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I always wondered about this. To be able to install the valve stem, there has to be a hole in the wheel. If you drill a hole, you remove weight. Is the valve stem that much heavier than the material that is removed from the wheel when the hole is drilled?
Yes the stem is heavier than the material removed. You have to remember when you are computer balancing a wheel/tire you are talking about 1/4's of an ounce, it doesn't take a whole lot to make a tire off balance. The front tire is much more critical than the back tire though, you feel alot more vibration from a front tire that is out of balance than a rear tire.
Sorry if this has been said before, but I did not read the entire 5 pages. To the OP - How about ripping all them ugly weights off and take it for a ride. See how it handles. I have changed dozens of tires over the years and have NEVER had one balanced and have NEVER had one cause any handling issues. I've never used any Dyna Beads either. Every time I change a tire, I take it for a good hard shake down ride with the mind-set that, if it don't feel right, I will have it balanced. Never had to actually do that though.
That is just the "calling card" of a lazy tire man. Make them break it down and move the tire around to compensate. Just freaking lazy...what is the world coming to?
Yes the stem is heavier than the material removed. You have to remember when you are computer balancing a wheel/tire you are talking about 1/4's of an ounce, it doesn't take a whole lot to make a tire off balance. The front tire is much more critical than the back tire though, you feel alot more vibration from a front tire that is out of balance than a rear tire.
I think you should really check the balance of the wheel. The heavy spot might not always be right at the valve stem. Probably is more times than not, but you really don't know until you check it.
I think you should really check the balance of the wheel. The heavy spot might not always be right at the valve stem. Probably is more times than not, but you really don't know until you check it.
Right, but theoretically the valve stem is the hevy spot, out of all the tires i've mounted and balanced, I'd say that the average amount of weights I have to add to get zero is 1/2 ounce, which to me is acceptable. If I have to add more than an ounce, I try to reposition the tire.
I took the tire back to Cycle Gear to have it re-balanced without the weights. They rotated the tire 180 - 90 - 45 - and 135 degrees and never got it to the point that it would need 1 1/4 oz of weights. 90 degrees was the best, so I told them to put it there and don't add the weights. I'll add the dyna beads (2oz) and let you know how it feels.
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