Balancing beads or Centramatics? What is the best option?

Mike

Well-Known Member
I have been looking into the best way to balance my tires, and not sure which direction to go. I have checked out the counteract beads a little bit.

Part of my concern is cost to add the beads to used tires, because they are not cheap. Anybody do this themselves without breaking the tires down? Is there a place that does this without breaking the tires down? Or if they do break them down, do they do it inexpensively?

I have heard good reports on both types of balancing. Just not sure which direction to go, and whether I should simply wait and balance as I get new tires. Balanced or not balanced, I will end up having to put new tires on my current truck most likely before I get rid of it.

If I put beads in the tires, I can't get that back. With Centramatics, I can have those removed, and guessing they will go onto my next truck without a problem.
 
The concept between the two is basically the same. The difference is, you can buy the Centramatics once and use them on numerous trucks and multiple tire changes. If something goes wrong with a Centramatic, like moisture gets inside and freezes the beads together, you can pull the Centramatic off and put another in its place.

If you wind up with moisture inside your tire, you do not have the same option. You'll have to pull the tire off, dig all that crap out, remount and rebalance the tire....and then put a Centramatic on, like you probably should have done in the first place.

But that last comment is just my opinion.

I'd go with Centramatics.
 
The concept between the two is basically the same. The difference is, you can buy the Centramatics once and use them on numerous trucks and multiple tire changes. If something goes wrong with a Centramatic, like moisture gets inside and freezes the beads together, you can pull the Centramatic off and put another in its place.

If you wind up with moisture inside your tire, you do not have the same option. You'll have to pull the tire off, dig all that crap out, remount and rebalance the tire....and then put a Centramatic on, like you probably should have done in the first place.

But that last comment is just my opinion.

I'd go with Centramatics.


I've tried both. With beads I had a problem with the beads getting stuck in the valve stem/core and causing a slow inaudible air leak. I've been using centramatics for over 10 years now with no problems and have doubled my steer tire mileage compared to any other method.
 
Centramatics are right down the road from me right now, not sure if they sell wholesale or not though.
 
Centramatics are right down the road from me right now, not sure if they sell wholesale or not though.
You can buy direct from them, they also sell APU's if your in the market for one.
 
You can buy direct from them, they also sell APU's if your in the market for one.
Im in alvarado, gonna swing by there on our way to black friday shopping this evening to see if they are gonna be open tomorrow.

I want to at least get them on my steers.
 
I guess my truck may be viewed as kind of a hybrid kind of thing. I use Balance Masters on the steers and balancing beads in the drive rubber, which is wide based. Getting excellent results.
 
I've had Centramatics on my truck for the past 7 years and they work. My steers are never balanced and they turn real smooth.
 
The tires just got replaced all the way around on Monday. The steers, using balance masters, had 227,000 miles on them. 8-9/32 tread left with no uneven wear. The wide based drive tires had 447,000 on them, using balancing beads, and also 8-9/32 tread left on them. All of them good enough that I got $150 for each of the old steer tires and $180 for each of the old drive tires from my dealer. I do an initial spin balance of the steer tires.
 

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