Centramatic Balancers

[SBettencourt]

I ordered a set of 400-409 on 2/23 and they arrived yesterday, 3/3. They were on the UPS truck 2/24 according to the tracking info. Might not be a bad idea to give a quick call.

Thanks Kent for providing the group buy... and to all other that did the legwork to make it happen.



Best Regards,

 

[stover]

I gave them a call and they were shipped like the 19th I belive. The guy I talked to said he will send out another set and try and see where the others got to. I got new american racing outlaw II's to put on at the same time once these arrive.

 

[MMeier]

Hoping mine would've got here by today so I can try them out on a trip to Oklahoma tomorrow... . :{ Oh well, they should be here by the time I get back Tuesday, then we will rotate and balance the Michelins anyways... 13,000 miles in 5 weeks !!!

 

[GWBourne]

so do you install them and then not worry about balancing the tires? or do you balance the tires and theese make up for any slack the tire jerk messed up on? whats the deal?



looking into a set here real soon as i have to buy new tires next month since i skinned a good chunk out of one... . oops... .

 

[Mundgyver]

Balance your tires like you would normally. What these will do is to take out any small inperfections in the balancing. Also when you balance a brand new set of tires, after you have driven on them for about 100 miles, the balance will be off. The reason is that the tires seat further onto the rim.



The centramatics will basically fine tune your balanced tires and if you throw a weight or pick up a some rocks in the tread that stick, they will compensate for that.



I have been running them for a couple of years now and my tires wear very even with no cupping or scuffing that I used to see.



I am very happy with them.

 

[vegasredneck]

I just installed mine this past weekend on a SD. When I told the guy at the tire shop about them he looked at me funny then the manager came in. he said no need to balance the tires because they will adjust. They did fit tight on ea corner and I messed up by trying to force them on. I bent them a little and when I left the tire shop. I thought it was normal to here them. However they were rubbing the caliper. what have I noticed since installing.

1. little to no vibration through the steering wheel

2. Washboard are still there but seem less now

3. very little sound since adjustments were made

4. Braking seems to be straighter with less wheel vibration

 

[Deezal Man]

Consider this..

I haven't tried the Centramatics yet, but I do have a few thousand miles on an alternate solution. Aside from the absence of ugly lead weights marring the finish on my polished Alcoa rims, this stuff is completely quiet. Best of all, installation is a snap if you install with a new set of tires. Our trucks use ~4oz per tire which can be purchased in special bags which you toss in during the mounting process. The thin paper bag breaks apart inside the tire within a few miles of driving. End of story! I did however think of a situation where I might be less than pleased. . but I guess if you put a big enough hole in the tire to let this stuff out. . you won't be fixing the tire. I chose 'equal' because the price difference between the two products in question is substantial. I think I paid something like $10 or $12 for a set of 4 tires. I'll let you do the math, but you'll have to drive an aweful lot of miles to break even. In any event, I'm not endorsing the stuff. . just giving another option to those who want equal or better performance for a fraction of the cost.





Equal Tire Balance

 

[Mundgyver]

There are several different systems out there, all claiming to be the best. No :-{} here as each person decides their needs and justifies their buy of the particular product and will sing the praises or howl the dislikes.



The goal is the same, better relibality, drivability with more confidence and less expense for the long run.



The bottom line is we each do our own research to satisify our individual needs and wants. In the end to comes down to personal satisfaction with what we have bought.



Having not seen the other systems first hand, I have no doubt that they work. I know that I am happy with the Centramatics that I have and the performance gain that they have given me for extending the mileage on my tires.



There are many ways to skin the cat so to speak

 

[Bjewell]

bjewell

I recently bought a set of centramatics for my 3500 and after trying to install them I found that the rear set went right on but the front set would have to be forced on, which I did not like because of possible bending. I called the Co. and was told that they were having a problem with some of the front sets and the fit ( they were"enlongating" some of the holes which was supposed to cure the problem) so I made sure that I would not endanger the warrenty by making them fit. I Bolted the back balancer (which fit) to the front balancer with stud size bolts and it was very evident why the front was not fitting, all I did was use a rat tail file and work it every so little until they matched. Both than slid right on with no extra pressure and are working perfectly. As far as the" swooshing" noise at low speeds 0 - 10 mph , I have had passengers roll the window down and listen and some have told me that they "think" they hear something but it is far from disturbing. They have completly eliminated the slight steering wheel tremble that I had at @ 55 mph and as for tread wear I will just have to wait and see.

 

[mbhw]

Do they have this problem solved yet.

I would like to try them,but not sure if I would want to mess with them to make them fit my truck.

 

[rbattelle]

Here are 2 pictures that show my passenger-front balancer damaged from contact with the caliper adaptor. When I installed the balancers I didn't grind off the casting mold line on the passenger side (there wasn't one on the driver's side). I never heard any contact, so I just drove with it for about 1000 miles. Then one day while making a tight turn I heard what I thought (at the time) was scraping. So I pulled both front wheels and found the passenger side had been scraping (first pic).



Second pic is where I ground the caliper adaptor (I ground A LOT). That should clear things up. The balancer is back in service - the grooves were very shallow (maybe a couple thousandths deep).



-Ryan

 

[TowPro]

I had to grind the same place on my 2wd. I think only the DS needed grinding, but I did both just to be sure.



when i put the front tire on, the rim just hits the outer edge of the balancer. If it was bending it at all, the clearence between where I ground the calaper would be reduced and I would have rubbing, and I don't, so we can assume it must be just touching the rim when bolted up.

 

[rbattelle]

when i put the front tire on, the rim just hits the outer edge of the balancer.

You must have steel wheels. My wheels bend the entire balancer back at least 1/4" when they're bolted in place. The aluminum wheels are a lot thicker than the steel wheels.



-Ryan

 

[GMcLeod]

My front balancers also hit my rims (stock aluminum) to the point when I cinched down the lug nuts it permanently bent/ shaped the balancers inward. They still touch the rim (the bead portion), but not the caliper. My concern would be; and is, when they were torqued down and bent could that throw the balancers out of balance?

 

[Double J]

I called Centramatics earlier this week and told them about them touching the stock wheel. It's an issue that's already been addressed and they had no problem sending me spacers to make them clear. They work fine on my 18" wheels but I occasionally will use the stock wheels... Like when I drive down the Alcan Highway in June. :{

 

[rbattelle]

My concern would be; and is, when they were torqued down and bent could that throw the balancers out of balance?

I doubt it very much. The balancing effect should not be notably affected by the balancer being slightly conical (bent in).



Remember, they're radial balancers, not lateral balancers.



-Ryan

 

[Mundgyver]

Hmmmmm I did not have any of these problems when I installed mine. They were close, but have never touched. Woner why some have problems and some don't

 

[rbattelle]

Hmmmmm I did not have any of these problems when I installed mine. They were close, but have never touched. Woner why some have problems and some don't

I think there are a number of variables to consider. If you have steel wheels, for example, I don't think any grinding is necessary and there's no chance of the balancers being anywhere near the caliper adaptors.



The extra-thick cross section on the aluminum wheels bends the balancers back toward the caliper adaptors. Couple this with the mold line running along the outer edge of the adaptor, and you have the potential for some contact.



As I mentioned, my driver-side never touched the caliper adaptor, but the passenger side did. The difference was the presence of the mold line in the caliper adaptor on the passenger side, which was maybe 0. 01" tall. The resultant grooves in that balancer were less than 0. 005" deep.



The difference between contact and non-contact, then, comes down to just a few thousandths clearance. That explains why some people have no problems at all, and others have a lot of contact.



-Ryan

 

[TowPro]

You must have steel wheels. My wheels bend the entire balancer back at least 1/4" when they're bolted in place. The aluminum wheels are a lot thicker than the steel wheels.



-Ryan

No, I have the aluminum wheels, but the ones with the shiny tin foil over them.

 

[rbattelle]

No, I have the aluminum wheels, but the ones with the shiny tin foil over them.

Wow! I wonder if they're thinner than mine?



-Ryan