Centramatic wheel balancers

[Gots_a_sol]

I ordered a set and they showed up yesterday. Wow, what a difference. I will say that my wheels were unbalanced to start with, so the difference is night and day.

Before it would start shaking at about 65. I was blasting down the road at 90 just now without even a hint of shaking, which is faster than I ever drive this thing anyway.

Money well spent in my book. ($215 shipped to my door. I'm sure I could have had my wheels balanced a bunch of times for that, but with these I won't have to do it ever again)

Installation is simple. Take wheel off, stick balancer on the hub to make sure it clears the calipers. Then stick it inside the wheel and make sure it sits on the mounting flange and doesn't touch the spokes. I have to run 1/4" spacers to clear my wheels so I didn't have any problem with anything rubbing. The kit includes 2 balancers with flat centers and 2 with offset centers plus 2 thin spacers so you can pretty much fit these on anything.





On the negative side I found out I have something leaking out back that I get to fix now



Sorry for the crappy pics. It was dark out and my phone doesn't have the most spectacular camera.

[ahale2772]

thats pretty cool, how thick are they? what size studs are they drilled for? think they will fit on the 5/8 dually studs?

[Gots_a_sol]

The ring with the stud holes was like 1/16" or something like that. Pretty thin. The outer ring where the balancing material is is about an inch in diameter, maybe a little smaller.

I didn't measure the diameter of the stud holes. I'll measure the spacers I have left over and see what they are.

They make kits specifically for dually vehicles though (this is a srw kit obviously) so I don't know how they are compared to these.

[PToombs]

I got a set of used 265/70-17s for my H2 wheels for my 97, and used balance beads in them. I have a rear drum out of round or something, and it took out a lot of that vibration too. I'll use those from now on, and I don't have to worry about taking my wheels to get balanced. I usually mount my own wheels, so this is a big help.

[Gots_a_sol]

Same here, I've got a tire machine but no balancer.


I have the same size tires on my truck also. I picked them up used as well

[ahale2772]

a tire machine would be nice, im still at the tire bars and starting fluid stage

im thinking that these balancers might be an effective way to run a tad bit more tire on a stock dually rim, since they mount inbetween the dually rims they might give about a 1/2 inch of extra room

[PToombs]

Alex, I use bars too. I did build me a Cheetah air tank, an old freon tank with a 1 1/2 inch ball valve and a couple fittings. Saved my arse many times already!

He said the centers are only 1/16 inch thick. Won't space out too much.

[Gots_a_sol]

yea they don't add hardly anything.

I ran 1/4" spacers before I had these so my front wheels would clear the upper control arms.

[ahale2772]

oh ok, i read it wrong though u said 1/2inch

yup weve got one of them tanks too Pete (bought not built), they work ok, but i'd say only every 1/10 times ill get a tire with the tank and every 3/10 times ill get it with the starting fluid. wenth through 2 full cans of fluid mounting these PITA 37" hummer tires

[Tacoclaw]

We made one out of one of the propane tanks you hook to a grill, we use it to mount up Semi tires at work.

I don't know if you're standing them up or not. but I can get one on 8/10 times with them leaning against something with the backside of the wheel shoved into the tire. Also make sure you've got the valve core out of the tire and the air hose putting air into it. Semi tires will usually catch without the extra air, but those damn safety-beads on car wheels pretty much mean you have to do it.

[ahale2772]

yep, only times i can get it to work is with the tires standing up, and usually me laying on the tire trying to center the beads

[Tacoclaw]

I've always had good luck running a ratchet strap around the center of the tire and using that to squish the beads out to the wheel.

The worst part is getting the strap off after the tire takes air. Well, that and praying it takes air before the strap breaks.

[dazedandconfused]

Glad to see I'm not the only one doing it the old way. Break them down with a maddox and a couple big screw drivers and my little hammer. I don't have a quick fill tank. I've been doing them since I was big enough to handle water truck tires (22.5's). I push the bead on the back side the best I can with my foot and then lean it against the barn and gently press the center while airing till they catch. I can't tell you the thousands of tires I've done in the last 18- 20 years. My size is an advantage to me though.

[PToombs]

I had a biotch of a time getting my 265/70's on the H2 wheels to seat the bead. I kept losing my balance beads all over. Finally I put them with the face down, there is a taper on the rear side, and it was easier to blow from the back side.

[ahale2772]

yup big tires with lots of side wall suck, no bout-a-doubt it