ProJunkRacing
1/2 ton status
ok my boss thinks i am crazy i work at a tires shop and i mounted up my 38.5's so i threw three golf balls in can everybody write in and sumit their ideas and the concept behind the idea thanks phil?
CK5
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Golf Ball Balancing
- Thread starter ProJunkRacing
- Start date
sled_dog
1 ton status
Heard of it before, my only thought is the shell will bust up. Hitting the rim and each other repeatedly. You know they make Equal for semi trucks? Its a product specifically for helping tire balance, meant to go inside.
sidenote, which Wyotech you headed to?
sidenote, which Wyotech you headed to?
I think it'd take a hell of a long time for the shell of the golf ball to break up. My buddy threw 4 golf balls each in his 36" TSL's. He says it runs nice and smooth at 65 mph...
Do a Google search for "Centra-matic" tire balancers. IIRC there is a video on their site showing it working, as well as an explanation of how it works. Golf balls are just a more crude version of the same method of balancing.
Rene
Do a Google search for "Centra-matic" tire balancers. IIRC there is a video on their site showing it working, as well as an explanation of how it works. Golf balls are just a more crude version of the same method of balancing.
Rene
mudslinger99
1/2 ton status
From the reading I have done the best long term results are with Air Soft BB's like they sell at Walmart.. They will not rust or come apart like regular BB's and golf balls will because they are one sold peice.. They also don't make any noise when there rolling and banging around in side of the tire..
There is a company selling something just like the Air Soft BB's that are small enough to fit in the valve stem with out having to break the bead to put them in.. They also come in pre-weighted packages for different size tires..
I will try to find the link and post it up in a few..
There is a company selling something just like the Air Soft BB's that are small enough to fit in the valve stem with out having to break the bead to put them in.. They also come in pre-weighted packages for different size tires..
I will try to find the link and post it up in a few..
85mudblazin
1/2 ton status
I am about to put air soft BB's in mine. I like the idea of using a bb size object better so that it will balance the tire better. Only thing is with the air softs it takes like 5000 per tire 
BigCountryx
1/2 ton status
I heard mouse balls (the computer kind) work really good. Think I'm gonna try it. Here's a link to buy them online. Anybody wanna be the guinnee pig?
Mouse Balls
Mouse Balls
joez
1/2 ton status
I ran my Q78's balanced with golf balls for a little over a year and 22K miles. Worked great. You may have to play with the # in each a bit, but they get the job done. Once i got done "fine tuning" my tires, they ran as smooth as my radial BFG's at 65-70mph.
keith
1/2 ton status
7 per tire 42's works great. got the info from Scott at rockstomper a few years back
works great. got the info from Scott at rockstomper a few years backmudslinger99
1/2 ton status
Ok here is the link I was talking about.. It even gives you a tire chart on how much weight required for each tire.. You can use the same weight if you run the Air Soft BB's...The 2nd link is the place tRusty was talking about.. There is a lot of good info on both if you read them..
http://www.innovativebalancing.com
http://www.centramatic.com//BigTirechart.htm
http://www.innovativebalancing.com
http://www.centramatic.com//BigTirechart.htm
There is a lot of "I think" or "I heard" everytime this question comes up. I have 5 each in a set of 42s and they work great.
As for noise, the only time you can hear them is when the truck is jacked up and you spin a tire.
As for noise, the only time you can hear them is when the truck is jacked up and you spin a tire.
az-k5
1/2 ton status
I am running airsoft pellets in my 40's. I work in a tire shop too and got tired of balaning my tires. No complaints.
FWP
CRS
Funny, I just put in 9 golf balls per tire (42s) last weekend. Works fine for me. Can't tell they're in there unless you take the tire off the vehicle.
A golf ball weighs 1.62 oz
A golf ball weighs 1.62 oz
ProJunkRacing
1/2 ton status
laramie wy diesel
az-k5
1/2 ton status
The only gripe I have with golf balls is they are more massive and can pulverize the silicone liner in a tire. This is more of a problem at speed and stop and go driving (DD so it doesn't apply to fred as much). That is why I went with air soft pellets, they don't have the mass to tear up the liner and roll into position (theoretically) faster. Brass BB''s like a daisy gun would use have the same problem as the golf balls. The brass BB's size to weight ratio isn't gonna play nicey-nicey inside the tire. This won't be an imidiate issu but over the course of the tires life it can cause some problems for a DD.
Kiwi John
1/2 ton status
U do wot?!
Hav to say this is a new one on me. I know i'm a little out of touch but, let me get this right...
U guys sitck golf balls (various numbers of) or air rifle pellets (various handfulls of) into your tyres and then drive around, on the streets?
Why? Is this for some sort of 'chaos theory' balancing system
What's wrong with the good old lead weights stuck on the rims?
How long has this been going on? What does the golfing fraternity think of the idea?
Are we going to see Arnold Palmer & co in Blazers, other than the Green type, at Augusta?
I think we should be told!
Hav to say this is a new one on me. I know i'm a little out of touch but, let me get this right...
U guys sitck golf balls (various numbers of) or air rifle pellets (various handfulls of) into your tyres and then drive around, on the streets?
Why? Is this for some sort of 'chaos theory' balancing system
What's wrong with the good old lead weights stuck on the rims?
How long has this been going on? What does the golfing fraternity think of the idea?
Are we going to see Arnold Palmer & co in Blazers, other than the Green type, at Augusta?
I think we should be told!
sled_dog
1 ton status
ITs done for a couple reason. Big one, Mud tires take A LOT to balance. I've seen mud tires with about a foot of weights around the edge of them because they were so out of balance. Throwing some stuff inside the tire is easy and not unsightly. I don't know about you but I think balance weights are ugly. And if you are into rockcrawling, you could knock them off the bead and ruin the balance all together. Theoretically the weight inside the tire allows it to correct for any and all imbalances. Meaning it will "adjust" for wear and time.
az-k5 said:
Golf balls in Super Swampers wouldn't get the chance to ruin the inside of the tire. They don't last long enough IMO making it a moot point.
Rene
Kiwi John said:
I once spent $75 to get my old 36" TSL's balanced on a machine. The best tire/rim combo was running 14 ounces of weight...the worst had just under 20 ounces. 2 weeks later I ripped a bunch of weights off while wheeling...which at the time didn't bother me that much because after all that balancing they still didn't run smoothly down the road.
I chose not to balance my 39.5's at all, and they've rode remarkably good for the last 15,000 miles. I will probably break the beads and chuck 4 or 5 golf balls in beofre making the trip down to Utah in October though.
Rene
rcurrier44
1/2 ton status
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I have run golf balls in my 44" tsl's for 3 years (they are almost worn out 
) The rig is driven to every trail and wheeled hard. The tires balance fine to around 70 mph. The balls still have there outside coating and have kept their shape...the tire and wheel are fine.
I went with golf balls after seeing equil clump and stop working when it gets water (or oil from an OBA compressor) in it.
The best way to figure out how much weight you need is to use one of those bubble balancers, set the tire on it and then start stacking on whatever you are using for weight untill it is ballanced. My worst 44 was over 2lbs out of ballance at the rim....it took 14 golf balls to ballance.
) The rig is driven to every trail and wheeled hard. The tires balance fine to around 70 mph. The balls still have there outside coating and have kept their shape...the tire and wheel are fine.I went with golf balls after seeing equil clump and stop working when it gets water (or oil from an OBA compressor) in it.
The best way to figure out how much weight you need is to use one of those bubble balancers, set the tire on it and then start stacking on whatever you are using for weight untill it is ballanced. My worst 44 was over 2lbs out of ballance at the rim....it took 14 golf balls to ballance.
The basic theory with golf balls or BB's in a tire is that the centrifugal force of the spinning tire will make it self-balance.......meaning that when the tire spins up the ball or BB's will reach the lightest part of the tire and stick there as the tire rotates.
I find the idea that a golf ball will break up or distort inside a tire pretty hard to believe, especially considering the forces a golf ball sees while, well, playing golf as it's whacked by a steel club. I'm also not convinced that balls or BB's inside the tire will hurt the inside of the tire. Keep in mind that they are not constantly bouncing around, rather just a rather small rotational speed of the tire will force them to stay in one place. As you come to a stop they probably just stay on the inner part of the tire and start rolling in refernce to the tire to stay at the bottom due to the force of gravity. Worse case they drop from the upper part of the tire to the lower part of the tire, and I can't see that being an issue either. Again, it's not like they are being "ping-ponged" constantly around the inside of the tire.
I find the idea that a golf ball will break up or distort inside a tire pretty hard to believe, especially considering the forces a golf ball sees while, well, playing golf as it's whacked by a steel club. I'm also not convinced that balls or BB's inside the tire will hurt the inside of the tire. Keep in mind that they are not constantly bouncing around, rather just a rather small rotational speed of the tire will force them to stay in one place. As you come to a stop they probably just stay on the inner part of the tire and start rolling in refernce to the tire to stay at the bottom due to the force of gravity. Worse case they drop from the upper part of the tire to the lower part of the tire, and I can't see that being an issue either. Again, it's not like they are being "ping-ponged" constantly around the inside of the tire.
