Balance tires?

[Bowhunter]

Recently had a flat tire on my trailer and when I went and got a replacement, I noticed that none of the previous tires were ever balanced. Thinking back, I am pretty sure my last trailer tires were never balanced either. Anyone know why that is? Seems to me, that any tire would perform better if balanced. Thank you for any thoughts!

[Larry1013]

In the past, most never balanced tires on a trailer, rv or cattle or car. They couldn't really feel the vibration unless it was severe. Personally, I think balancing the tires will make the china bombs last longer if you can make them ride smother...

[dcg9381]

I've had some trailer tires (utility) that were bad enough that the constant vibration (over thousands of miles) eventually helped fatigue some welds. I noticed that my trailers tires weren't balanced either... I assume it's just another cost-savings venture.

I balance everything now.

[carwheel_09]

I use Dyna Beads in all my trailer tires. It has worked well for me. The tires are smooth rolling along.

[Desert185]

Unless its a wheelbarrow, a quad, a lawn mower, a log splitter or something similar, I ALWAYS balance the tires.

[Larry1013]

I use Dyna Beads in all my trailer tires. It has worked well for me. The tires are smooth rolling along.

What size tires do you have? Is this an RV trailer? How many ounces per tire?

thanks

[carwheel_09]

RV tires and boat trailer tires. Google Dyna Beads and it comes up Innovations Solutions or something close to that. There is a chart for different size and types of tires.

[jsmith948]

Aaannnddd! - After you balance your tires, you won't have your cabinet door hinges vibrating loose .:)

[hankaye]

Howdy All;

I get the RV Travel newsletter each Saturday morning. It's generally got
some helpful tips and some times not so ...
I scalped the following from a blog that is an add-on to the newsletter.
Deals with the subject of this thread so, here it is.

hankaye

"RVing Tip of the Day

Balance your trailer tires?
by Russ and Tiña De Maris

Tire balance may be one of the most hotly debated subjects among RVers. Motorhomers will agree, balancing tires on their rigs is critical — after all, it's a motor vehicle. But trailer tires? Perhaps the most frequent argument is: "I've never balanced my trailer tires, and I haven't seen a bit of difference. It's just a waste of money!"

Let's back up to why tires, in general, need balancing. Tires (and wheel assemblies) aren't perfectly symmetrical. There may be just a bit more weight here or there. As the wheel assembly rotates, those slight differences can cause the tire to hop or wobble. Since this disturbance is caused by a lack of balance, the faster the wheel rotates, generally the worse the hop or wobble becomes.

In a car or truck, the driver may perceive the out-of-balance condition in the steering wheel. If the situation is severe, even the passengers may detect the out-of-balance condition. Since we rarely (if ever) carry passengers in a towed trailer, it's not likely to be noticed. But just because vibration and hop isn't noticed doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

An out-of-balance wheel that causes shaking, vibrating or "tire hop" can have some nasty consequences. First, damage comes in the form of tread wear, often seen in unusual tread wear patterns. The possibility of tread separation from the tire itself can't be ruled out, and tire separation at freeway speed can have some serious consequences. We know — we "totaled out" a tow vehicle when a tire separated and tore apart a wheel well and did extensive body damage to one of ours.

Besides tire wear issues, out-of-balance tires can also negatively impact the axle spindle, wheel bearings and suspension components on your trailer. Damaged spindles or bearings can lead to visually funny (in cartoons, anyway), but too often tragic, wheels coming off your chariot.

Finally, shake and vibration will be transmitted into the coach itself. Imagine having your kitchen cabinets hooked up to a paint shaker. Maybe the illustration is a bit extreme, but prolonged shaking and vibration can actually shake the interior components of your rig apart.

The few bucks charged for a dynamic spin balance on your tires can go a long way to reducing the bad consequences of out-of-balance tires. (We have previously shown this RV tip.)"

[Bowhunter]

I just want to thank everyone for their replies. I did balance them. I just wanted to get other opinions on the topic since it made scence to me. Thank you for all of your opinions!