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Old 02-23-2010, 04:59 PM   #21
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Lynn,

Was your Airstream built in CA or OH?

Tom
I don't remember right now (and right now the rig is buried in snow). I'm pretty sure it was a CA unit, though.

Last summer, we replaced axles complete with new hubs from Andy. The old Centramatics (and the old rims) fit right on, just like with the originals.


Lynn
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Old 02-23-2010, 05:40 PM   #22
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Bottom line.............they do what they say they will do. They work !!!!!
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Old 02-23-2010, 06:28 PM   #23
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I have had mine on for a year and only a couple of short trips. the trailer felt very good, this is only based on a hundred or so miles.
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Old 02-23-2010, 07:35 PM   #24
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You might want to check out this alternative, much less expensive, easy DIY project, and they work. I use them. Tire Balancing Products
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Old 02-23-2010, 08:15 PM   #25
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...I have been through this with the Centramatic company,
and they gave me a return authorization for a product that did not fit...
and it looks like there is an entire thread JUST on this issue.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f438...age-14519.html

IF the wheels have negative offset as posted there, SPACERs should help.

have u tried again with the factory folks and discussed adding spacers, like crispy did?

skip the REvendor and go with the factory IF you are gonna try again.
_____________

with spacers there are the issues of wheel well clearance AND the possibility of needed longer studs...

but u could TRY the spacers before ordering the centras and KNOW if these issues exist.

somethin' between 5mm to 12mm should do the trick.

the set that FITs the alcoa 15 wheels on my trailer will NOT fit the factory steel 15 inch spare that came with it.

ne1 need a steel wheel in 15? i gots one to give.

cheers
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Old 02-23-2010, 09:40 PM   #26
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Forrest, I thought about using the DynaBeads for our rig. And I had heard good things about them. What gave me pause, however, was whether I'd be able to reuse them when changing tires. Probably could, but I don't know how it would work.

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Old 02-23-2010, 10:27 PM   #27
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If you have drum brakes, buy Centramatics.

Hi, just the fact that the manufacturer of the brake drums does not balance them, is enough information that you need Centramatics. [or something similar / Dyna-beads] Balancing your tire/wheel assemblies helps, but does not make your running gear totally balanced.

Even though I can't feel it, see it, or taste it, I have piece of mind that my trailer isn't going to vibrate or shake it's self to pieces since I installed Centramatics.
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Old 02-23-2010, 10:29 PM   #28
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You might want to check out this alternative, much less expensive, easy DIY project, and they work. I use them.
Three golf balls in each tire?
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Old 02-24-2010, 07:19 AM   #29
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Can't resist.....Does three golfballs in each tire get you a "hole in one"?
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Old 02-24-2010, 07:33 AM   #30
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Can't resist.....Does three golfballs in each tire get you a "hole in one"?
Not even close.....but some folks will try anything...



Bridgestone says:
These golf balls were ruined by running inside a truck tire for several thousand miles. They also probably did irreparable damage to the tire.

The user had a ride disturbance and heard that a few golf balls inside his tires

would correct it, by automatically positioning themselves to counteract the vibration.

We often hear of home-brew solutions like these, but we can’t recommend them. Here’s why: First, in this case, it didn’t work very well. The ride disturbance and vibration continued.

Second, notice how dirty and black these golf balls are? What’s covering their surfaces is rubber, of course — from the innerliner of the tire.

The innerliner is a specially made, multilayer component, with the important job of preventing air from getting through it and escaping. The rubber dust coating on these golf balls came from their banging into the innerliner, probably damaging it.

We’re not sure what caused the balls to change shape so radically. Perhaps high heat and high-speed collisions with the wheels?

Anyway, as we said, we can’t recommend golf balls as a means of balancing truck tires. So far as we can tell, they don’t work and could seriously damage your tires.

Originally published in Bridgestone’s Real Answers magazine, volume 6, issue 2. Copyright 2001, Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire LLC. More stories of this type can be found at the Bridgestone Web site at Trucktires.com in the section of the “Library” called “Publications.” Visitors to the Real Answers portion of the site can search by key word to find topics of interest.
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Old 02-24-2010, 07:50 AM   #31
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By golly, if the golf ball story is real, then maybe the British Car Smoke story may also be true! I always suspected as much ...

Lynn
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Old 02-24-2010, 08:39 AM   #32
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Lynn,

You do realize that the British SAE has just recently determined that oil is a liquid and the Lucas electrical system actually requires electricity to operate properly.
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Old 02-24-2010, 10:06 AM   #33
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Oh, sorry, Robert, but that view is so new-fangled that I can't comprehend it.

Lynn
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Old 02-24-2010, 10:57 AM   #34
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Forrest, I thought about using the DynaBeads for our rig. And I had heard good things about them. What gave me pause, however, was whether I'd be able to reuse them when changing tires. Probably could, but I don't know how it would work.

Lynn
Well, I admit that I don't have that experience yet. The beads are ceramic and very small. I don't know if they accumulate rubber dust like the golf balls do.

But being small (about the size of a pin head) and individually quite light I can't imagine that they could damage the interior of the tire. As for reusing them, I suppose they could be vacuumed up (into a fresh clean bag) then reinstalled in a new tire. However, if you were to have a blowout I imagine the beads would be lost.

That's a downside, but the beads cost a fraction of Centramatics. I still have Centramatics on my '66 Airstream (one axle), but am using the Dynabeads on my '86 32' Excella (two axles). The cost of putting Centramatics on four wheels versus Dynabeads was no contest.

Having used both, I can say that the Centramatics make mounting the wheel more difficult. Perhaps most Airstream owners pay to have that done and so don't care. But I do it myself (rotate the tires) and the Centramatics are a pain because they won't stay in place until the wheel is mounted. The wheel is what keeps the Centramatic in position.

Of course the difficulty varies from one lug pattern to another. So, some owners might not experience the same difficulty, their Centramatic might stay put on the lugs better than mine do and not move or fall off when mounting the wheel.
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Old 02-24-2010, 10:59 AM   #35
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Did you truely have to smash your Centramatics to get the wheels on the TT? I might favor the beads over smashing the centramatics. jc
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Old 02-24-2010, 11:04 AM   #36
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Did you truely have to smash your Centramatics to get the wheels on the TT? I might favor the beads over smashing the centramatics. jc
Thhe "smushing" is not necessary, when you install the correct balancer.

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Old 02-24-2010, 11:09 AM   #37
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Did you truely have to smash your Centramatics to get the wheels on the TT? I might favor the beads over smashing the centramatics. jc
Smash is to harsh of a term. Following the advice of the factory, I allowed tightening of the wheel to reshape the Centramatics. The part reshaped was the flat panel, not the tube but the plate section. Honestly, its a reasonably elegant adjustment if you think about it.
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Old 02-24-2010, 12:24 PM   #38
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I didn't have much trouble getting the centramatics to stay put on the hub while mounting the wheels. Which doesn't at all indicate how much trouble I have nonetheless with getting those heavy wheels to align with the studs when remounting! It helps to cuss a lot, IMHO.

But you're right, the DynaBeads are a heck of a lot cheaper!


Lynn

Quote:
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Well, I admit that I don't have that experience yet. The beads are ceramic and very small. I don't know if they accumulate rubber dust like the golf balls do.

But being small (about the size of a pin head) and individually quite light I can't imagine that they could damage the interior of the tire. As for reusing them, I suppose they could be vacuumed up (into a fresh clean bag) then reinstalled in a new tire. However, if you were to have a blowout I imagine the beads would be lost.

That's a downside, but the beads cost a fraction of Centramatics. I still have Centramatics on my '66 Airstream (one axle), but am using the Dynabeads on my '86 32' Excella (two axles). The cost of putting Centramatics on four wheels versus Dynabeads was no contest.

Having used both, I can say that the Centramatics make mounting the wheel more difficult. Perhaps most Airstream owners pay to have that done and so don't care. But I do it myself (rotate the tires) and the Centramatics are a pain because they won't stay in place until the wheel is mounted. The wheel is what keeps the Centramatic in position.

Of course the difficulty varies from one lug pattern to another. So, some owners might not experience the same difficulty, their Centramatic might stay put on the lugs better than mine do and not move or fall off when mounting the wheel.
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Old 02-24-2010, 01:24 PM   #39
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Agreed

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Thhe "smushing" is not necessary, when you install the correct balancer.
But there are times when the correct balancer may not be available (as in "not designed" and "not made").

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Old 02-24-2010, 02:48 PM   #40
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Thhe "smushing" is not necessary, when you install the correct balancer.

Andy
I went with factory directions, I figure they know whats what.
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