Balancing Rear Tires

[Golf Nut]

I am ready to purchase new Michelin 255R8022.5 tires for my 2004 Horizon. Is it necessary to balance the rear tires? I was asked by the Tire Store and responded that I felt balancing the rears was probably necessary but later had second thoughts. What say you?

[wb7auk]

All tires need to be balanced

[rvarner]

Originally Posted by Golf Nut

I am ready to purchase new Michelin 255R8022.5 tires for my 2004 Horizon. Is it necessary to balance the rear tires? I was asked by the Tire Store and responded that I felt balancing the rears was probably necessary but later had second thoughts. What say you?

Yes! Beads on the outside and weights on the insides. I balanced my travel trailer tires as well even tho some didn't agree.
Richard

[JC2]

Originally Posted by rvarner

Yes! Beads on the outside and weights on the insides. I balanced my travel trailer tires as well even tho some didn't agree.
Richard

I think you got it bass ackwards don't you? Maybe beads on the inside and weights on the outside.

[Horseshoe]

There are two main concerns. One is balance and the other is tire height and fitting the tire to the rim for the least radial runout. Duals should have no more than a few thousands difference per tire on a side. If not, the larger tire carries more weight than the smaller one and that is not a good thing. I (my company) is the largest balancing and alignment company in the world. The eyes of tire technicians pop wide open when I demonstrate the differences in circumference of tires from the same company and the same size. The same thing happens with fleet operators of large truck fleets.

I would recommend you have someone install and balance your tires that can do it properly. I will not recommend anyone because they are not advertisers here.

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by Horseshoe

There are two main concerns. One is balance and the other is tire height and fitting the tire to the rim for the least radial runout. Duals should have no more than a few thousands difference per tire on a side. If not, the larger tire carries more weight than the smaller one and that is not a good thing. I (my company) is the largest balancing and alignment company in the world. The eyes of tire technicians pop wide open when I demonstrate the differences in circumference of tires from the same company and the same size. The same thing happens with fleet operators of large truck fleets.

I would recommend you have someone install and balance your tires that can do it properly. I will not recommend anyone because they are not advertisers here.

Without a doubt, one of the best answers I've ever seen concerning balancing of the rear tires. When we received new fire trucks, you should see the amount of weights on ALL the tires and wheels when they come in. There is some serious weight on them, even on the rears. A tire is a tire. If you put new tires all the way around, and only balance the fronts, and they take quite a bit of weight to make them runable, what makes anyone think that the rears don't need the same or, even more weight to be smooth?

And this idea that "well, the rears cancel each other out". Yeah sure they do. Out of balance, is out of balance. While there is normally more weight back there to take up some of the imbalance, that does not stop the fact that they are trying to shake that rig. OK, so it costs a few bucks to have the rears balanced, but you now know, that it's done for good and, you know you're motoring down the road with as smooth a ride, as you can give yourself and your rig.

Now, per Horseshoe's statement. That is a very true statement. When we picked up our '04 Itasca 36GD just over a year ago, we had a 750 mile drive to get it home. I found it was shaking the front end in the first 10 miles of the drive. We pulled in to Carson City NV and found a Les Shwuab tire Co and had them check out the front tires. There was a fair amount of weight on each one. Well, the tech checked each tire and wheel, before doing any work on them. BOTH of them were mounted incorrectly.

Each tire was not squarely on the bead. The tech, deflated each tire, moved it on the rim, made sure it was re-seated on the bead correctly and re-inflated it. Both tires took about half the weights they originally had. Talk about a serious ride improvment. It was GLASS for the remaining 700 + miles left on the way home. I now need to have the rears checked out for the same issues. The tires were right at a year old when we picked up the rig.
Scott

[Gary - K7GLD]

YUP - can't think of ANY good reason to NOT balance ALL tires in contact with the pavement...

[W4MBG]

if a tire shakes the crap out of your trailer and there is nobody back there to feel it, did it happen?

[rvarner]

Originally Posted by JC2

I think you got it bass ackwards don't you? Maybe beads on the inside and weights on the outside.

Sorry, NO. The weights go on the steel rims on the inside dual and the beads go into the tires with the aluminum rims on the outside dual for looks, Try again!!!
Richard

[rvarner]

Originally Posted by W4MBG

if a tire shakes the crap out of your trailer and there is nobody back there to feel it, did it happen?

I'm sure you realize that your belongings are back there including all your plumbing, electrical, kitchen appliances and electronics to name a few but, I get your point. "If a tree falls......". Who is nobody? Could be the trailer mouse who feels it
Richard

[Golf Nut]

Thanks for the replys. I get it. The rears will be balanced.

[W4MBG]

yes, the tree makes a noise. and all your stuff gets bounced around.

i'm SOOOO philosophical!

[Wizard]

Let me add one more cravat. When we had 6 new Goodyear G670's installed and beads only put in, The motorhome was shaking so bad we had to stop at another dealer to have it checked. One tire was out of round and the technician couldn't put enough weight on it to balance. Goodyear replaced the tire but a balance check first thing would have found it.

I believe in the beads to keep it in balance as the tire wears but an initial check is a must.

Jerry

[Hikerdogs]

Originally Posted by Golf Nut

I am ready to purchase new Michelin 255R8022.5 tires for my 2004 Horizon. Is it necessary to balance the rear tires? I was asked by the Tire Store and responded that I felt balancing the rears was probably necessary but later had second thoughts. What say you?

I can tell you from experience that balancing them will definately extend the miles they will travel. We bought 4 tires for the rear of our motorhome in 2007. They were supposedly balanced with Equal balancing powder. for several years and several thousand miles everything seemed fine.

About a year ago I noticed a bad vibration at 45 mph. As time went on the vibration got worse and appeared at other speeds as well. Finally last winter on a trip I stopped at a tire shop in Florida. I asked them to remove the Equal and do a traditional balance. I was watching the technician dismount the tires and to my surprise none of them had any balancing powder in them. To top it off 2 of the tires were so far out of balance they had worn flat spots in several places.

When the tires were balanced 3 of the 4 took about 8 ounces of weight and the fourth was over 13 ounces. While they did ride better the damage was already done. I replaced the tires a couple weeks ago to the tune of nearly $2,500.00. They only had 45,000 miles on them when they were replaced. In general there was still over half the tread remaining but being out of balance for so long they had deteriorated to the point they couldn't be balanced well enough to eliminate all the vibration. Had they been balanced in the first place they would have gone at least another 25,000 miles.

[RustyJC]

If it rotates, it needs to be balanced.

Rusty

[W4MBG]

there ya go!