Yes. I think they told me they need 12" diameter inside the wheel. Call and talk to them. Very easy folks to work with and a generous return policy.
Centramatic Wheel Balancers
- Thread starter Chris
- Start date
Yes. I think they told me they need 12" diameter inside the wheel. Call and talk to them. Very easy folks to work with and a generous return policy.
I run a tire shop and have tried both beads and balancers and they do not work, neither will balance dynamically only balance statically, you must have weights on both sides of the rim to get the best balance. Name 1 oem that use beads or balancers? If you can’t balance a tire with weights a gimmick balance will not help only a new tire will.
801 Driver
TJ Enthusiast
My DD, 98 TJ, stock Grizzly wheels, 235 x 15 C rated off brand All WX tires, about 4 years old with at least 90% tread life remaining with no weights when I purchased it a few months back. I have had them spin balanced twice but still had a little vibration between 55 and 60. I have found 26 psi gave me the best ride and handling overall, but seems they must be slightly out of round, vibration comes and goes as the rotation matches up. All the front end parts seem tight for 62K original miles.
I installed a set of Centramatic 300-345 balancers yesterday, I bought from Hitchsource.com, a few dollars less expensive, same 2 day free delivery. Set A fit on back, set B a little different offset fit the front.
I am very impressed with the difference in a couple ways. First, the vibration I was trying to cure is dampened, not completely gone but much better, that is a good thing. What is more amazing is the 4 mile barely paved road with hundreds of patched pot holes and dips off the main highway to my house was amazingly smoother feeling at 45 MPH.
My friend that visits a couple days a week showed up and jumped in for my test ride and commented the "new shocks" I had been talking about getting really made a difference in the ride to back up what I was feeling. I had to tell her I had not ordered shocks yet, I had only installed the balancers.
The sharp bumps from pavement patchwork are now noticeably dampened. I can feel the front end is a little "stiffer" steering at speed because of the gyroscope effect of the additional rotating mass.
I may take a look at upping the tire pressure a couple pounds and see what happens. This is my first jeep type vehicle, 26psi on the highway just doesn't sound right in my head.
This is my personal opinion from two short 20 mile trips so far, your results may vary.
I installed a set of Centramatic 300-345 balancers yesterday, I bought from Hitchsource.com, a few dollars less expensive, same 2 day free delivery. Set A fit on back, set B a little different offset fit the front.
I am very impressed with the difference in a couple ways. First, the vibration I was trying to cure is dampened, not completely gone but much better, that is a good thing. What is more amazing is the 4 mile barely paved road with hundreds of patched pot holes and dips off the main highway to my house was amazingly smoother feeling at 45 MPH.
My friend that visits a couple days a week showed up and jumped in for my test ride and commented the "new shocks" I had been talking about getting really made a difference in the ride to back up what I was feeling. I had to tell her I had not ordered shocks yet, I had only installed the balancers.
The sharp bumps from pavement patchwork are now noticeably dampened. I can feel the front end is a little "stiffer" steering at speed because of the gyroscope effect of the additional rotating mass.
I may take a look at upping the tire pressure a couple pounds and see what happens. This is my first jeep type vehicle, 26psi on the highway just doesn't sound right in my head.
This is my personal opinion from two short 20 mile trips so far, your results may vary.
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Maybe we should go back a few steps and discuss the differences between static and dynamic balancing.
If a tire that has been successfully dynamically balanced becomes unbalanced at a later date, is a balancer like a Centramatic or Dynabeads not able to compensate?
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Correct me if im wrong but isnt there material that can be added inside the tire to do the same thing?
That must be specific to the tire industry?
In typical engineering usage of the two terms "static" and "dynamic" they mean VERY different things. Static is literally at rest. No forces other than gravity acting on a mass (object). That means no motion. In my mind, if a wheel assembly is statically balanced, you can put it on an axle, free of friction, and no point on that tire will be pulled to the bottom...I.E. it will remain motionless. If it moves, that means gravity is pulling the heavy spot closer to the center of the earth. If the first trial doesn't move, you need to rotate the tire assm. 90 degrees to verify it is truly balanced...the heavy spot may have coincidentally ended up on the bottom. The 90 degree rotation will verify that did not happen.
Dynamic balance is balancing the assembly while its rotating. In this case you are counteracting centripetal forces acting on the tire. This happens because of inconsistencies in tire construction, expansion of not perfectly rigid materials, etc. Technically, balanced is balanced...but real world scenarios dictate that tires be dynamically balanced.
its an OK read...I stand by my definition. Using terms like "up and Down" and "side to side" might be easy to understand for most people, but doesn't explain whats really going on.
Calling it dual plane balancing makes more sense to me than dynamic does.
Stox5225
TJ Enthusiast
I was about to chime in before @Ranger_b0b did and say the same thing. The engineering math course I took in college was called “Statics and Dynamics”. It placed emphasis on static forces (snow in a roof) and dynamic forces (forces in an object IN MOTION).
To add to it, my years of college athletics, recreational sports, and the Military, there are two kinds of stretching .... static and dynamic. Static, being at a stand still and dynamic doing stretches while moving, ie: high knees, heel kickers, karaoka, etc.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
To add to it, my years of college athletics, recreational sports, and the Military, there are two kinds of stretching .... static and dynamic. Static, being at a stand still and dynamic doing stretches while moving, ie: high knees, heel kickers, karaoka, etc.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Two good explanations:
https://e-quipfix.co.uk/wheel-balancing-101-static-vs-dynamic-wheel-balancing/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire_balance
Here's my interpretation:
I think it "static" probably has it's origin in the practice of putting the wheel on an axle and spinning it until it came to rest (or became static, if you will,) presumably with the heavy spot at the bottom. Add weight to the opposite side, lather, rinse, repeat until the wheel came to rest at a random spot each time.
Static balancing basically presumes the heavy spots are in the centerline of the tread and the method works best with narrow tires.
Wider tires and wheels increase the likelihood that there is a difference in weight across the tread section or across the width of the wheel. Spin balancers identify these differences dynamically - while the tire is spinning, not once it comes to rest.
Out of balance conditions in the center line of the tread create an elliptical rotation that is limited in motion because of the fixed axle, and so transmits to the suspension as vibration. Side to side variation of weight across the tread introduces yaw as well, contributing to vibration and a feeling of instability.
Centramatics balancers, Dynabeads, and viscous balancing fluids such as Ride-On work because the elliptical motion moves the balancing medium to the furthest point of the ellipse, and does this dynamically --while the wheel is spinning.
I've used Ride-On in all my motorcycle tires for years. It does double duty as a puncture sealant and balancing medium. The ride is smooth, the tires wear evenly, and they last longer.
When I put Centramatics on the TJ it was the final step to a much smoother ride. 1) good alignment, 2) proper inflation, 3) Centramatics balancers.
https://e-quipfix.co.uk/wheel-balancing-101-static-vs-dynamic-wheel-balancing/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire_balance
Here's my interpretation:
I think it "static" probably has it's origin in the practice of putting the wheel on an axle and spinning it until it came to rest (or became static, if you will,) presumably with the heavy spot at the bottom. Add weight to the opposite side, lather, rinse, repeat until the wheel came to rest at a random spot each time.
Static balancing basically presumes the heavy spots are in the centerline of the tread and the method works best with narrow tires.
Wider tires and wheels increase the likelihood that there is a difference in weight across the tread section or across the width of the wheel. Spin balancers identify these differences dynamically - while the tire is spinning, not once it comes to rest.
Out of balance conditions in the center line of the tread create an elliptical rotation that is limited in motion because of the fixed axle, and so transmits to the suspension as vibration. Side to side variation of weight across the tread introduces yaw as well, contributing to vibration and a feeling of instability.
Centramatics balancers, Dynabeads, and viscous balancing fluids such as Ride-On work because the elliptical motion moves the balancing medium to the furthest point of the ellipse, and does this dynamically --while the wheel is spinning.
I've used Ride-On in all my motorcycle tires for years. It does double duty as a puncture sealant and balancing medium. The ride is smooth, the tires wear evenly, and they last longer.
When I put Centramatics on the TJ it was the final step to a much smoother ride. 1) good alignment, 2) proper inflation, 3) Centramatics balancers.
Out of curiosity, has anyone tried the Balance Masters wheel balances? They look like the Centramatics but are filled with liquid Mercury instead of shot and fluid. Seems like they’d be quieter at low speeds.
They also have driveshaft balancers, which is interesting
They also have driveshaft balancers, which is interesting
Karl
TJ Enthusiast
I would like to resurrect this thread. I just heard about centramatic balancers about an hour ago. They appear to be 289 CAD each!? I could be wrong but i see nowhere that a quantity of "1" means a set of 4.
Anyway, Looking to see if any more people have experience with these. I just read about the balance masters but i can't find nearly as much material on them.
(I get new gears tomorrow!).
Cheers
Anyway, Looking to see if any more people have experience with these. I just read about the balance masters but i can't find nearly as much material on them.
(I get new gears tomorrow!).
Cheers
801 Driver
TJ Enthusiast
I have posted a little up from here a while back, I will add with this.
Not sure what "Requires Adapter" means. I saw that with my last set and called them direct to be sure to get the correct part number for my 98 Wrangler, but "others" had them priced better than the original supplier and free shipping, so I bought there. My set came with holes for my 98 Wrangler and another set that were larger, presume for the newer larger bolt patterns.
In reference to all the information about balancing above, I have to go to the local guys, they do the best they can with what they got, yep pull my wheels off, weights on the inside and out side the rims. Still not as smooth as I would like, could be tire improfections on the cheap tires I have with good tread, haha, so after I feel what they have done their best at for a day or two, I jack up and add the Centramatics, like you, still a skeptic, then feel the feel.
Yep I am still kinda a skeptic, but the damned things work for me. Did then, still do now, have had 3-4 sets in between. I was always afraid to take them off a vehicle I was going to sell, thinking the new potential owner would think something was not right, ya know.
As stated earlier my 98 Wrangler came with good tread mud tires, been sitting dormant in a hot grage, stickie weights had fallen off. Had it balanced, took back for a rebalance, had a different balance. Thinking abut new tires. I plan on keeping it a long time, decided to go another way, put the Centromatics on, and as the above post, thought I felt a change, verified in a blind test with a big boobed blond that notice something was different. I wish she had enough common sense to be able to boil water kept me crazy all the time we were not in bed. But. Hey, we both can't be wrong. Downside, I no longer have "see through spoke wheels" Thinking about painting them black to make the wheels stand out more.
I am sure there are situations a tire is so bad, nothing will help, but they do what they are supposed to do for what I need. JMO I put more than 150K niles on the centramatics I had on my Blazer in the 70s with no problems. Not quite a lifetime warrantym but most likely you are going to sell the vehicle they are on before you are going to have a problem. Just My Opinion.
Not sure what "Requires Adapter" means. I saw that with my last set and called them direct to be sure to get the correct part number for my 98 Wrangler, but "others" had them priced better than the original supplier and free shipping, so I bought there. My set came with holes for my 98 Wrangler and another set that were larger, presume for the newer larger bolt patterns.
In reference to all the information about balancing above, I have to go to the local guys, they do the best they can with what they got, yep pull my wheels off, weights on the inside and out side the rims. Still not as smooth as I would like, could be tire improfections on the cheap tires I have with good tread, haha, so after I feel what they have done their best at for a day or two, I jack up and add the Centramatics, like you, still a skeptic, then feel the feel.
Yep I am still kinda a skeptic, but the damned things work for me. Did then, still do now, have had 3-4 sets in between. I was always afraid to take them off a vehicle I was going to sell, thinking the new potential owner would think something was not right, ya know.
As stated earlier my 98 Wrangler came with good tread mud tires, been sitting dormant in a hot grage, stickie weights had fallen off. Had it balanced, took back for a rebalance, had a different balance. Thinking abut new tires. I plan on keeping it a long time, decided to go another way, put the Centromatics on, and as the above post, thought I felt a change, verified in a blind test with a big boobed blond that notice something was different. I wish she had enough common sense to be able to boil water kept me crazy all the time we were not in bed. But. Hey, we both can't be wrong. Downside, I no longer have "see through spoke wheels" Thinking about painting them black to make the wheels stand out more.
I am sure there are situations a tire is so bad, nothing will help, but they do what they are supposed to do for what I need. JMO I put more than 150K niles on the centramatics I had on my Blazer in the 70s with no problems. Not quite a lifetime warrantym but most likely you are going to sell the vehicle they are on before you are going to have a problem. Just My Opinion.
i run a set and have found that they will not handle a big off road tire alone.
my 35x12.5x15 mickey thompson baja claws are to much tire for it to balance alone.
i'm sure it's wear and trail damage that effect this also. but that's kinda why i got them, to offset any change that might occur over the life of the wheel so i would not have to add or remove balancing beads.
what they showed on their web site was like BB's in oil inside the tubes. what it sounds like is a tube full of rice. i really don't think there is any fluid in them. or maybe it's just certain 1's. but again mine sound like a tube full of dry rice.
my 35x12.5x15 mickey thompson baja claws are to much tire for it to balance alone.
i'm sure it's wear and trail damage that effect this also. but that's kinda why i got them, to offset any change that might occur over the life of the wheel so i would not have to add or remove balancing beads.
what they showed on their web site was like BB's in oil inside the tubes. what it sounds like is a tube full of rice. i really don't think there is any fluid in them. or maybe it's just certain 1's. but again mine sound like a tube full of dry rice.
My centramatics do make noise at low speeds, but it's not bothersome. At higher speeds the BBs get pressed against the rim and become silent.
Balance Masters makes a competing product using liquid mercury. Perhaps worse for the environment if they failed, but I'd imagine it would be a lot quieter than BBs.
http://www.balancemasters.com/
I use Centramatics and am happy with them.
Balance Masters makes a competing product using liquid mercury. Perhaps worse for the environment if they failed, but I'd imagine it would be a lot quieter than BBs.
http://www.balancemasters.com/
I use Centramatics and am happy with them.
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