SuzukiSavage.com - Tire balance

skrapiron -FSO

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Tire balance
10/26/07 at 05:52:40

Hey guys,

Does anybody know of an effective way to balance out the front tire on the Savage?

I put on a new Shinko Tourmaster 203 in the front and had a devil of a time with a vibration comming through my handle bars at speeds about 50mph.

I have removed and remounted the tire twice and can't get rid of it.

I did go so far as to check the balance of the rim and it is definatley heavy on one side. What I don't understand is why I didn't feel the vibration with the old tire (especially since I assume that the rim has been out of balance from the beginning?)

I tried using lead weights with peel-n-sitck backing but there's not enough flat surface for the weights to adhere to and they ended up flying off on my test ride.

Any other ideas on what I could use?

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Demin Serious Thumper Offline We need more chlorine in the gene pool Posts: 2435 Warren,Ohio Gender:	Re: Tire balance Reply #1 - 10/26/07 at 05:55:25 They make weights that go on the spoke.Crimp on.
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youzguyz Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 2538 San Antonio, Texas Gender:	Re: Tire balance Reply #2 - 10/26/07 at 06:18:25 You didn't mention it, but there is a "balance mark" on the tire that should line up with the valve stem. That might help reduce the amount of weight it will take to balance it. More info here: TIRES & TUBES There are also other sites on how to build a static balance rig.
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T Mack 1 - FSO Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline sold 2001 LS650 for a 1986 XLH1100 Posts: 2919 Emmaus,Pa Gender:	Re: Tire balance Reply #3 - 10/26/07 at 08:26:22 At our local stealership, if you take a rim and tire down they charge $37 to mount & balance. You sort of have to weigh the cost of professional verse amateur ....... and driving down the rode at 60 mph
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Savage_Greg

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Re: Tire balance
Reply #4 - 10/26/07 at 10:30:08

Yes, first be sure that you have the "dot" or balance mark lined up with the valve stem. I've never had a bike tire "dynamically" balanced, and I've done most of my own tire changes

Then if you don't have a something to mount the tire on to balance it, you can rig up something like this using the axle bolt...and some crimp on weights if you need 'em.

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barry68v10 Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 955 Maryland Gender:	Re: Tire balance Reply #5 - 10/26/07 at 15:47:09 I would recommend dynabeads. I use Airsoft pellets to balance all my car/truck tires, but they won't work with tubes because they are too big to fit thru the valve stem. Put 1oz of dynabeads in the tube for the front tire and it will never be out of balance. (Works just like a harmonic balancer for your engine...)
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barry68v10 Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 955 Maryland Gender:	Re: Tire balance Reply #6 - 10/26/07 at 15:52:56 Oh, if you want to research or order them go to dynabeads.com...
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Savage_Greg

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Re: Tire balance
Reply #7 - 10/27/07 at 05:58:36

barry68v10 wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:10:

Oh, if you want to research or order them go to dynabeads.com...

Will .177 BBs do the same thing? I think they fit through the valve stem.

We had some kids go though our neighborhood once, and they flattened dozens of tires by putting BBs under the cap to let the air bleed out.

Pretty trick little idea too, cause when I went out and found the flat, I didn't even notice the little BB fall out and roll away when I took off the cap...(of course, this prank was only "trick" because it was ingenious. They POed a lot of people)

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barry68v10

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Re: Tire balance
Reply #8 - 10/27/07 at 19:43:19

Quote:

Will .177 BBs do the same thing?

Hmmmm....

No. BBs will corrode and turn into goo over time. The requirements are as follows:

1) non-corrosive
2) almost perfectly round
3) resilient
4) fairly high density

This is the ONLY way to let the laws of physics work for you to balance your tires. Otherwise, suffer the consequences...truckers discovered this over 40 years ago (they tried using BBs.)

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Jack_650 Senior Member Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 463 Minnesota Gender:	Re: Tire balance Reply #9 - 10/27/07 at 22:01:52 Someone explain it for those of us who've never heard of metal pellets for balancing tires. You put them in the tire and they roll around inside? What's the theory behind it? Why do it work? Jack
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barry68v10 Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 955 Maryland Gender:	Re: Tire balance Reply #10 - 10/28/07 at 18:49:56 Physics! The round objects in the tube will always roll to the lowest energy point on a spinning tire which is also the lightest point on the tire. By the same token, this only works on wheels that are suspended and not "hard wired" to the frame, i.e. doesn't work on hard tails.
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barry68v10

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Re: Tire balance
Reply #11 - 10/28/07 at 18:53:19

Since you want the beads to get to the lowest energy point quickly, they need to be almost perfectly round and stay that way. Also, you can see why styrofoam balls wouldn't work, which is why you want a high density material. With some moisture inside an inflated tire and fairly high pressure, this is a pretty corrosive environment, which is why I really like using Airsoft pellets. Dynabeads are relatively expensive, but you can install them in tubes, and tubeless tires without breaking the bead to insert them.

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Jack_650 Senior Member Offline I love YaBB 1G - SP1! Posts: 463 Minnesota Gender:	Re: Tire balance Reply #12 - 10/28/07 at 21:34:37 And then there's the follow-up question; How many is enough? Too much? Not enough? Inquiring minds want to know. Jack
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Bear_Rider

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Re: Tire balance
Reply #13 - 10/29/07 at 11:54:53

Back in the early 70's I had a 63(?) FJ40 Landcruiser that had a dynamic balancing tube on each front tire. It was about a half inch tube that ran completely around the rim in the area where the weights are normally clampes. The manager of the local tire store told me what it was, and said that I'd never have to balance the tires. He was right.

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barry68v10 Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 955 Maryland Gender:	Re: Tire balance Reply #14 - 10/29/07 at 14:05:26 Jack_650 wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:10: And then there's the follow-up question; How many is enough? Too much? Not enough? Inquiring minds want to know. Jack 1 oz for m/c front, 2-3 oz for m/c rear, 3-4 oz for car tires, 4-5 oz for light truck tires, and there's no penalty for going over
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