Dyna Bead Balancing Solution

[GIJOE]

Thanks for the info guys. I will be purchasing a new set of tires in the coming weeks, and I think I will give the Dyna Beads a try. I just wanted to hear other testimonials besides what is on their web site.

Joe

[patrick_g]

Hey there, Red Stick Joe, I betcha those non clumping ceramic beads do just fine. They have to blow a lot of smoke to justify the high prices but the powders work so ceramic beads should work too and the non clumping is a bonus that may have me buying the beads for my next set of tires.

I was worried when I had a tire down for maint and the mech used one of those hand held little mops to lube the bead with soapy water. I was worried about the powder getting wet but you can dry it out by letting out the air and replacing it with dry air a couple times with several miles in between draining and refilling. You will lose powder or beads or anything else loose to move inside your tire when the average guy opens it up to patch it or whatever so best to have some spare material.

Pat

[Dargo]

I'm not saying these systems don't work (I've never used them), so please don't take it that way, but why is it that when I once had a goon mount a tire that had about a gallon of water in it my results were not so great. I was in college and it about drove me nuts! For a while my car would run down the highway just fine. Then, all of the sudden, it would just about shake the darn dash out of my car! I'd stop to see what the problem was, find nothing, go on about my way and all would be fine.

I had them balanced twice. Each time the goon balancing the tire assured me that he'd found my problem. He said my tire was out of balance "big time". I'd end up with the same issues later that same day. Finally an old fella at a roadside service station offered to help when I stopped and told him that I had a tire about to shake my car apart and couldn't figure out why. He said he had an idea of what the problem was and broke it down. Sure enough, his thought was right. He got about a gallon of water out of that tire. He then properly balanced it and I never again had a problem.

My question is this; if water can flow around inside the tire just like a powder or beads and was a disaster, how do these products described previously work??

[SPYDERLK]

Originally Posted by Dargo

I'm not saying these systems don't work (I've never used them), so please don't take it that way, but why is it that when I once had a goon mount a tire that had about a gallon of water in it my results were not so great. I was in college and it about drove me nuts! For a while my car would run down the highway just fine. Then, all of the sudden, it would just about shake the darn dash out of my car! I'd stop to see what the problem was, find nothing, go on about my way and all would be fine.

I had them balanced twice. Each time the goon balancing the tire assured me that he'd found my problem. He said my tire was out of balance "big time". I'd end up with the same issues later that same day. Finally an old fella at a roadside service station offered to help when I stopped and told him that I had a tire about to shake my car apart and couldn't figure out why. He said he had an idea of what the problem was and broke it down. Sure enough, his thought was right. He got about a gallon of water out of that tire. He then properly balanced it and I never again had a problem.

My question is this; if water can flow around inside the tire just like a powder or beads and was a disaster, how do these products described previously work??

This is a good question. I think the answer is that it flows too easily and a bump in the road makes it oscillate and sometimes a lot of it sloshes over to the wrong side. Probably the vibe gets so bad that it will not correct until you slow down and reaccelerate. Seems like slime and that ilk would do better. It kinda makes you think tho, what this type of active balancing may do at real speed. If it goes out of wack it could take you right off the road. Also, losses in the 'fluid' exact a price on the rolling resistance, decreasing gas mileage.
larry

[Redbug]

A few questions...With these self balancing beads, what happens when you pick up a nail or other puncture? If you plug the tire, will that cause the beads to clump around the plug? Same with a patch? Do most service stations know to save the powder/beads if they are patching the tire, (kinda like what Patrick was alluding to)?

[GIJOE]

Originally Posted by patrick_g

They have to blow a lot of smoke to justify the high prices but the powders work so ceramic beads should work too and the non clumping is a bonus that may have me buying the beads for my next set of tires.
Pat

Actually the price for the beads for my size tire (265/75-16 8ply) are a little cheaper than balancing on a machine. Around here they get about ten dollars per tire, and the beads cost $8.29 per tire.

Joe

[GIJOE]

Originally Posted by Redbug

A few questions...With these self balancing beads, what happens when you pick up a nail or other puncture? If you plug the tire, will that cause the beads to clump around the plug? Same with a patch? Do most service stations know to save the powder/beads if they are patching the tire, (kinda like what Patrick was alluding to)?

Redbug,
Those questions are addressed on their web site. After a repair is made, the excess glue needs to be cleaned. I guess a plug could be used in case of an emergency, but a patch is recommended.

Joe

[Redbug]

Thanks for the reply Joe. Just looking at things, I guess the Centramatic system is more usable for plugs, etc., since the movable weights are located in a pan outside the tire. More expensive initially, but permanent for the life of the vehicle no matter how many tires you go through.

[patrick_g]

Any increase in rolling resistance due to frictional losses in the "fluid" will be minuscule as the "fluid" only circulates for a very brief time, unless of course you only drive very slowly such that the "fluid" never gets positioned and just tumbles like clothes in a front loading washing machine. In this case imbalance is not an issue anyway.

Don't get me wrong as I am very favorably inclined toward the beads from a usage point of view and $9 per tire is reasonable compared to other choices. Products are sometimes priced/marketed on a cost of production times a multiplier or plus profit basis. Clearly these beads are being marketed based on alternatives. If it costs you $10 or more for traditional balancing then how much will the market bear for say fifty cents worth of beads. Apparently they think the market will bear $9 and so far so good.

Is $9 a rip off? NO, it is a savings in initial cost and avoids re-balancing costs. If you could find a source for ceramic beads for a lot less could you use them and save $? Most likely.

I would be willing to pay the price (likely more then $9 each for my six big 19.5 inch tires) because I am confident of the results and it is worth it to me. On the other hand, if I had an inexpensive source of ceramic beads I would most likely consider trying them.

With the Centramatic system a tire shop can't spill your beads. Hopefully they won't take the Centramatics off and forget to put them back. Another bonus for Centramatics is YOU CAN STILL USE SLIME!!! This is important for some of us.

Pat

[SPYDERLK]

Adding mass to the tread area of the tire as these active balancing arrangements do, causes more energy to be lost as the tire flattens onto the road and resumes round shape as it rebounds. The tire deforms almost instantly as it contacts the road but is delayed a little in getting round again as it leaves. This hysteresis gives the effect of always running slightly uphill. A tire/wheel with weights on a non deforming area [rim] exhibits less of this effect owing only to the tire tread itself. This small effect repeated for forty million revolutions will end up costing several dollars in fuel over the life of the tire.
larry