Bad experience with balance beads

[CumminsPower98]

I read so much good stuff on here about Inovative balance beads I decided to try them. I bought the 4 oz bags like the chart said for my size tires and installed them through the valve stems. I removed all my wheel weights as I didn't like what they were doing to my alloy wheels and besides they were flying off anyway. Well sometimes the balance would be right on but most of the time I had some pretty irritating shakes. I spun all the wheels one day when at home and found I didn't hear the beads in one tire so I had that one removed to get the water out but this did not fix the problem. Next trip home I had all the beads removed and a standard balance done using stick-on wieghts and now they run smooth. The most weight any of the wheels took was 4 oz so in theory they should have worked. Anyone have any ideas why they didn't work for me? All tires were dry inside and the beads were not sticking to anything. Now driving around town or even up to 60 mph on local roads I was not able to tell anything bad but since I live on the road now transporting RV's I have a lot of time to feel the vibrations at all kinds of speeds and road conditions.

 

[Doubleclutch]

CP98- I wasn't overly impressed with my first exposure to those little beasties either. New Toyo's and Welds just didn't seem to want to play nice. After two weeks of bouncy-bounce, I took it in for a conventional balance. Had to wack the dog crap out of one of the tires to get things moving, then the balancer found a happy spot for the weights. Beads don't live in the tires anymore. Don't know why I/we are the lucky ones, other guys swear by the stuff!

Greg

 

[GTX]

I am having the same problem. Web site said 5 oz in for my tires. I have 7 oz in each and still is a rough ride. They will be coming out soon.

 

[LOtero]

i also was not impressed, but hey live and learn i guess.

 

[Byershome]

I put some in my RamCharger tires last weekend and saw a marked improvement but it still is not perfect. I probably won't try them again on anything else.

 

[Jeff Clark]

I use Equal (not the sugar substitute). It's a powder rather than beads. I have WAY more than 4oz per tire and mine ride just fine.

 

[R-N-R]

4 oz of Innovative balance beads in each tire helped my ride right out. I think they may have "forgotten" to balance them at the tire dealer, but the beads significantly improved the ride. MI roads make it tough to analyze ride enhanaments :-laf

 

[Nate]

I run 8oz in the 36" TSLs on my Jeep and they work awesome. Pretty smooth up to 80mph.

 

[DBentley]

I had to have the innovative beads removed and get them ballanced on a machine with lead weights. I mounted the new 315s myself with no lube like recomended and used the 8oz per tire and they were shaking like mad on the highway. I could hear the beads rolling around nice and dry but they didnt work. Called ballance bead guy and he said to up it a few oz per tire [he was a nice guy and real helpfull to talk to and seemed to know his product]but that didnt help. Best thing I did was have them ballanced by a tire shop. Not much weight on there but SMOOTH as silk now. Tire shop said they work great in tall narrow 18wheeler type tires but wide ballon type there is to much side to side run out.

 

[RRoton]

I bought four 6oz bags of those little buggers, but have not yet installed them. After reading this thread, I think maybe I'll hold off for a while.

 

[JGK]

I dunno, RRoton, I think mostly just the negatives are being posted here. I've been running them in my Toyo M55 (285-70/16) since day one last Labor Day and have had no problem what so ever. I discovered a few weights still on the inside of the rims early this spring from the previous tires and pulled them off. The beads apparently compensated because they still ran smooth. Tires are wearing evenly. I had the truck up to 110mph on the freeway 2 weeks ago and they were fine.



I use 4oz of Innovative beads in each tire.



-Jay

 

[BigPapa]

I tried them, too. Everyone else on here seemed to swear by them so I never posted of my dissatisfaction. The Road Force balancing does the best balancing that I've ever had.



Scott

 

[yogibear]

I've used Counteract beads, 5oz. in each tire, in 3 sets of 235x80R17 for 223K miles, and no problems at all. No weights on any tires.

 

[R-N-R]

I left my weights on the wheels and added 4oz per tire resulting in a much improved ride. Granted I do not think they did a very good job, if at all, when I replaced the tires last time, but the beads are performing as advertised on my truck.

 

[RRoton]

I tried them, too. Everyone else on here seemed to swear by them so I never posted of my dissatisfaction. The Road Force balancing does the best balancing that I've ever had.



Scott

What is "Road Force Balancing"?

 

[BigPapa]

I don't know who actually makes the machine, but it is relatively new and it actually applies force to the tire/wheel when balancing, just like when your truck is rolling down the road. It doesn't just spin the tire. Several tire shops around Nashville have them. I don't have time right now, but I imagine a web search would yield some good reading.



Scott