Internal Media Balancing, UPDATE!

I have posted a couple of times about the use of internal balancing media, like airsoft BB's. I know they were never intended for this application, but I thought it was worth a try. It's cheaper than anyother method.

To refresh: I lift my jeep installed some old half worn out SS TSL radials 33X10.50R's, on the OEM aluminum wheels. I used 10oz airsoft .12 gram BB's per tire. Drives fine until somewhere between 55-60 mph, actual road speed. Any faster and the entire Jeep shakes from the lateral imbalance.

I contacted innovative balancing, and got a reply about the problem I was having. They basicly told me that NO internal media could prevent imbalance if lateral imbalance is present in the tire. They recommended that the beads be used in conjunction wheel weights, if lateral imbalance was present. He also said that if it occured at 60 or above mph, the lateral imbalance wasn't that bad, but was there none the less.

So for now I'm going to leave them alone, but next time I buy tires I'm going to spin balance them and add the airsoft BB's after the balancing.


Also, they told me to check the balance machine. This would let you know if the media would need to be removed from the tire first. Place the tire with the media on the machine and atempt to balance it.

Not to be a jerk or anything, but there are TWO threads on this exact issue that are on the second page of the mod tech forum. Lots of discussion there about that and I'm thinking that if you contributed to either of those two threads, it would probably help out a bunch more.

I'm kinda leery about using the BB's again, but it sounds like a decent idea.