Convince me Centramatic’s work

[GroundSquirrel]

Time for tires again. Thinking about paying for road force balance and wheel balancers. I’m not interested in the balancers for a smooth ride. Just tire longevity. Do they actually make your tires last longer, or just snake oil?!

 

[nukegm]

i have them on my 18 2500. after 4 shops and idiots running the balance machine. they do work. dunno about increasing tire life, as i live at 9600 feet and the road is curvy and steep down to the flats ( 5000 feet ) , so i really tear up tires each year. the truck is smooth as glass. cheers!

 

[Ozymandias]

From my experience they don't last longer in our Tire sizes, maybe on a Class-8, but they give a smooth ride, especially on gravel road.

 

[DHayden]

Ran them on my 2001.5 with 19.5's for about 90,000 miles and 14ish years. Replaced them from age and sidewalls starting to crack, still had 60% tread probably.
Moved them to my 2015 with 19.5's. Dont put a lot of miles on her but I will say the centramatics cut my random highway vibration by 90-95%.

 

[Wiredawg]

They work for me. Had them on my 09 4500, then moved them to my 17 5500 for 19.5" wheels.

 

[SSchang]

They don't work. I put 19.5" tires & wheels on my 2020 3500, and they had a balance problem from the start. I had them rebalanced twice, with maybe a little improvement. Then I bought the Centramatics, and put them on. Didn't make a bit of difference. I bought new tires, Michelin XDS, and had them strip off the stick on weights and put Equal weight packets in each tire. It was a bit better. Then I reinstalled the Centramatics - no difference.

Traded the truck in on a 2022 3500 dually. I still have the 19.5" Vision wheels & tires, Centramatics, and centering rings if someone wants to buy them.

 

[Wiredawg]

could have been a balance problem OR could have been an out of round or trueness problem. They can't fix out of round, trueness problems with wheels or tires.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Lot's of people believe in Balance Beads at a lot less $$$.

 

[SSchang]

could have been a balance problem OR could have been an out of round or trueness problem. They can't fix out of round, trueness problems with wheels or tires.

Your right, could have been something else, but they didn't work for me.

 

[GroundSquirrel]

I'm gonna buy new tires next month so I was gonna try them out. I'll be getting the same again so it will be interesting to see if I can get more miles out of them. This will be my 3rd set of Duratracs and I've beam averaging 40k miles per set. Not too bad for pulling trailers almost weekly and chip sealed roads. If I can make it to 50K or more, that should say something right?

 

[AH64ID]

I have them on my 5th wheel and they do reduce vibration inside the trailer.

I had them on my 05 for a couple weeks but then the tire shop wouldn’t reinstall them since they considered them “spacers”… ugh… that’s when I switched to beads.

They worked awesome for the short time I had them, and beads have been great too.

Neither one will compensate for an out of round tire.

 

[SSage]

I've run them for many years, haven't found any reason to stop. I have a set thats 18 years old now, still working fine.

The only thing I don't like is the noise at a crawl, once over 5 mph or so I can't hear them though. The tires wear right down smooth all the way across the tread on the back. My last few sets of tires wore even when I rotated them, including some cheap Sigma HT's. Then the ball joints went south on my 95 and that got the two front AT tires pretty bad on the inside shoulders, put those on the back! New ball joints got me sorted.

I do spin balance the new tires usually if I have a shop install. I've tried them with no wheel weights weights too, couldn't really tell a difference. I figure every little bit helps though, so I normally use weights and the balancers. I've only had one regular tire shop put them on correctly aligned without any directions, most shops are clueless with dually's. They don't line up the holes with the inside valve stems! Even after I told one shop in SC they still put them on wrong. I try to go to the commercial truck tire shops, they usually get it right without the babysitting.

 

[DHayden]

They don't work. I put 19.5" tires & wheels on my 2020 3500, and they had a balance problem from the start. I had them rebalanced twice, with maybe a little improvement. Then I bought the Centramatics, and put them on. Didn't make a bit of difference. I bought new tires, Michelin XDS, and had them strip off the stick on weights and put Equal weight packets in each tire. It was a bit better. Then I reinstalled the Centramatics - no difference.

Traded the truck in on a 2022 3500 dually. I still have the 19.5" Vision wheels & tires, Centramatics, and centering rings if someone wants to buy them.

I dont know if you had them installed with the beads, but you cant have centramatics, balance beads or liquid balance at the same time.

 

[AH64ID]

I dont know if you had them installed with the beads, but you cant have centramatics, balance beads or liquid balance at the same time.

While it seems odd to run them all it wouldn’t be counterproductive. They all work the same and would work in conjunction with each other.

 

[slowmover]

Counteract Balance Beads gave me the most transparent balance ever experienced (new set Steer tires on the KW). I went ahead and bought five (5) of the appropriate weight for the CTD.

I’ve run CM Balancers on my travel trailer and there’s not the least doubt this is beneficial.

You wonder if they work, then cruise a truck stop to see them on the Steer Axle of 20% of trucks (maybe more).

Last company I worked for had them on Steer & Drive, the right way to do it. If they didn’t work we’d never see them in Class 8.

And you should want them for cutting vibration as that’s the primary source of fatigue.

The CM only fit the rear of my ‘04 CTD as interference with the front brake caliper is a problem.

The mercury wheel balancer (BALANCE MASTERS) MHD-206R (Dodge SRW) is another option to explore and will fit Steer Axle, but are more expensive. Also have driveshaft balancers of this type.

I see no reason not to combine beads & balancers if that’s how it works out. Check thru manufacturers requirements.

.

 

[Ozymandias]

If you buy the CM Set designed for the 3rd Gen Truck it comes with two 5mm (⅕") Spacers to clear the brake caliper on the steering axle.

 

[DHayden]

While it seems odd to run them all it wouldn’t be counterproductive. They all work the same and would work in conjunction with each other.

So I'm not claiming to be the balance expert. I called Centramatic and told them I had liquid balance I planned to put in my tire and asked if there would be any issue. They stated "a free balance agent inside the tire is THE ONLY balance that will not work with the centramatics". The beads or equal can be affected by moisture in the tire and can clump or settle in a tire at speed that works against the centramatic. I assume they may settle in a part of the tire at speed that it may not have for proper balance because the other agent (whether it be the centramatic or the other media) working against it. Take it for what its worth, try whatever you want. I'm just passing on what they told me. Personally I dont think it would hurt, it just may not leave either media to be as effective as they could be on their own.

 

[Cummins12V98]

I'm gonna buy new tires next month so I was gonna try them out. I'll be getting the same again so it will be interesting to see if I can get more miles out of them. This will be my 3rd set of Duratracs and I've beam averaging 40k miles per set. Not too bad for pulling trailers almost weekly and chip sealed roads. If I can make it to 50K or more, that should say something right?

What size tire are you only getting 40k out of?

 

[AH64ID]

So I'm not claiming to be the balance expert. I called Centramatic and told them I had liquid balance I planned to put in my tire and asked if there would be any issue. They stated "a free balance agent inside the tire is THE ONLY balance that will not work with the centramatics". The beads or equal can be affected by moisture in the tire and can clump or settle in a tire at speed that works against the centramatic. I assume they may settle in a part of the tire at speed that it may not have for proper balance because the other agent (whether it be the centramatic or the other media) working against it. Take it for what its worth, try whatever you want. I'm just passing on what they told me. Personally I dont think it would hurt, it just may not leave either media to be as effective as they could be on their own.

Interesting. They should all work together to make a balanced tire.

I've used beads a long time and never had them clump. I also inflate/deflate my tires often and the compressor on the truck doesn't have a air:water separator. I am using Couteract Balance Beads in the CTD and Jeep. Airsoft BB's in the hunting trailer, and Centramatics on the 5th wheel.

My ATV trailer and the stock trailer will get most likely get airsoft at the next tire change. I don't use airsoft in the truck since they are much noisier at low speeds.

What size tire are you only getting 40k out of?

Wasn't directed at me, but I never even get to 40K on tires. The Cooper AT3's I'm currently running in the OEM size of 275/70R18 are at 34K miles and down to ~3/32nds. That's the best wearing tire I've ever had. Even my 19.5's were near worn out in 25K miles doing a 5 tire rotation.

My next set of AT3's will be a 285/65R20. I'm hoping the added height and width will let them run a little longer. At least the AT3 has a mileage warranty.

 

[JR]

My next set of AT3's will be a 285/65R20.

Hold on to 'yer shorts!

I am honestly shocked you are going to a 20" wheel. I could be wrong, but last I looked the difference in weight ratings betwen 18" and 20" tires was negligible.

And that price...OMG that price.

And then there's the looks. I have always felt 18"s provided the best look in a ~ 34" tire. Going much taller affects trailer hitching and gearing, to name the big ones. It is the right amount of sidewall to avoid busting rims up off road. But that comes down to personal preference and usage.

Better start saving up now