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.