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Ray Eklund · 09-10-2019, 07:15 AM

ANY tire, ANY wheel... are there better options?

My latest learning curve involves swapping out wheels and tires. My Goodyear 15 inch wheels and tires from Airstream had a lead rim weight on the interior, which was rather large, and none on the exterior. Same with the steel spare.

Michelin Agilis CrossClimate 16 inch on SenDell aluminum wheels:

Costco 'tire balancer' explained to me the adhesive weights on the inside of the wheel would never give a true balance. Citing the center of the wheel and tire are offset on some wheels. Using lead weights hammered into the rim would give a better, true balance.

The alternative was to install weights on the rims. The center of gravity and that kind of explanation. I went with the lead weights on the outside rim. It ended up with one on the outside and one on the inside. Not really blemishing the look... but the... 'look'... is not a big deal for me. It is a decent balance.

Has anyone else tried this on their Trailers aluminum wheels?

I remember back in the 'Olde Days' the Bubble Balance. Now with the Spin Balancing I would have to make the assumption that is better... but is it?

Consider me... ignorant, but he said if it did not work out, when time for rotation and rebalancing... they can change to taped weights.

Any Good, Bad or Indifferent discussion would be appreciated.

CRH · 09-10-2019, 07:42 AM

For nice aluminum wheels, I have always used taped on the inside weights. Never had a problem in over 30 years.

GMFL · 09-10-2019, 07:57 AM

Centramatics. I have them on the truck and the trailer. Smooth as silk. Pick up a rock in the tread. It is instantly rebalanced.
http://www.centramatic.com/

uraljohn · 09-10-2019, 07:59 AM

Taped weights on the inside of the rim. The "Tech" that told you a true balance can not be achieved with taped weights is full of ……. Go get your tires rebalanced with taped weights. Unfortunately the outer edge of your brand new wheels are probably scored up by the hammering on of metal weights.

Make sure that the inside of the rim is very clean and wipe with alcohol before applying weights.

I have worked on the service side of the counter in several dealerships. A good tire tech will always put the taped weights on when balancing an aluminum wheel. Of course if the customer insists on hammered on weights he will do that and cringe while hammering away.

Ray Eklund · 09-10-2019, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMFL

Centramatics. I have them on the truck and the trailer. Smooth as silk. Pick up a rock in the tread. It is instantly rebalanced.
http://www.centramatic.com/

******
Could you provide the part number for the Airstream six lug drums?

Do you install these AFTER a balance, or you install the Centramatics and that takes are of it?

Could you provide a photograph of the wheel with one installed. I am 100% ignorant on these, but heard of other Forum Members using them.

The website is vague and provides prices, but little else I could find.

Ray Eklund · 09-10-2019, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uraljohn

Taped weights on the inside of the rim. The "Tech" that told you a true balance can not be achieved with taped weights is full of ……. Go get your tires rebalanced with taped weights. Unfortunately the outer edge of your brand new wheels are probably scored up by the hammering on of metal weights.

Make sure that the inside of the rim is very clean and wipe with alcohol before applying weights.

I have worked on the service side of the counter in several dealerships. A good tire tech will always put the taped weights on when balancing an aluminum wheel. Of course if the customer insists on hammered on weights he will do that and cringe while hammering away.

*****
Well that makes me feel real 'fuzzy and warm'.

I was thinking about a weight being tossed off the rim into the fender well, as you do find lead weights from time to time when walking the sidewalks in town. They did not teach this in Structural Geology.

I am more concerned with a good balance. I will suck up any rim dings... but this does not make one a happy camper, as you understand.

UncleBad · 09-10-2019, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

******

Could you provide the part number for the Airstream six lug drums?

Do you install these AFTER a balance, or you install the Centramatics and that takes are of it?

Could you provide a photograph of the wheel with one installed. I am 100% ignorant on these, but heard of other Forum Members using them.

The website is vague and provides prices, but little else I could find.

http://www.centramatic.com/wheel-bal...Number=200-223

I believe those are the ones I purchased.

They mount between the hub and wheel. Gotta love physics!

waninae39 · 09-10-2019, 08:34 AM

lead on rim is old school

tape hidden on inside is the new and better means. it fixes balance as well as uneven balance across the tire.

drbrick · 09-10-2019, 09:12 AM

Tape inside - no brainer. The hammer will ruin the coating on the alum wheel. Why ad the corrosion battle to the wheels???

vintageracer · 09-10-2019, 09:15 AM

Hammer on lead on the outside AND inside of the EDGE of the rim may be old school however it still provides the best wheel balance with modern wheel balancing machines as the balancing weight is pushed as far to the outside of the rim/tire and at a greater diameter than is possible with Tape weights.

Tape weights can be placed very close to the outside of the backside of the rim however not as far out or as high as a hammer on wheel weight. Nobody wants Tape weights on the front side of their wheel so tape weights are placed on the back on the wheel as far to the front side of the wheel as physically possible however these tape weights are still on the back side of the rim. Definitely NOT perfect however this tape weight placement on the back of the wheel WORKS WELL as the electronic wheel balance machine will allow for this tape weight placement and location.

So which is better?

Hammer on the edge of the wheel weights will technically provide a more precise wheel balance. Having said that you will NEVER notice the difference between a hammer on weight or a Tape weight balance as both will ride perfectly fine without vibration when PROPERLY BALANCED on a PROPERLY SETUP electronic wheel balance machine. Just make sure the wheel is clean where you install the Tape wheel weights so they stick and stay there!

You also avoid any galvanic reaction corrosion on the front face of your wheels that can occur when using hammer on weights. This wheel face corrosion cannot NOT occur when using Tape weights or Centramatics .

I like to put aluminum tape on top of my Tape weights on the back of the wheel to make sure they stay put as the wheels on the trailer go round and round!

Centramatics also work GREAT and are a 1 time expenditure when installing versus the expense incurred when re-balancing trailer tires or paying to balance new trailer tires when they are needed.

Ray Eklund · 09-10-2019, 09:50 AM

Now... I am on my creeper looking at the 18 inch aluminum wheel balance on the F350 Ford.

There is a hammered lead weight on the interior rim edge and taped weights on the inside of the wheel, nearest to the outside edge.

Is this Standard Operating Procedure? Or do I need to have someone kick more sense into my letting the 'experts' do the work and my ignorance?

These were mounted the same day as the Airstream wheels and tires. Maybe I need a couple Advil's to make all of this going down for the ten count... easier.

vintageracer · 09-10-2019, 09:52 AM

They call that "Swingin Both Ways"!

Ray Eklund · 09-10-2019, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMFL

Centramatics. I have them on the truck and the trailer. Smooth as silk. Pick up a rock in the tread. It is instantly rebalanced.
http://www.centramatic.com/

******

Oh boy... need to quit thinking, but please educate me. I could be the only person who is getting up to date.

When you install Centramatics and the wheels are 0 offset... wouldn't this offset the wheel and put strain on the wheel bearings? Or the distance is not enough to make a difference?

Why doesn't Jackson Center offer this as an Option? Sounds too reasonable, not to.

Got to find that Advil...

(I just finished reading a Diesel Oil & Fuel filter Change Thread and there is a lot of information to digest and run through the mental intestines for results that work.)

pcskier · 09-10-2019, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

Why doesn't Jackson Center offer this as an Option? Sounds too reasonable, not to.

Let's start a thread of "Options JC should offer". It will be a long list!

Ray I went through this a year ago. Took my wheels to the tire shop to mount tires and balance, they came back with weights hammered on the outside and looked like CRAP. I'm sorry, it's an Airstream. No acceptable. I took them back and they gave me the same nonsense they gave you. My question back was: "Every car on this lot has Aluminum wheels, and every one has stick-on weight INSIDE the wheel. Why is it ok for car wheels but not these?" Blank look. It's because car owners would not accept that 'look' on their cars. The response was "If you prefer, we'll re-do them with stick-ons. If you had askd, we would have done so in the first place." I responded, "You don't ask me that for my car, what would make me think I needed to ask for these trailer wheels?" More blinking of eyes. Anyway, they changed them and I was happy. (The smaller wheels I removed were inside stick-ons too.)

Meanwhile, like Ronnie I installed the Centramtics. Yes you are thinking too hard. The offset is virtually negligible. Check out the videos on their website on how they work. I can tow now and when I get to where I'm going, the lounge pillows are usually still on the lounge, not on the floor. My passengers have reported that sleeping in the trailer while under tow is now like sleeping on a 747-- Smooth as can be.

Because of, or in spite of? I don't know, but the system seems to make sense, plus it's something else to spend money on! Isn't that what Airstream ownership is all about?

**GCinSC2** · 09-10-2019, 04:26 PM

Here's one for the campfire discussion.

If you take your trailer wheels in for balancing, do you tell the shop if they are:

A. Hub centric.
or
B. Lug centric.

Which of these two different systems locates the wheel on the Airstream Dexter Axle Trailer hub?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9geFjcMCl-w

ghaynes755 · 09-10-2019, 04:31 PM

Centramatics. Had them on my motorhome, all 3 axles. Smoothed out the ride. On order for the new Classic and will install them on my Goldwing when I get to the first tire change.

Truckers, especially the independent drivers, swear by them. Talked to one guy and he is getting 100,000 miles before he needs new tires or retreads.

RobH41 · 09-10-2019, 06:43 PM

Centramatics. They work.

GMFL · 09-10-2019, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

******
Could you provide the part number for the Airstream six lug drums?

Do you install these AFTER a balance, or you install the Centramatics and that takes are of it?

Could you provide a photograph of the wheel with one installed. I am 100% ignorant on these, but heard of other Forum Members using them.

The website is vague and provides prices, but little else I could find.

Ray,
Here is the link. http://www.centramatic.com/wheel-bal...Number=200-223

They are awesome. I’ve ran them 50000 miles and they are one of the best additions to our trailer and TV we’ve made.
They not only balance the rim and tire but also the hub and breaks.

streamintrip · 09-10-2019, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMFL

Centramatics. I have them on the truck and the trailer. Smooth as silk. Pick up a rock in the tread. It is instantly rebalanced.
http://www.centramatic.com/

I strongly agree with the above as I used Centramatics on all 3 of my Airstreams ending with the 2005 Classic 30 which we sold in 2017.

GMFL · 09-10-2019, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

******

Oh boy... need to quit thinking, but please educate me. I could be the only person who is getting up to date.

When you install Centramatics and the wheels are 0 offset... wouldn't this offset the wheel and put strain on the wheel bearings? Or the distance is not enough to make a difference?

Why doesn't Jackson Center offer this as an Option? Sounds too reasonable, not to.

Got to find that Advil...

(I just finished reading a Diesel Oil & Fuel filter Change Thread and there is a lot of information to digest and run through the mental intestines for results that work.)

Off set is less than the thickness of a dime. No offset.
Remember this. They balance everything. Tire, rim, hub, rocks in tread. Everything. And as tires change due to wear they adjust the balance.
Watch this video
http://www.centramatic.com/wheel-bal...al-video.rhtml