EZEARL

Are they worth considering? Going to be a few weeks before I get my rims and tires mounted. If any of this matters the tires are 235/75-15 Falken AT3W's and rims are 7x15 Black Rock w/4.25" bs.

Rogue4x4

I've used 'em for years, and will never go back to conventional weights. My situation is different, however...35's on bead locks.

EZEARL

I've just considered here lately using them so what little I've found out seems to point towards using them in larger (33">)tires.

Rogue4x4

You can use them in just about any tire, it's just more prevalent in larger tires. They've even got beads for motorcycles.

EZEARL

Going to check around here and see if any of the few shops we have even use them. Read a few strange things like needing to put antifreeze in the tire so the beads don't clump together in winter. Thing is where I drive especially in hunting season I have had weights move or have lost them all together.

Rogue4x4

The antifreeze trick is for people who used BB's instead of actual beads, poor man's solution...any moisture in the tire can cause them to rust and stick/clump together.

I use airsoft pellets. Plastic, doesn't break down. I have used the same beads, over and over again, in my tires. As long as the weight is correct for the size tire you're running, you can reuse them as much as you like.

Some companies make ceramic or glass beads, but I have no experience with those, I have heard some of those can break down over time.

EZEARL

BB's? Beads aren't that expensive. Good to know about the Airsoft pellets. I'll make note.

Got to looking at this chart. Looks like mine fall in to the 4-6oz range. After taking delivery of these tires they're one of the more aggressive A/T's I've seen.
http://www.innovativebalancing.com/BigTirechart.htm

Martlor13

you are correct. At the shop we only really recommend them at 35 and up. Regular weights work just fine up until then. But of course if a customer wants them then we will do it. I will say on smaller tires like on 31s and below it really is just a luxury to use balance beads.......however there are some instances where balance beads don't work well on smaller tires....in hit case I would recommend regular balance weights.

EZEARL

THANKS guys. Of the many opinions I've read today they lean mostly towards using beads in larger size tires. I'll just go with weights.

moparado

How critical is the amount of pellets per tire?

Rogue4x4

It doesn't have to be dead nuts on, but as close as you can get it. I added an extra .5-1.0 oz...at the time I first installed, I lived in a snowy climate, and had some mud on trails, to compensate for any clumping on the tires. I have since moved to a dry, arid climate, and just left it where I set it originally. Haven't noticed a difference.

I wouldn't add less however, you want to have enough in there to hit any low spots when operating.

thatXJguy

I've heard nothing but good things about balance beads... on these forums. On the internet, I seem to find mixed opinions.

Since larger, heavier tires are so much harder to balance, they're probably worth trying.

How critically-accurate do you want your tire balance to be?

Rogue4x4

For those interested

EZEARL

From what I've read unless you have a tire or rim or a combination of both that are extremely out of balance the amount needed is pretty much cut and dried. Where they are an advantage is that you can "fine tune" the balance by forcing small amounts of beads through the valve stem. One example I read was where a guy had bought a set of 4 used rims. Once mounted to the tires two could not be balanced using weights to the point of not causing a slight vibration while driving. They were broken down and the proper amount of beads were installed. Then by fine tuning by adding small amounts of beads the balance problem was solved. Cool.

EZEARL

Interested but can't down load videos.