DO BALANCE BEADS WORK?- How to CORRECTLY Use Balance Beads 

I am a tire dealer. I have been using balancing beads in my own vehicles, customer vehicles and customer fleet vehicles for many years. Your video was spot-on, with one exception: The theory of how the beads work. They do not seek out the light spots in a rotating tire. You can't explain that using physics. What they really do is dampen the imbalance condition. The bead manufacturers will all tell you that their beads will not do a balance while on a balancing machine. They need the flat spot where the tire contacts the ground to... but I can't explain that theory any farther, but the fact that the beads won't work with a wheel mounted on a balance machine should be enough. Thanks for a great video.

I've been running Counteract beads in my 285/75r17 BFG's for over a year now, they work flawlessly and easy to install if you follow the directions!

how bad do they clog the valve stem when airing down ?

I cannot get 33/12.50/18s balanced been to 3 tire shops. Will beads work better ?

Would’ve been better If you showed us how to actually get them installed and the correct amount to use.

Your tyres are so big, you could probably use golf balls to balance them lol

Great, and very informative video. Thanks.

I do HVAC work...i put nitrogen in my tires just because i have nitrogen readily available.

rule of thumb is that if my tire weighs 115 pounds i divide it by 13 which is 8.84 but im going to round it up to 10oz, am i doing this correct?

Balance beads worked their magic once I finally removed the external balance weights.

Are they interfere with TPMS sensors?

Not sure if I caught it but how many ounces did you add to your tires?

I have 40 inch mickey thompsons on machette beadlocks with monster valves to air down and up. I started out with proper balance beads. Problem with them is as I was airing down I would get randomly hit with those little balance beads. So I was losing them. It didn't matter what location my valve was located while airing down. Still would lose these little beads. I went to the crap airsoft as you say. Now I don't have beads blowing out of my valves while airing down. As for them clumping. I've never had that problem and I live in a climate where the temperature goes from -40 C - +30 C. My tires don't shake at all completely smooth. I do agree with better to have more beads for weight than not enough. I did find on past tires not enough doesn't balance. I have 16oz. Of "crap airsoft beads" in each of my 40s and works great. I guess I'm the one guy it works for.

Great video, you’re good at explaining things. Most people just sound dumb and guessing. My question is do they work with tpms sensors? I guess I can eliminate them if I need to. As my tires wear it sounds great if they can self balance

What about if you have tpms sensors?? Still ok to use them?? Thanks

Or you can feel the not heavy spot.....same concept as a missile knows where it is based off where it isnt lol

Thanks for the great video and explanation. I couldn't find a shop that would balance my tires correctly. These worked like a champ.

When using balancing beads do you weigh just the tire or do you weigh the tire and rim together

Huge fan of balance beads. (Actual balance beads) Been using them since the mid 90's. Started using them on my motorcycles first now pretty much use them on everything.

I have 35” at tires mounted but having trouble getting them balanced. Should I remove the wheel weights that I have on the wheels before I try the beads or can I just leave the weights on and add the beads?? Thanks

The only issue I see is if you need to pull a tire to patch a hole or if you break your tire bead off the rim, then you might have to clean the inside and add another set of beads. Other than that I’m sold, gonna add these to my truck! Let’s be honest most tire shops don’t care to get your wheels balanced to the T. These balancing beads have no choice because you know… physics.

I’ve been running ABC balance beads for years and love them. They have a static charge which makes them find where to stick and they stay there. Also they’re perfectly round with a silicone coating. I never ever hear them rolling around because of these features. Extremely satisfied with how they have performed.

I hate to be that guy, but I did not have the same results as you describe. I used counteract balance beads, started with 8oz in each tire, slowly added to 16.4oz each tire (37’s weighing 80lbs each) and mine would not stay balanced consistently. Sometimes they would be balanced, but it seems to be in relation to the manner in which I came up to speed. For example, if I was going around a bend or curve as I came up to speed, every time, the tires would be unbalanced. If I came up to speed on a bumpy road, same thing. Sadly they were just too inconsistent for my taste. I ended up switching to standard stick on weights and Centramatic balancing rings. Sorry man, I’m not trying to start an argument or anything, that was just my experience.

Been using airsoft pellets for internal balance for years.

good info, the only thing i would like to clarify is; its NOT just the weight of the tire, it is the weight of the tire/wheel mounted together.

you say you use a few extra oz -- can you be precise how much your tires would need based on the calculation vs how much you actually put in?

What about using tyre shield, a liquid which lives in the tyre and blocks punctures? Says it cools the tyre and helps balancing.

I can see them working at moderate speeds, but what about a 37 or bigger at 85mph?

I love balance beads on my beadlocked wheels, buy the right beads in bulk, and use the right amount.

Great video and very informative. Look forward to the mounting of tires in beadlocks as I am heading in that direction.

So my tire from maxxis razor chart are 91.5 pounds so should I run 17 ounces and is that total or tire and what brand should I run I’m also running kmc machete beadlocks

i have been trying to get counter-act balance beads to work in my pickup with AT3 tire, and its just wont, the balance is intermittent and i keep adding more beads iv hit a peak where the balance is as good as its been but still terrible against a wheel that can't be felt in cab, some times the balance is perfect but short-lived, there's no consistency iv recently learn the problem is certainly the fact that beads cant balance any lateral imbalance, due to that ill have to go to traditional balance, iv already spent about 180 bucks in beads so i am disappointed. tire is 265/75r16 recommended weight was 12 or 14oz cant recall and im at 18oz, no change from 16oz to 18 and tire weight is 55.3 lbs

Not saying they don't work but for me they didn't - Have a set of 35's that I had a legit tire shop install balance beads (not bead locks). I would get inconsistent vibrations at different speeds so I went back to weights. Tire shop said most people that get beads installed on vehicles eventually come back to have them taken out.

Semi truck been using them for years since the mobile tire repair industry started they was been using them if semi truck that haul and drive all day they can work on off-road tires

Great info! I know people that have used air soft BB's and ended up with gooey clumps from the breakdown of the plastic after so many miles. No more balance! I'm going to try the tempered glass balance beads to delete the filtered valve stem. Not a necessity but helps. Also using 20x12 non bead lock wheels with 375 55 20 Atturo's. See how they work vs ceramic anyway. Haven't used a balancer with lead in decades of running mud tires!

If I had beadlocks I’d for sure use balance beads, as I’d be doing the mounting myself. But having traditional wheels, not beadlocks, I use stick on weights since I’m not mounting myself. But for sure good info here!

#500!

Airsoft bullets are plastic they don't hold moisture, your thinking about orbies

You have convinced me. I just ordered some :)

I use in my washer and dryer machines also

Thank you for the informative explanation. Do you know ow if this will be ok with Apex precision valves Thanks

Try spray foam... They'll stop flats too!

1 oz per 13 lbs of tire answers the question I had,glad I only have 16 " car tires !!!

What about airhard hard round steel bbs

Awesome video explaining the ins and outs if how the balance beads work, especially since im looking at 37s for my lifted dually project that i want to run semi 22s on... Plus i love the garage door overhead storage you got going on...havent seen that before but i damn sure plan to build some shelves in that dead area of my garage now!!!!

Centramatics work on the same principle, a system that apply the beads principle just in a ring on a plate that is installed before you mount wheel on vehicle. I have them on my cj5, only have 33”x12.5 tires, have not balanced the tires ever and I have chunks missing here and there, still smooth. My steering wheel is just as steady as the one in the video, amazing for a cj5. Moving to bead locks on my JL and will probably go with the centramatics.

Will these work on stock size tires for Z 71 suburban. 17 inch rim or do they only work with the really large tires like you have?

2 cups of washer fluid and call it a day. My truck has 30 tires on it and not a vibration… been doing it for years. In my Jeeps too

If your spending a butt load of money on your tire's and wheel's,buy New bead's.

I wasn’t sure what balance beads were until I got further into the video. I thought 💭 they were weights that someway stick to the bead on the inside of your tires 🛞. One ☝️ problem with balance beads is static cling. Using tape to pick 🆙 the balance beads out of your old tires 🛞 will also work, to transfer them to your new tires 🛞. It may be more time consuming, but ya might be able to avoid static cling this way. Your friend, Jeff.

Instead of a dedicated shop-vac, you can put a pantyhose sock over the end of the vacuum hose and suck the beads into it.

I just learned about valance beads and will be using them on my Suburban rebuild project. I have a couple questions. 1. I've seen videos where the beads have worn rubber mold lines off the inside of the tire. Do you get rubber bits mixed in with thd beads and, if so, hiw do separate the rubber when you reuse the beads? 2. Has anyone mistakenly used your shop vac fir normal vacuuming anx dud yoh havd z heart sttack when it happened? JK on #2 but it would be funny.

I just ordered some balance beads along with new tires. I've been installing them in motorcycle tires for years and have been re-using the beads in all customer tire changes with them already in there. Most people believe they have to throw them out and buy new ones! I get a lot of new customers asking for them installed so I keep them in stock!

Great video, thanks for the information. This and the comments make me a lot more comfortable about running beads. But I have an odd tire size, its 295/70/18, so none of the online charts show it. Maybe 8oz will be fine?

I have Apex Rapid Air down valves. Dumps a huge amount of air in a short time. My 40s go from 38 to 12 in just 30 to 40 seconds. Wondering if the beads will get blown out or damage the air down valves? Does anyone know?

Would it be ok to leave the stick on weights on my wheels and add the beads?

I don't run any balancing with beadlocks....37s, 38s, 39s, Milestars, Nittos, doesn't matter. There are paint dots on your tires, I put the light dot with the TPMS senssor in JL/JT, that's it, 83-85 mph just fine and smooth. If you wheel a lot, especially in very hot temps, and are airing down and up and down and up constantly, you will put moisture into your tires and the balance beads will stick together, clump, and cause vibration. I can't tell you the number of JL/JTs with low miles that have death wobble and my first question when they are on beadlocks is Do you have balance beads? If so, vacuum them out. 95% of the time it cures their death wobble if the tire was correctly mounted. I recommend against beads on beadlocks, mount it correctly, and you don't need them....your climate and airing up/down frequency may just be fine with them, it isn't in our area.

Thanks for the comprehensive video. How is the weight calculated? Only the weight of the tire or tire and wheel together?

One thing your didnt talk about, the size of the beads. Some will go thru the valve stems when airing down. I used balance sand for semi, that stuf is all over my valve stems, making them leak some times.

I have balance beads and my biggest gripe is deflating it to my desired pressure for off roading, BUT these beads get stuck on the valve stem constantly. Any tips on airing down without having to pull the valve stem to dislodge the balance beads?

Will 12 oz of beads be enough for a 37 trepador tire ?

I threw a handful of sand into mine and it works great! 👍

Oz of beads per weight of tire, or tire and rim combined weight?

I heard balance beads wear down the inside lining of the tire pretty severely.

Thanks that is very informative! The reason I wanna try beads is because I'm so frustrated with tire shops not being able to get mine balanced..ever! If wondered if they were out of round but how would one know?

Just put a sock or cloth on the end of the shop vac hose lol

U are absolutely correct. New subscriber and i like the content 👍

Golf balls! 3 for 33s 4 for 35s 5 for 37s and 6 for 40+ SO MUCH CHEAPER! and proven for 30 years of having beadlocks

Any sort of online chart that tells you how many ounces for what size tire to use?

Just get some centramatics and be done with it

If I have regular fuel brand wheels, not beadlocks, do you still recommend them ?

We just got new tires and they used balance beads. We have never used them before. How do we know if the truck needs a front end, alignment or if they put the needs in correctly at the tire shop?

Great video thanks for the info

Love them... So simple!😊

I'm wondering if you could offer some suggestions to help with my situation? I followed your tips and got the balance beads that you recommended from Amazon. I got some new BFG All Terrain T/A KO2 "35's". Based on E-Z Tire Bead's site they recommend either 6oz or 8oz. So I started with 6oz but it was only occasionally balanced but more often than not unbalanced. So I put 2oz more in and it was better but not consistent. So I bought more and put 2oz more for a total of 10oz. It's still just not consistent. I'm willing to put more in, but I'd love to be convinced that it's going to be better before I dump another $25 in there? What do you think? Also, could tire pressure play a role? What kind of tire pressure do you run in yours? I'm willing to test different pressures to see if that could impact the settling of the beads? Thanks so much for any help you could give!

Your video convinced me to order a set for my jeep! Hopefully it fixes the little shimmy in my wheel!

Do you add the tire and wheel weight combined and then determine amount of beads? Thanks for this video. Was going to lug them to the tire store once I get them mounted but this would be so much easier for me!

Quick edit: I genuinely didn't leave this comment to be condescending to anyone or just outright mean, really only want to convey that the physics really do matter and *can* work against you, catastrophically! 1) you don't get any handling benefits at all by adding more unsprung weight *further away* from a hub centerline; You might, at low, straight-line-only speeds, but that's about it. 2) any damping action gained from a independent freely moving heavy fluid inside a rotating mass (inertia) will be immediately negated when that rotating mass changes direction and/or velicity, (especially rapid changes, everyone knows what gyroscopic force is) 3) we can't talk about gyroscopic force without the distinction between centripetal loading and gyroscopic force. 4) If we add 1, 2 and 3 together we better understand the physics and why balance beads, golf balls, bean bags and other such things left freely moving inside an enclosed space can work AGAINST you, when you hit the brakes (rapidly changing forward velocity; forward relative to the heavy, moving fluid that is), while change direction of the tire, all at the same time, often all these conditions changing rapidly at the same time.. Its not good. 5) ask an 18-wheeler tire manufacturer what balance beads actually do to an inside sidewall over time driven much over 45mph on bumpy windy twisty roads and why a growing number of trucking companies specifically forbid their use

can you hear balancing beads roll around in your tire? If you jack your truck up and spin the wheel the first set of tires that I had with balancing beads were awesome. The second set that I have in there now my truck wobbles at 70 miles an hour steering wheel shakes, and the whole truck shakesand I have balance and beads. I don’t think they installed them right or put them in at all. How can I tell if I have balance and bead in my tires? Should you be able to hear them rolling around when you spin the tire Joe thank you

I love this explanation! Great details related to balance beads.

Great video!! Keep up the good informative work!!

Do they work at low speed?

So can I run beads without the bead lock

Too much information and not getting to the point!!

I just bought beads and having terrible luck with them and now I’m looking on the interwebs for information on what might be the issue. You referred to ceramic beads. The ones I purchased are supposed to be tempered glass. Is this the same thing or are these garbage also? I went with the company’s recommended amount for my size tire and thinking about weighing it and seeing if I should add more. Does the weight include the wheel or just the tire weight? Last question, should I have removed the stick on weights from when the tires was previously balanced?

I appreciate the detail of all of your videos. Glad you take the time to address the small things that a lot of people skip over.

Read stories of hittting potholes or something similar and they loose there ability to balance until you stop and start rolling again Any thrutj to this with your balance beads

For avoid humidity use a silica gel or humidity in air compressor or use Nitrogen

Thank you! It had to be said and you nailed it!🤘

What brand and what side beads you using

at the end you never show how to install them.... F word to you.

Go straight to the point, there is too much straw in your explanation...

Wait you tell me a piece of s*** Jeep don't have a f****** death wobble