are the tire balancing beads worth the money?

[niles500]

Just a question for you Golf Ball balancers ..... If you have a blow-out, the tire shreads, and sends those Golf Balls sailing ..... are you required to yell FORE? ..... and if so, would you have to yell it once for each ball? ..... just want to know the proper etiquette ....

[WEC4104]

Yeah, Dallas.  Nobody likes the cafeteria monitor that comes in and breaks up the fight before somebody's nose gets bloodied!  

We have some serious busnuts here if guys can get that passionate about whether or not to balance your tires.  Part of me says this really isn't such a bad thing.  Pick your side and argue to the death, sure beats watching "Dancing with the Stars".

Maybe next I can start a thread asking which is better, Jake Brakes or Engine Retarders, and really fan the flames!

[DrivingMissLazy]

Maybe next I can start a thread asking which is better, Jake Brakes or Engine Retarders, and really fan the flames!

Hey, there ain't any competition between the two. LOL
Richard

[TomC]

I figure it this way-if you don't want to balance your tires, so be it.  I personally want to have the smoothest ride, take every opportunity to facilitate that the smooth ride will last the life of the tires, and don't really care if the counter balance weights are visible.
If you are running 500 tires on the ground, I would think you would also want to take any opportunity to possibly get a few more miles out of your tires-and balancing could be it!

Along those lines, being a Freightliner new truck salesmen, we make trucks from the Western Star and Freightliner Classic that are the old style square hood traditional type truck to the just introduced Cascadia that is the most aero dynamically designed truck available-tested in the big Mercedes-Benz wind tunnel in Germany.  The difference in fuel mileage alone (with proper equipment choices) can be up as high as 1 mpg.  And with the variable speeds that truckers can drive now, could mean close to 3 mpg difference-comparing a Classic running at 75mph and a Cascadia running at 55 mph.  But in real world if keep the Cascadia at 65 mph, you could still see close to 2mpg difference in fuel mileage.  Me personally-if I were to buy a new truck, it would have every conceivable type of fuel mileage savings option on it I could put on it-including proper tire selection.

Remember-tires are more than just big black rubber round things that supports our vehicles.  Why do you think that tire manufacturers make about 2 dozen tire models to choose from?  Very specific tire blends, builds and tread pattern for specific uses.  I choose the Michelin XZE regional 16 ply tires that are 75 mph tires, but have a harder tire compound with rock ejecting tire tread so rocks don't hammer into the tread, have reinforced side walls (for those times we like to have a real close look at the curb), and I figure I won't put on the 60,000 miles or so that will be when the tires will start to cup due to freeway speeds.  But- we'll do it our way.  Good Luck, TomC

[tekebird]

Tom, Out of curiosity, when a truck is delivered from the factory ( supposing it is not coming to you to have owner tiers installed) are they ballanced?

Did a sweep through the greyhound depot...they ballance tires and they are dirt poor, you would think if it made no difference that would be a cut item from the shop. Lord knows they cut replacing banged up panels and hiring driver's who don't get lost