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Thread: Low Cost Dynamic Tire Balancing with Airsoft Pellets

  1. #1

    Low Cost Dynamic Tire Balancing with Airsoft Pellets

    First attempt doing one of these on a tablet, so here goes...

    Sick of having the steering wheel ripped from my hands on the highway, I looked into different methods to balance my tires. I had heard of using numerous commercially available products specifically designed for this task, as well as people using airsoft bb, brass bb, etc.

    I decided to go with airsoft pellets. They are inexpensive ($14/10000, or 5 tires worth for me), shouldn't make much noise, and are relatively easy to install.

    Here is the procedure:

    Weigh out the specific amount you need. Google is your friend here, but between 6 and 10 ounces seems like the range I see most often. For my 285/75R16, 8 ounces was recommended. Use a scale, this one is a shipping scale, and is generally +/- 0.1 ounce. Close enough for me. Put baggies in a cup, zero the scale, and add until you reach your goal. Repeat for each tire. For me, 10000 pellets was just enough to do 5 tires. A baggie for each tire makes it very convenient.


    Remove wheel and tire from vehicle.

    Remove valve core. Be careful, it under pressure and will fly out. Use this special tool, available at any auto parts store, to remove it and replace it later. If you don't have the tool, you can use a deflator, but leave it on the valve stem for the next steps.

    Place the tire flat on the ground, I prefer having the outside down, so the hilift will not mar the visible side. This part takes a bit of work. Place the tire under a bumper or slider with the hilift base as close to the rim as possible. Use the weight of the vehicle to push down on the tire. You will hear air escaping from the valve. When no more progress is observed, lower the jack, turn the tire 1/3 turn and repeat. Soon, the bead of the tire will pop off the wheel. Jumping on the tire can help here too.

    Once you break the bead, pull the tire out, kneel down on the tire to press the bead into the wheel cavity, and empty your bag into the tire. Make sure all the pellets get inside. Also take the chance to remove any existing wheel weights.


    To reseat the bead, you will need a lot of air at once. There are a few techniques to accomplish the same thing, here's what I used:

    Reinstall the valve core. With your air source ready, preferably with a clip on chuck, spray the bead and wheel with soapy water. This will help it slide on. Attach the air supply. The tire should be inflating and sealing the bead. If not, shake the tire and wheel, and it should catch enough to start sealing. There will be at least one pop as it seats. Bring the tire up to pressure and check for leaks.


    Remount tire.
    Test drive

    I found my vibrations to be greatly reduced. 55-60 still has some, but 65 + is very nice. I can actually feel the tire tread now! Overall, a win.
    2005 Lexus LX470 - Stock for now...

    1998 Toyota 4Runner SR5 V6 4x4 + a bunch of goodies. Lifted, Locked, Illuminated and Armored. Winner,"Best Offroad Truck" - 2010 Pismo Jamboree. It's been upside down and still drives me to work.

  2. #2
    cool!
    Lance
    TLCA Member

    2003 4Runner SR5 4x4 Chaos Edition
    2000 Toyota Landcruiser
    19xx M416 Trailer

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  3. #3
    I hope you keep this updated. I'd love to run those Instead of weights

  4. #4
    I will. I'm surprised how well they work actually. It is a lot of work to pop the bead, but I think it will be worth it in the long run.
    2005 Lexus LX470 - Stock for now...

    1998 Toyota 4Runner SR5 V6 4x4 + a bunch of goodies. Lifted, Locked, Illuminated and Armored. Winner,"Best Offroad Truck" - 2010 Pismo Jamboree. It's been upside down and still drives me to work.

  5. #5
    My friend did this with his 38" swampers. He seemed to like it.
    -------------------------
    Steve
    1993 4runner, SAS, 3.0L, Auto Tranny
    2007 4runner, stock. For now.

  6. #6

  7. #7
    Thanks Ken.

    I think the only improvement would be using a denser bead to better concentrate the mass where it needs to be. My tires are pretty wide (~11.5"), so I imagine they go pretty much where needed.

    Also, I learned a lot about how to pop the bead. Next will be to get some tire levers and practice dismounting/mounting, especially for replacing valve stems. I have my old spare wheel and tire to try it on, and I will probably lever on an extra full size spare, just to have.
    2005 Lexus LX470 - Stock for now...

    1998 Toyota 4Runner SR5 V6 4x4 + a bunch of goodies. Lifted, Locked, Illuminated and Armored. Winner,"Best Offroad Truck" - 2010 Pismo Jamboree. It's been upside down and still drives me to work.

  8. #8
    I have no experience with using beads but I know truckers use them, so obviously they work for large tires.

    I had to laugh when I read your description on how to unseat the bead on the tires. A few months ago when bought my Sequoia wheels, I shoved the wheel and tire under the truck and used a jack against the sliders to unseat the bead for painting the wheels. I thought what I was doing was totally sketch; glad I'm not the only one that does stuff like this!

    Luckily we don't have TPMS, but it sounds like balancing beads don't play nice with them. Both of our new cars have TPMS and NO spare tire at all. They come with an air compressor and a can of goo. On the Acura, the tire sealant is specially formulated to not destroy the TPMS sensors, but not so much on our Nissan Leaf and many other cars. And they call this "moving forward?"

  9. #9
    I have a couple of thoughts about the "no spare" trend.

    For 90% of people, they never travel outside of cell coverage. Even for me, if I have a flat in the 4Runner, and don't have to be somewhere, I will have it towed home so I can fix it myself. If I need to be some where, then they can change it. That is why I pay $75/year for AAA. I also would rather destroy a tire and wheel than stop in a sketchy place on the freeway. I have nothing against changing my own tire, but I rather not on a busy interstate, especially when I have already paid someone else to do it. So this works most of the time.

    For those trips down state highways or other back roads that have no cell coverage, I think you should add a couple things to the "compressor and goo" tool kit. Some tire plugs and insertion tools are a good idea. Also a can or two of fix a flat. It may destroy the TPMS sensor, but who cares when it is the difference of spending the night on the side of the road or actually getting to where you were going.

    In the Nissan Z32, the spare donut is actually flat, with the tire folded in some sort of weird origami, to fit into the car. There is a compressor to fill it up. So strange...

    I just had another thought. In the event of a blow out, it will be hilarious to see all of the pellets explode from the tire! And then instantly terrifying.
    2005 Lexus LX470 - Stock for now...

    1998 Toyota 4Runner SR5 V6 4x4 + a bunch of goodies. Lifted, Locked, Illuminated and Armored. Winner,"Best Offroad Truck" - 2010 Pismo Jamboree. It's been upside down and still drives me to work.

  10. #10
    For the Acura, I agree, I should throw in a tire repair kit. For the Leaf...I will never be very far from home, haha!!

    If those beads blow out on the freeway, there are going to be cars on marbles all around you...

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