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  • Bead Balancing

    So I've read through several threads were people have had success bead balancing so I thought I would give it a try on a used set of BGF Km2 35x12.50R15's i picked up.

    I used almost 9g of airsoft pellets per tire and went for a drive. It worked great up to 50, but that is where it got sketchy. They would roll smooth until i made a turn or hit a bump/pot hole then once they would get the least amount of bounce they would take off. I tried getting it up past 65 to 70 and they would smooth out again, but felt like I was gonna tear up my ball joints or bearings trying to get there.

    So the tires are pretty beat up, do I need to add more weight/beads? do I need to vacuum them out and spin balance? These are tires and wheels that will just be put on before going wheeling and back off the next day, so maybe i just put it at 55 and drive down to the rocks and pray.

  • #2
    Couple of things to think about.

    Good chance your 9g of weight isn't accurate for the tire. Also, think about the mass involved with how many airsoft pellets you put in your tire. You want that weight to get to the smallest area possible. 9g of airsoft takes up quite a bit of space. I'm not a big fan of using it.

    I like the real stuff like dynabeads. They can get to a much smaller area in the tire and do a better job of balancing.

    First and foremost with balance media.... you need to be sure that you have as little run out in the combo as possible. If you have excessive run out you need to break the tire off the bead, rotate it around, and try again. Then measure how much media you need.

    Sounds like you are getting close. Just need to fine tune a bit. :)
    Hi

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    • #3
      First off, I put 9 oz per tire (not grams), which is slightly over recommended. i read better to be over than under. But I see what you are saying about the smaller area.

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      • #4
        I use centramatic wheel balancers -- No need to mess with the pellets or ever having to have my tires balanced

        http://www.centramatic.com/

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        • #5
          I've used and still use lead shot (12oz) in my 35" KM2s. I started with LTBs 10 yrs ago...used the centramatics with those. Went to lead shot when I went to KM2s.
          Mike
          Jagular7

          Lnxa, KS

          Comment


          • #6
            I would use actual metal BBs instead of the pellets. The size to weight ratio is much better. Airsoft pellets are 6mm in size (or caliber) with a weight of typically .20 grams. The metal BBs are 4.5 mm with a weight of .34 grams. The BBs individually are smaller and weigh more, so with the way the BBs are distributed to the places on your tires that need to be balanced by centrifugal force there will be more of them in a centralized area than the pellets which are bigger and weigh less but will still cover the same centralized area. More weight means better balancing. I used metal BBs to balance my 33" Swamper LTBs and they worked great, a friend of mine tried to use the airsoft pellets and he had the same problem you did.
            sigpic
            Reed Brunk, You can have joy like mine too! It's a Jeep thing again!
            99TJ: 4:88s, 8.8 with OX Locker, 36 TSLs, Homemade mid-arm rear 4 link and front 3 link suspension, Over the knuckle Chevy Tie-rod end steering, AW4 auto tranny swap, and lots of dents and dings!

            Comment


            • #7
              I used centramatics, but lead shot (for shotgun shells) would be me choice over steel BBs ! Steel Rusts ! Lead Don't ! :)
              I may be Rad and I may be Bad :pbj: but I am never SAD ! :kilt:
              Yea I'm *Q*C* and ?
              it is a great feeling to have served your country and walk PROUD
              Yes veterans stand tall and their shadow protects all !

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by spunebil View Post
                I used centramatics, but lead shot (for shotgun shells) would be me choice over steel BBs ! Steel Rusts ! Lead Don't ! :)
                Well I think it's 6 on one hand and half of a dozen in the other Spune. I used copper BBs in my LTBs and although they do oxidize it was not enough to be a problem, the only issue I had with them was that because copper is such a soft metal all the rolling around they do against each other and the wheel until the tires have enough speed on them to get balanced caused them to wear and leave a fine dust inside the tire. The Staun automatic deflators that I used would get gummed up by the dust and stop working correctly. I would imagine the lead shot would probably do the same because it is a soft metal also, Mike might have some input on that since uses them. The steel BBs would be harder and therefore I would presume that there would be less dust, the rust might be a problem but I don't think there would be enough of it in my humble opinion.
                Last edited by Grumpy Dwarf; 02-24-2015, 07:15 PM.
                sigpic
                Reed Brunk, You can have joy like mine too! It's a Jeep thing again!
                99TJ: 4:88s, 8.8 with OX Locker, 36 TSLs, Homemade mid-arm rear 4 link and front 3 link suspension, Over the knuckle Chevy Tie-rod end steering, AW4 auto tranny swap, and lots of dents and dings!

                Comment


                • #9
                  That makes sense about the size/weight ratio. So it sounds like I don't have enough weight in each one also? Unfortunately i have to have this figured out by Saturday to drive down to Frostbite. i'm vacuuming out the Airsoft pellets today and was just gonna have the balanced this time, mess with it when i have more time. RoKN and spunebil, the Centramatic says i need an adapter?? And Grumpy Dwarf, have you seen the filtered valve core that TyreBeads sells

                  http://www.amazon.com/TyreBeads-Tire...xgy_misc_img_y

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I don't know about any adapter for centramatics, I only use them on front for street use ! .. Balancing for trail use don't concern me, as I aint driving that fast of far ! .... the rocks wear tyres , and the mud will throw off any balance, so I haven't even balanced rear tyres ! :) Now CJ ( new Daily driver) has tyres spun balanced, as I drive it like all the time on street ! ;)


                    and grumpy, copper BBs are Steel , just copper coated ! ;) ... in off season, after they have wore off some of their copper coat ( the dust you describe) the condensation in tyre can rust them into little clumps ! :)




                    You may like that, or perhaps have never notice it, but I would prefer to avoid it by not even using steel BBs ! :)
                    Last edited by spunebil; 02-25-2015, 10:11 AM.
                    I may be Rad and I may be Bad :pbj: but I am never SAD ! :kilt:
                    Yea I'm *Q*C* and ?
                    it is a great feeling to have served your country and walk PROUD
                    Yes veterans stand tall and their shadow protects all !

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I bought my centramatics from 4wd.com -- I think -- Hard to keep straight with all the parts I bought when I did my build. LOL

                      Anyway -- I didn't need any adapter for them to work -- I run 03 Rubicon dana 44s on my 99 TJ

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by RoKn View Post
                        I bought my centramatics from 4wd.com -- I think -- Hard to keep straight with all the parts I bought when I did my build. LOL

                        Anyway -- I didn't need any adapter for them to work -- I run 03 Rubicon dana 44s on my 99 TJ
                        Yep, don't need them with TJ's, just the 5x5 JK's. Guess you don't need balanced wheels to get groceries

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          In response to pellet dusting...I haven't had an issue with airing down or up, 30psi on street, 8-10 on trail.

                          Only issue I've is when I went to Walmart, requested to have the tire rotated on the rim, told them about the shot, told them to put back in another rx bottle each (4 oz) into each tire after they rotate the tire on the rim. There was dust and lost shot when the flipped it over on the first wheel...lol. Somehow, when you tell the guy taking the order, it doesn't get to the guy doing the work..it was pretty funny. Next 4, he paid attention....
                          Mike
                          Jagular7

                          Lnxa, KS

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                          • #14
                            I could have sworn the ones I bought were made of copper with a zinc coating on them but I could be wrong. Mine never rusted into little clumps, had them in my LTBs for 2 years and when I took them out they still looked like BBs, just really dusty.

                            Mike do you use the automatic deflators like the Stauns to air down with?

                            Fatburg, I have never seen those before but I will have to look into them.
                            Last edited by Grumpy Dwarf; 02-25-2015, 05:40 PM.
                            sigpic
                            Reed Brunk, You can have joy like mine too! It's a Jeep thing again!
                            99TJ: 4:88s, 8.8 with OX Locker, 36 TSLs, Homemade mid-arm rear 4 link and front 3 link suspension, Over the knuckle Chevy Tie-rod end steering, AW4 auto tranny swap, and lots of dents and dings!

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Reed

                              No, I remove the valve from the stem...wait for a whistle (~15psi), count to ten, check pressure then reinstall the valve. Haven't loss one yet, but I have oba and spare valves in case I do.
                              Mike
                              Jagular7

                              Lnxa, KS

                              Comment

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