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Anybody running wide swampers...few ??

smprider112

smprider112

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I recently put on some 35x15.5x15 swampers...they are used and by used I mean USED...they are pretty much down to the wear bar...anyways my question is, I didnt get them balanced when I had les schwab install them, (actually there recommendation) and now they vibrate like nobodys business!!! Im talking it gets scary at like 40+mph....so I go back thinking well better spend the 60 bucks to have em balanced, and the guy there says its not gonna do any good...thats just how swampers that big are....now is that true?? or why would he not want my money even if it where a waste?? My girlfriend has me thinking they want them to run crappy so I'll hate the tires so much I'll wanna buy new tires soon from them. So I need some advise should I just lay down the 60 bucks and get em balanced...which is actually what I paid for all 4 anyways. Or is that just the way swampers are?? Any help PLEASE, Im getting desprate...nay be shelling out the 500 soon for new tires...sooner than expected.
 
if its just a regular tire shop, there machine probally cant handle that size tire. i had to go to 6 shops to find a place to balance my swampers. the guy there said they wont be perfect because they come from the factory out of round. /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
 
are they bias or radial? cause bias are alot ruffer than the radial. but I'm guessing that since there pretty much bald there isn't much you can do. better start saving for new swampers.
 
Get them to put some "Equal" (May be spelled wrong) in each tire.
/forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif
 
My tires are bigger/wider than that, have no weight on them, and they ride rough but are unbalanced and roll pretty smooth up to 70 MPH.

They're supposed to ride rough, they're Super Swampers.

They're not supposed to vibrate real bad though, that is probably an indication of another problem.

Some are worse than others though.
 
I'm running "wide" swampers (35x16 boggers on 14" wide welds) and I can tell a difference when mine are balanced....they shake less at higher speeds.
 
Jack up the truck and spin each tire slowly, and watch the top of the tread for little "dips" or "bumps" as it goes around. Odds are that you have at least one out-of-round tire which is setting up a good vibration.

You can get Swampers "trued" and then "balanced" and they will be a smooth as glass....most people are too lazy (and cheap) to bother. Since you are using an old set, it's probably not worth the trouble either, but at least rotate the worst tires to the back to minimize the vibes.

BTW -> I'm running TSLs.... 38.5 x 16W x 16.5" .....trued and balanced and they run SMOOOOOOTH!!! /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif
 
I know a guy that had a new set of 44" TSL's trued and balanced. When he got them back one of the tires had all of the tread on one side and almost bald on the other. Good ol' high quality control and a strict manufacturing process at the Interco plant! /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif
 
I have had 44" tsls & 2 sets of 44" boggers on different trucks. I never had them balanced but the none of the trucks did not drive bad. I had the 44" tsl on ford ranger with 3/4 ton chevy running gear.I could pass every one on I-10 going to the mud bog at 85+ mph with no problem. /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif Just ask tarussel.The 44" boggers on the burb now are not balanced and they will run great on the interstate.
 
I run 38x15.5 TSL Radials that I mounted myself in the garage and are unbalanced... and my truck has seen well over 100mph several times w/ them on there and have no vibration (that I hear/feel over all the rest of the crap that rattles in my truck...)
Oh, and Les Schwab is one of the crappiest places on earth to get your tires balanced... weather they are 35's, 38's, or some little 70 series tires for the wifes car... Schwab is retarded when it comes to using a tire balancer.
 
I also owned a set of 38.5x15x16.5 sts radials mounted on 16.5x12 rockcrawler wheels. They were not balanced and they
rode great. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif But going offroad is another story. /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif
 
Chuck 4 or 5 golf balls inside each tire, that'll help as much as anything else and probably do better than regular balancing.

I bought brand new 39.5" TSL's last summer and never had them balanced. I have a slight shake at about 50 mph, but you can drive through it and from 55-70 it's pretty smooth.

Rene
 
I'm fortunate to have a tireman, here in the country, that'll balance big tires because he has a lot of business w/ big Interco stuff. My 15/39.5 ride really well.

Hey, Greg72: What does "trued" mean?

P.S. 4WHEEL mag. mentions they have a difficult time finding a tire shop to balance their tires. Well, no matter if you even are a magazine coolie those Los Angeles county tire shop jerks freak out when they see someone wanting 35"+ tires balanced. Wimps...those city slickers do too many 20" lowriders too know anything else... /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif

Thanks. /forums/images/graemlins/burb.gif /forums/images/graemlins/usaflag.gif /forums/images/graemlins/usaflag.gif /forums/images/graemlins/usaflag.gif /forums/images/graemlins/usaflag.gif /forums/images/graemlins/usaflag.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Chuck 4 or 5 golf balls inside each tire, that'll help as much as anything else and probably do better than regular balancing.



[/ QUOTE ]I don't know about swampers but golf balls tear up the inside walls on commercial truck tires.
 
Mtn,

Check out "Tyre Treds" in Fremont, CA. They have the $6000 Amermac tire truer, and can do tire balancing (ANY size) on the vehicle......it balances the entire wheel/tire/rotor assembly.

Like I said before, NOT cheap but if it matters enough to you....it IS possible to make bias-ply Swampers run smooth as glass. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
I run 44"x18.5 wide swampers and they are not too bad. The shop I bought them from sand balanced them.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I bet they're still loud as hell though.

[/ QUOTE ]

They're actually quieter then I thought they'd be...its just the crazy vibes that really surprised me. Maybe I'll just deal with it for a little while more, then just go with 12.5's...anybody know if this horrible vibration could cause any type of damage to my truck?? I was thinkin it might tear up the bearings and what not...so Im getting a little worried here. /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
 
I don't really have vibes above about 15 mph, but the sound sure resonates through the cab like nothing else.
 
Right now as crazy as these tires run...I'd KILL for just noise. I wanna take it on the highway and see if it goes away at high speed, but am scared that it will get even worse!!
 
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