I will be getting tires mounted soon and was asked if I was going to use hammer on weights, stick-on weights or ceramic beads the go inside the tires. I don't want to use hammer on weights for obvious reasons and the stick-on would not be original, so I was considering the ceramic beads. Has anyone used beads and how did they work? One vendor of these I found is innovativebalancing.com
I did the stick-on with my obviously not eom wheels, but I'm curious what the problem is with the hammer on type...they were used for decades.
Didn't want the paint damage and they are ugly.
Mount the hammer on weights on the inside of the rim.
Yes . . . I tried the beads on my t-bucket with motorcycle wire wheels on the front and they sucked. You can't beat the hammer on weights . . . just do what I do and what Lou suggested and put them on the inside of the rim.
Putting them on just the inside is fine if you just cruise around town. You can't properly balance a tire dynamically with weights just inside. I drive at hiway speeds and have weights on the inside and outside of my Cragars and don't care if it is ugly..
A good spin balancer has settings to allow positioning of the weights to hide the weights and still get a good balance. My Snap On balancer has settings to position 'hammer' weights on the inside bead and stick on weights in the center where they don't show. Now, the other challenge is to get an experienced tech to do the job. One of the reasons I own a balancer. Most shops that sell aftermarket wheels have experience with hiding weights. I've used beads inside the steer tires on semi trucks with success but smaller tires turn faster and need a really good balance.
I was taught years ago by and old-timer how to use a bubble balancer I will go up againce anyone who uses a spin balancer. I've managed to bring into balance 6 or 7 cars that spin balancing couldn't get right. I know that spin balancing is thought to be the better way because it balances all moving parts but in the real world it doesn't always work.
I run my cars at highway speed and have never had a problem with tires with weights only on the inside.
If a lot of weight is called for try breaking down the tire and rotating 180 degrees on the rim.
Ron.
Haven't received much positive feedback on the beads, seems like they may work better on large diameter tires, i.e., truck tires. Guess I will have to put weights on inside of rim like you recommended.
There is a bubble balancer for sale over on the HAMB real cheap. In the parts for sale in the classifieds posted yesterday. If anyone is interested not mine.
Zap - :unitedstates: