to be not very effective. The author of the article sadly dismisses the 'new' product and does not recommend using it. This item falls into the same category as the magnetic device designed to increase mileage by strapping it around the fuel line. "Let the buyer beware" comes to mind when products are introduced into the marketplace. FWIW***
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From "eTrucker.com":
***FROM ***** TO BEADS: THE QUEST FOR BALANCE
An old trucking myth says if you put three golf ***** into a tire, they will shift around until they balance it out. While that procedure doesnât meet the approval of tire makers, other companies have applied the concept by using tiny balancing beads.
Balancing beads are sold in some Goodyear tire centers, says Goodyearâs Al Cohn. âSome people like it; some say it does not work and continue to use lead weights,â he says of the weights locked onto a rim after a tire/wheel combination is spin-balanced. âWe sell it, so we think there is some merit there.â
One such product, Counteract Balancing Beads, is said to âautomatically counteract the imbalanceâ of a tire. The glass oxide beads have a tiny bit of silicone added to make them flow easily around the tire.
Another product, Equal, consists of tiny grains of a âdry granular polymer from the plastics family,â says Bob Fogal Jr., president of Equal maker IMI. âItâs compatible with all tires and wheels and dampens vibrations effectively because itâs manufactured so it consists of varying particle sizes.â
Testing the product on heavy truck wheels at the independent Transportation Research Center showed that it does indeed do its job, Fogal says.
Keith Harring, whose K.L. Harring Transportation runs more than 30 Kenworth tractors, swears by Equal. He claims one truck with 380,000 highway miles on it has 8Âź32-inch to 10Âź32-inch left on its original rubber. The fleetâs maintenance manager, Tommy Vajdic, says Equal âprolongs tire life and keeps the drivers happy.â
The tire sealant Ride-On is also marketed for its balancing properties. Ride-On, a liquid, is pumped in through the valve stem.
Equal and Counteract beads are added to the interior of the tire by simply tossing in a small bag that later disintegrates. ***
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As usual, opinions are all over the board at the various sites I checked......





