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Anybody use one of these cheap tire balancers?

SKULLYOTA

SKULLYOTA

NOOB
Joined
Jun 30, 2023
Member Number
6564
Messages
225
Been looking at these forever, anyone use one and think they’re any good? With the exception of the missus’ car I always order tires online and mount them myself with the spoons and dish soap. Not easy to find a hole in the wall tire shop that will balance them afterward and actually do a good job though. Usually the weights fly off on the way home :lmao:

67AB4054-F36B-4DE0-99D7-5E60A287C5B8.png
 
No, but I was thinking of an even hokier setup: take an old unit bearing, run a string through it, and hang it from a rafter.
 
Before the real mechanics from the other two threads jump on, yes I’m a Cheap ass and yes I bring my tires that I already fucked with to a shop to balance
 
I use one.

You can get them for about half that price on eBay or Amazon.

A half assed job will result in a 25" car tire that has negligible vibration at 90mph.

10/10. Money well spent.

I'm sure it'll have problems if I ever wind up with some odd issue that can only be found with dynamic balancing but for the price IDGAF.
 
I mount my own
I just line the dots up and send them
the last set I put on a car, there was pretty smooth
 
Last edited:
Yeah. I got an old Coats version for $20 on Marketplace. My ZJ and wifes Legacy have been running fine for years on DIY mount/balance. I use Amazon stick-on weights, and whatever clamp weights I scrounge.

There are lots of YT vids about both using it and improving the HF version.
 
The chineese unit is fine for static balance, circa 1960s
 
I have one. It is better than nothing but it is not as good as spin balancing.

So like, for just running around town, little highway driving it will get you close enough, but if you want a vibration free cross country drive you will need to get a spin balance.
 
I ordered one of these on Amazon since there weren’t any on the local classifieds. Some really cool looking vintage ones on eBay though.

Now I need to get some stick on weights from HF.
 
I bubble balance everything, no vibrations. Whatever weights I have laying around. Local shops want $20/tire now just to balance, so it's a no-brainer.

On balance beads, those things have never worked for me. Rides worse on-road than just lining up the dots.
 
What is this lining up the dots thing I’ve never heard of???
 
SKULLYOTA said:
What is this lining up the dots thing I’ve never heard of???
Click to expand...

Most tires have a yellow and/or red dot on the sidewall.

The yellow dot is the lightest section of the tire and should be lined up with the valve stem to offset the weight and require the least amount of balancing.

The red dot is for runout... I've seen it referenced as either the low/flattest spot of the tread, OR the highest spot of the tread. This would theoretically be lined up with the corresponding runout mark on the rim if it has one, which some actually do.
 
Yotota said:
Most tires have a yellow and/or red dot on the sidewall.

The yellow dot is the lightest section of the tire and should be lined up with the valve stem to offset the weight and require the least amount of balancing.

The red dot is for runout... I've seen it referenced as either the low/flattest spot of the tread, OR the highest spot of the tread. This would theoretically be lined up with the corresponding runout mark on the rim if it has one, which some actually do.
Click to expand...

Well damn... had no idea.
 
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