Big Truck Tire Balance

[Greg]

Does anyone use these http://www.tru-bal.com/ ?
What is your experience with them?
How they claim to work makes sense, I have often wondered about this issue and it is supposed to correct it.

 

[usafk9]

We have the external sleeves, and have had them for around 700k miles. We're happy with them.

 

[TruckingSurv]

I use this product in my personal pickup, no balancing in years and I get a smooth ride and decent tire life. Had a friend who had a Suburban that actually threw weights off, he tried the beads and smooth as can be, I haven't run them in a big truck, but they are used there too, can't see why they wouldn't work. We had the Centramatic's on the steers on one of the big trucks, wasn't too impressed, boss took them off.

 

[Greg]

We have the external sleeves, and have had them for around 700k miles. We're happy with them.

Thanks. They look like they would solve the problem of off center mounting, an issue I have often noticed and wondered about. Auto lug nuts are tapered to self center, but truck lug nuts are just flat on the back.

 

[Greg]

I use this product in my personal pickup, no balancing in years and I get a smooth ride and decent tire life. Had a friend who had a Suburban that actually threw weights off, he tried the beads and smooth as can be, I haven't run them in a big truck, but they are used there too, can't see why they wouldn't work. We had the Centramatic's on the steers on one of the big trucks, wasn't too impressed, boss took them off.

Thanks.
I've used the beads or powder balancers in the past with good results. Haven't seen them in a while though. I don't have an issue of throwing weights, I have stick on weights, that I cover with a strip of gorilla duct tape. Never lost any. My concern has been after a good balance, the install would be off center on the lugs, which would throw off the balance.
I know people who used the centramatics, with mixed results. Some love them and some gave them away.

 

[TruckingSurv]

I wonder how many shops use the shop tool? Was reading on their web site and a couple drivers reported a hop at certain speeds that was cured with the product. The Volvo I was driving had a vibration around 45 MPH, I bet this would of fixed that!

 

[Greg]

I haven't been to any shops that use them.

 

[jjoerger]

I use the beads on my drives. Loves tire shops have them

 

[Slo-Ride]

Regardless of how you balance your tires its still a good idea to use centering lug nuts on a hub piloted wheel. As one of the articles state there is a gap between the wheel and stud. The centering lug nut takes up that gap and centers the wheel to the hub. I use 3 per wheel and leave them in place. Not expensive and well worth the price, I have not seen what we use to call river run since I started using these. Recommend you look for these at a tire dealer and not the truck stops. The dealer will match the lug nut to your wheel..The ones I have seen at the truck stops appear to be just a little light in material for my liking. Remember the accuride wheels require the squash washer build into/onto the lug nut, Don't use any other lug nut then what is approved for your wheel.

 

[Greg]

Regardless of how you balance your tires its still a good idea to use centering lug nuts on a hub piloted wheel. As one of the articles state there is a gap between the wheel and stud. The centering lug nut takes up that gap and centers the wheel to the hub. I use 3 per wheel and leave them in place. Not expensive and well worth the price, I have not seen what we use to call river run since I started using these. Recommend you look for these at a tire dealer and not the truck stops. The dealer will match the lug nut to your wheel..The ones I have seen at the truck stops appear to be just a little light in material for my liking. Remember the accuride wheels require the squash washer build into/onto the lug nut, Don't use any other lug nut then what is approved for your wheel.

Thanks for the info. I'm going to try a set of these. I have always wondered about this issue. Everytime I have a wheel removed and see the off centering of studs and drum. I always figured it had to make some difference in the balance.
I don't buy much in truckstops, I was looking at the dealer link on the website to find a shop where I can get them.

 

[Slo-Ride]

I believe I have heard that accuride has lug nuts the will both center the wheel and drum???? Mine only center the wheel. What ever style you use make sure its a good grade product and fits properly.

 

[Greg]

I believe I have heard that accuride has lug nuts the will both center the wheel and drum???? Mine only center the wheel. What ever style you use make sure its a good grade product and fits properly.

Absolutely. I'll pay a little more for quality, rather than save a few bucks on a cheap imitation and then only replace it later, usually at a considerable cost.

 

[tknight]

I swear by these, after I put them on my truck and got my tires trued, I havn't had an issue since, the centramatics help too, I think, can't put my finger on it but all 3 soled my issues.

 

[RETIDEPXE]

I have centering lugs up front and sleeves on the drives. They do help, but, I have found even with these, sometimes the radial runnout is great enough to cause a bounce as most tires are not perfectly true. I run Michelin XZA's top of the line up front and Yokahama 517/s rr, and when bolting up, tighten the three centering lugs, place a block or something against the tread and spin the tire. If you can observe say more then 1/16th of an inch in runnout, 1/8th of an inch is too much, unbolt and rebolt the wheel 180 degrees and recheck runnout (note; without dismounting tire from wheel, assuming the tire is mounted correctly on the wheel--look at the bead line to wheel distance). This works well for me. Seems like 75 percent of the time I have to do the 180 procedure to get minimum runnout. I run centramatics all the way around along with Love's balancing beads in the drives. Last set of steers were replaced at 380,000 mi.s, drives went 420,000 on a M2 straight 6 wheeler.

 

[TruckingSurv]

Last set of steers were replaced at 380,000 mi.s, drives went 420,000 on a M2 straight 6 wheeler.

Must be doing the right thing, seems pretty impressive!

 

[tknight]

What are the sleeves on the drives your referring to I don't seem to have much rear problems that are noticeable !

nevermind i did a search on the www..................

 

[Greg]

I have centering lugs up front and sleeves on the drives. They do help, but, I have found even with these, sometimes the radial runnout is great enough to cause a bounce as most tires are not perfectly true. I run Michelin XZA's top of the line up front and Yokahama 517/s rr, and when bolting up, tighten the three centering lugs, place a block or something against the tread and spin the tire. If you can observe say more then 1/16th of an inch in runnout, 1/8th of an inch is too much, unbolt and rebolt the wheel 180 degrees and recheck runnout (note; without dismounting tire from wheel, assuming the tire is mounted correctly on the wheel--look at the bead line to wheel distance). This works well for me. Seems like 75 percent of the time I have to do the 180 procedure to get minimum runnout. I run centramatics all the way around along with Love's balancing beads in the drives. Last set of steers were replaced at 380,000 mi.s, drives went 420,000 on a M2 straight 6 wheeler.

That is phenomenal mileage.
I was just considering...
Centering lugs... $ 155 per axle X 2
Centramatics...... $ 189 per axle X 2
Balance beads..... $ 30 per wheel X 4
= $ 808
Not a bad return on investment. For the roughly the cost of a set of steer tires, you get all that additional mileage.

 

[RETIDEPXE]

That is phenomenal mileage.
I was just considering...
Centering lugs... $ 155 per axle X 2
Centramatics...... $ 189 per axle X 2
Balance beads..... $ 30 per wheel X 4
= $ 808
Not a bad return on investment. For the roughly the cost of a set of steer tires, you get all that additional mileage.

They will tell you the beads and Centramatics will work against each other. What I found is the combination together was too much for the steers and only use the Centramatics up front. The Yokohama 517's, open lug, in the back are a heavier tire and with just the Centramatics and pre-balance, they still had a slight bounce at 65mph and over. I really think I have a slightly bent wheel back there, but added the beads in combination and solved the problem along with doing the 180 degree thing if needed, outside dual 1st 'cuz it's easier, then inside if needed.