Centramatic Balancers ???
10-13-2007, 10:58 AM
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Centramatic Balancers ???
Anyone have any thoughts on these?
I heard someone say the worried there would be problems cleaning the mud from them after wheeling ????
But thats all I have really heard.
It sure would be nice not to have to deal with the balancing act all the time or have those ugly little lead things on the tire.
Someone posted about some beads you pour into the tire but I have heard these are not ideal as they can clump up from moisture....
I heard someone say the worried there would be problems cleaning the mud from them after wheeling ????
But thats all I have really heard.
It sure would be nice not to have to deal with the balancing act all the time or have those ugly little lead things on the tire.
Someone posted about some beads you pour into the tire but I have heard these are not ideal as they can clump up from moisture....
10-16-2007, 07:13 AM
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Seems likely no one is useing them. I have used silicate sand bags before with good results. My swamper TSL/SX's were going to require an absurd amount of lead weight to balance. Dealer suggested the sand bags. They worked very well. For them to work you have to be moving though. Slow rock crawling they have no effect.
10-16-2007, 08:02 AM
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DAMN
I knew there had to be some reason.
Thats too bad as I liked the idea of them.
I have heard the beads are good but can clump and then cause problems.
I knew there had to be some reason.
Thats too bad as I liked the idea of them.
I have heard the beads are good but can clump and then cause problems.
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10-16-2007, 10:56 AM
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I would not recommend centramatic balancers for typical 4x4 driving.
I ran them for off and on a year trying different configurations, on an XJ.
They do the job that they say, balance a rotating tire on the fly, and adapt to additional mud and such quite well. They are reasonably easy to keep clean, certainly easier to keep clean than some bead lock rims that are out there.
Typical 4x4 driving consists of moving slowly over obstactles. The wheel balancers don't spin up and into place in this case, and lag to the back side of the wheel more than the front. Alternatively, it's a standing or slow moving start and lots of wheel speed to clear mud from tires. In this case, the balancers work reasonably well once they spin up and settle in, by that time you are out of the obstacle and stopping to watch the next through. Also, cold weather (like 3 seasons in Canada for instance) tends to delay the spin up of the beads as the fluid becomes more viscous.
Some of the big 4x4's using ball bearings and such also take advantage of the lowing of the tire CoG for crawling, the centramatic balancers don't add much weight. Many would also swear by using ball bearings or golf balls or what ever else as wheel balancers in tires. I have no personal experience with this method of tire balancing.
For semi trucks and long haulers, the wheel balancers would likely be a good investment as they adapt and keep tires balanced for longer than wheel weights. Stop and go traffic or 4x4ing, not quite as beneficial.
ymmv.
On a totally unrelated note, I have a slightly used set of Centramatic Wheel Balancers for sale, currently set for 5 on 4 1/2", easily adapted to 5 on 5 1/2" or other, with a drill press and a template.
I ran them for off and on a year trying different configurations, on an XJ.
They do the job that they say, balance a rotating tire on the fly, and adapt to additional mud and such quite well. They are reasonably easy to keep clean, certainly easier to keep clean than some bead lock rims that are out there.
Typical 4x4 driving consists of moving slowly over obstactles. The wheel balancers don't spin up and into place in this case, and lag to the back side of the wheel more than the front. Alternatively, it's a standing or slow moving start and lots of wheel speed to clear mud from tires. In this case, the balancers work reasonably well once they spin up and settle in, by that time you are out of the obstacle and stopping to watch the next through. Also, cold weather (like 3 seasons in Canada for instance) tends to delay the spin up of the beads as the fluid becomes more viscous.
Some of the big 4x4's using ball bearings and such also take advantage of the lowing of the tire CoG for crawling, the centramatic balancers don't add much weight. Many would also swear by using ball bearings or golf balls or what ever else as wheel balancers in tires. I have no personal experience with this method of tire balancing.
For semi trucks and long haulers, the wheel balancers would likely be a good investment as they adapt and keep tires balanced for longer than wheel weights. Stop and go traffic or 4x4ing, not quite as beneficial.
ymmv.
On a totally unrelated note, I have a slightly used set of Centramatic Wheel Balancers for sale, currently set for 5 on 4 1/2", easily adapted to 5 on 5 1/2" or other, with a drill press and a template.
10-18-2007, 09:39 AM
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am i the only one who has never heard of this...?
im looking into getting 33's possibly 35's with a teraflex 3"....
i had no idea you had balance your tires....
i heard there were beadlock balancers but i dont like the way they look....dose anyone have any suggestions?
im looking into getting 33's possibly 35's with a teraflex 3"....
i had no idea you had balance your tires....
i heard there were beadlock balancers but i dont like the way they look....dose anyone have any suggestions?