The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Balance Beads

I've looked at balance beads on the net but haven't researched much about them. Hoping to get firsthand info from members who have experience with them. Do they work as advertised? If adding the beads while mounting the tire, do you go ahead and balance the tire with them inside or just run without wheel weights at all? I have original 16 x 4 1/2" rims and I have no problem with having weights on them. I'm just looking for the smoothest ride and I like the idea of not needing to balance again down the road due to wear.

Opinions and info are very much appreciated.

George

Absolutely not needed for tires on a 3100. Might do some good, but I doubt it, on larger truck tires. Find a tire shop that has a good computer balancer and standard weights will be all you need. JMO

We use beads at work, 11R22.5 school bus tires, and I have them in my '03 Toyota 245/75R16 tires. If you plan on extended highway driving, they work really good, but you need the right ones. There are a number of different brands, material, and sizes. For small tires use the smallest beads available, they static cling much better than the larger sizes do. I find on my '03, if I hit the highway for 20 miles or so, then need to slow for traffic, they go out of balance. I either pull over and stop or hit the rumble strip on the side of the road to redistribute the beads. Once they settle back into place the tires are smooth as can be. The Toyota rims take a special fixture to hold them by the lug holes when balancing, the dealers around here are the only ones that have them, that's why I went with beads. On our bus tires that only see city driving and lots of stop and go, they do very little as there is really no need for them. The buses that see some highway driving must have balanced front tires, rear engine light front ends, due to violent shacking. Again, smaller beads work better. We have tried some that were slightly smaller then BB's that don't work at all. The tires don't roll at speed long enough to balance out with the heavier beads. The smaller ones really help, but pre balancing using weights really helps, the beads just fine tune the balance.

For what you want, balance the tires as best you can, then break one bead loose and add one small package of beads per tire, don't toss the bag in like the direction say, dump them in so the bag doesn't let the beads bunch up. Use the valve cores that come in the kits, other wise the beads plug up the cores and you can't check air pressures.

If the truck is not meant for highway use, don't bother with the beads, around town you will never know they are in the tires, around 60+ mph is where you will feel them working.

Joe

I’ve had great luck with balance beads on older “wide five” wheels, where the center section is huge and nobody has the adapter anymore for a dynamic balancer. However, with the wheels found on the Stovebolt era GM cars and trucks, I don’t think I’d go with beads. Just too easy to balance these style wheels with a spin balancer and wheel weights.

To answer the question though, when I’ve installed balance beads, I just tore a corner off the bag and dumped the bag and all into the tire then finished mounting. No wheel weights installed at all. Counteract was the brand I’ve had success with in three vintage VW’s. Definitely use the included valve cores like Joe H. recommended, and even then, expect to maybe have to replace them if you have one hang up due to a rogue bead.

https://counteractbalancing.com/