Experience with Dyna-beads?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 27,096
Likes: 4,673
From: Frozelandia, Minnysota
The one ounce front, 2 rear, might work for the majority of tires/wheels, but not always. I wonder how many guys that say they didn't work even tried putting another half ounce in. I do my own wheel work, and put the new tire/wheel on a balancer and move the tire around the rim till I find the least out of balance position (it makes a difference!), then seat the tire bead. Gives me an idea of how out of balance the tire may be; turns rapidly to one spot, start with 2 ounces and ride test, barely turns to the heavy side, 1 ounce should do it. Even if it seemed perfectly balanced without weights, I'd put an ounce in for future wear. Re-use them? Never even occurred to me, but unless they're good American made ones I put in myself, I change wheel bearings with tires, too; I don't take any shortcuts when there's only two wheels.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,928
Likes: 285
From: Edmond Oklahoma
Beary
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 594
Likes: 10
From: Seminole County, FL
I'm done with them. The first time was great, pour the pack into the bottle. Next time, hope they don't spill as I try manually removing the tire with the Harbor Freight tire changer. Then try to scoop them out of the tire and put them in the bottle. They also clean up any imperfections in the tire and you end up with little bits of rubber and dust in the used beads. By the third tire, I declare that's the last time I use them. They keep getting harder to scoop out and the dirt and dust they pick up inside the tire make them harder to put into the next tire. I'd swear it took 3 times as long to collect and re-use the beads as it did the change tires using the Harbor Freight stand.
I buy several bags at a time as the shipping costs more than the product. I have used these beads in Bridgestone, Dunlop, and Metzelers for 7 years in both metric and HD. Never had any noise, shimmy, wobble, or wear issues.
Easiest way to maintain balance if you don't try to recycle....
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 811
Likes: 0
From: Inverness, FL
Really, is cheap the worst thing I can be? I'll bet no poor ba$tard will read this post and ever think of trying to re-use the beads, even though the pack says you can.
I'm going to take the money I was going to spend on the wheel balancer and buy a few bags of generic ceramic wheel beads.
I'm going to take the money I was going to spend on the wheel balancer and buy a few bags of generic ceramic wheel beads.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
From: near Vancouver BC
I am looking forward to trying them. I have a relatively new Dunlop E3 on the front with 3/4 oz of lead weight on the rim. It feel fine until about 60mph. Then it definitely starts to vibrate a bit. Should I add 1oz to the front and leave the lead weight on at first? I would think that any excess beads would just distribute themselves evenly around tire. Or am I way off base?
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Tourer
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 280
Likes: 4
From: MN
I had a Commander II put on the front by an Indy last Friday, I found a pile of weights laying on the floor Sunday morning. He said he's been having problems with his vender ( can't get lead anymore ). I picked up some weights at a dealer and he fixed it right away, but I'm thinking the beads might be the way to go.
Has anyone put a wheel on a spin balancer after the beads to confirm ?
I found the answer to my own question.
"The problem with trying to test Dynabeads on a 'modern' electronic spin balancer machine is that the wheel is on a rigidly mounted axis with strain gauges attached to it to measure bending stresses.
It is not allowed to move freely to let the beads redestribute naturally as they would in a which was wheel free to vibrate naturally when mounted on a vehicle.
The beads need the initial small wobble of the wheel to find the correct balance point. Then they stay at that point and do not move."
Has anyone put a wheel on a spin balancer after the beads to confirm ?
I found the answer to my own question.
"The problem with trying to test Dynabeads on a 'modern' electronic spin balancer machine is that the wheel is on a rigidly mounted axis with strain gauges attached to it to measure bending stresses.
It is not allowed to move freely to let the beads redestribute naturally as they would in a which was wheel free to vibrate naturally when mounted on a vehicle.
The beads need the initial small wobble of the wheel to find the correct balance point. Then they stay at that point and do not move."
Last edited by b17467; Aug 26, 2013 at 09:29 PM. Reason: I found the answer to my own question.
