Plastic BBs to balance

[CrystalPistol]

I was looking for something else and stumbled across this writing I made in 2014 of an experience using Airsoft "Red Jacket" BBs to re-balance the 4 tires of a 1992 Thunderbird Sport. That car has P225/60-16 tires, I thought some might find it useful information for trikes on the rear. There is no question in my mind after several tires, it works perfectly ever5y time in a motorcycle size front tire. As a note, I have used them in other tires, like 70 series on the trike rear, Avon Cobra front Trike radial, my 1200's MC tires had them, my trailers too, even in larger quantity (6oz.) in 31/10.50-15 tires on a '77 F-150.

Yesterday I was messing around in my shop and unpacked my as yet unused Harbor Freight manual tire mount setup. I purchased it along with the MC adapter setup late last year on a "super saver" coupon deal cheap. Idea was for mounting my MC tires and occasionally, trailer tires or even car tires on some of my stock. Fixed up my tire mounting setup on a short pedestal that I can clamp a 2x4 to and clamp to two posts to keep it steady.

The tires on my '92 Sport weren't worn out yet, but they were showing some sidewall cracking and well, they have been on it since 2007. Lately, last year maybe, I've been limiting this car to local drives for this reason alone. They are 225/60-16 Goodyear RS-As Pursuit tires that had been removed from police cars and left at a local garage for disposal. I had at one time, maybe 2 dozen or more that still had good to great to near new tread, most also had a puncture someplace which is usually why a good tire would not be run on a police car. Many times a tire is punctured and both on that axle get replaced together.

Anyway, today I pulled the '92 around and did each tire at a time (date codes ranged 2002 - 2004), removing and breaking down and swapping older cracked tire off for a near new more recent tire out of my storage shed where they been. I went out to the shed and went through my stacks, and pulled two that were nice, maybe 75% tread left and even wear across with 2006 date codes for the front and two that were closer to new but which showed sign of having been run on the front with excessive toe out off some troopers car, these were for the rear .... they had same date code 4207 and dragging my hand across them tells me they were run right and left.

I stripped all the weights off the wheels, all total there was maybe 5 ounces on all 4 wheels. These Goodyears usually don't take a lot of weight, they are well made tires that just get beat up a lot in use. After mounting each tire to it's wheel I weighed out 4 ounces of those same "Red Jacket" 6mm 0.15 gr Airsoft BBs and poured it in from the top side between bead & rim using a small funnel before airing the tire up. Then after seating, let air escape while get core ready .... then insert core and re-inflate to 40 psi each today.

Mounted back on car ... and afterwards took a short drive over onto Rt 11 .... and I am very pleased.

I know what's written about bead balancing tires with lower than 65 aspect ratios, but I read all that as a "disclaimer" ..... not a statement that "it won't work".

As I accelerate up passing 35-40 mph there is a very short time during which a few revolutions lead me to believe that one maybe has some very slight dynamic side to side imbalance, but it goes away really fast if accelerating by 45 mph and from then on until you slow to a stop, they stay smooth even if you slow to 25 and accelerate again. I ran up to a hair over 60 .... will try them on interstate tomorrow.

　

The next day I added:



Follow up .... checked tires this morning, all 4 same pressure still, and none flat .... so seems I drew 4 with no holes. That's good. Aired down to 34-35 psi then.

Drove the '92 about 115 miles all total this afternoon to a meeting and supper and home .... and I must say ..... it surprised me. These are tires that are new to this T-bird, but as noted above .... they have some wear patterns. I expected maybe some noise, I have none .... they sound new? That's not the BBs doing, but just a pleasant finding.

Now, as to balance, they are , it seems, "balanced" once rolling. Only twice as I accelerated from a stop could I note a momentary "shake" type feeling that was almost non existant .... felt like a wide tire with dynamic balance off just a hair .... but only momentary and only twice .... most of the time there was no perceived imbalance at all from zero on up to 55 - 60 - 70+ mph. My roads were a mix, some 4 lane highway, some two lane good highway, some town, some new bypass, some interstate, and some bumpier paved side roads as we took a scenic detour home.

Very pleased.

No warranty as to satisfaction with bead balancing using Airsoft BBs in motor vehicle tires is expressed or implied.

Take Care ..........

I sold the car in April this year, soon was gonna need another set of tires.

Anyway, I just thought it was interesting as the bead balance sellers do not recommend beads (same principles apply) in tires with a lower aspect ratio than 65% as the inside of the tire has a wide flat floor that doesn't center the beads under the tread. This was an experiment that worked OK.

If I ever need to put another set of tires on the old '77 F-150, I'm might just pour a quart of just 50/50 mix green antifreeze in each & call it done, it's "rubber friendly" and I'm told it works well too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSAdyHRlmys

But there is then a question as to repairing a flat.

[CrystalPistol]

As to the guestion I mentioned as to repairing a flat. Might be OK, tires run on roads with dirt, grease, grime, bug guts, oil spills, smeared critter remains, tar, vehicle fluids from wrecks, you name it. Plugs work there. It's not like a tire is a sponge. A 50/50 mix of AF/water is at least as vicious as straingt rainwater. If one was repairing a tire with a "patch-plug" (after breaking the bead loose) that had a 50/50 mix antifreeze, just clean the rubber, degrease, scuff, apply the "patch-plug" with the vulcanizing glue (pull into place), pump it up, trim excess as normal.

Yeah, you guessed it, going to use the pint of 50/50 "trick" in my '77 anyway. Be cool watching the tire draw it up out of the cup. Low temp Windshield Washer fluid mixed 5:1 would be cheaper.

As to possible damage of the tire carcass, why would it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGnEHONeyVw

[CrystalPistol]

Back in about November 2019, I had new tires put on my '07 Ford p-u truck. The truck has 275/55-20 tires on it, they wear great, ride good too, and I replaced what was on it with the same, Pirelli Scorpion A/T ... a single wheel & mounted tire is easily 70+ pounds each. The folks at the tire place balanced them with stick on weights behind the face or spoke area, and clip on weights on the inside lips.

Well, ever since then, up to 55 was smooth, but at 65 there was a shake creaping in. I know they would have re-balanced them, but then it could be worse and it's a 25 mile trip one way. I know from personal experience, these tires are not the easiest to balance. I have considered stopping in and letting them try a few times when near the shop, but time was short. I know that when I balance tires on a machine I'm not "on the clock", I double check, but guys in a tire shop "often" see zeros, and that's it, with no rechecking. I've had some say a quarter ounce is OK, that's at least over 7 grams. In the past, I have played with "bead balancing" on some cars. I've used the method as the sole balance as well as a supplement to weights, always getting pretty good results ... but I never used golf balls, (though I have heard of such in TT tires).

Since my tires today were pretty close, just not quite near as perfect as I wanted, I applied "bead balancing" to the '07's 275/55-20 tires by taking them off one at a time and breaking the bead loose on one side only (I made a bead breaker years ago) and poured in 3-1/4 ounces of Air Soft Red Jacket hard plastic .22 cal BBs in each (used a postage scale), then reinflating, remounting, etc. I know there are bead balance beads that can be inserted through valve stems but I already have a couple containers of these BBs. I left the other weights alone as I was just hoping these BBs would supplement them in a positive manner … even though these are low profile tires.

After I finished, we took a test drive to town and back, some Rt 11, some I-81, lot of 50-60 mph, some 70, even 80 mph on interstate, even some gravel road too, all tole about 25+ miles ... these tires are SMOOTH! Even the "Wife Unit" noticed as did my XM receiver on it's stalk with no quivering.

I thought about trying "liquid balancing" using a pint or quart of 50/50 antifreeze, but decided against it. Same theory, and I had done it with "Ride-On" in my 1200 so I know that would work.

Maybe someone will find it useful? There are online charts to help with weight needed, but they are usually intended as the sole balance method.

[hogcowboy]

I hope it lasts. I'd be afraid the plastic will disintegrate at some point. I hope not and it lasts until you need new tires.

[CrystalPistol]

I hope it lasts. I'd be afraid the plastic will disintegrate at some point. I hope not and it lasts until you need new tires.

Thank You, I think they'll be fine. Plastic survives for eons in a land fill they say? Some of what I used yesterday was some that I had used a small "Shop Vac" brand car vac to pull out of tires I had them in in the past, I just pull them out with a narrow nozzle (adapted copper tube) inserted in the tire after the top bead was popped loose. Stand the tire/wheel up, beads roll to bottom, stick tube in with vac running, beads go up tube. I had put them in a screen bowl (colander I think they call it) and rinsed some lint (likely picked up in the vac container) off and let dry, then I seen they still look new, so just put them back in original tub for reuse.

Really, some had thousands of miles of use and are all are just as perfect little plastic balls as new ones. I have seen some say bio degradable ones will powder, but these are not biodegradable, they are a solid hard smooth plastic .22" (actually 6mm which is closer to .236" ) diameter ball. No seams, not like cheaper ones at all, not hollow either. They are in a light tight enclosure too now, safe from being fired into targets. They are called "Air Soft", but they are not soft. At 0.15 grams each, 30 grams to the ounce, 3.25 estimated ounces is about 97.5 grams or about 650 of these BBs to freely spread their balance magic where it may be needed at every revolution of a tire as they move to react in opposition to every jerk of a heavy spot.

The charts often say to add 1 ounce of bead media for every 13 pounds of mounted tire/wheel weight. At 3.25 ounces I added, it should be enough for 42.25 pounds, but my truck's tires weigh 41 pounds (Pirelli says) without the wheel, but then they were pretty well (not perfect) balanced before I added the 3.25 ounces supplemental free moving weight. If I were counting on the BBs alone, I would have put at least 6 ounces in, maybe even 10 as the excess will self balance anyway.

Being a hard plastic, they do not absorb moisture from humidity, they will not clump like a fine powder. I have read/viewed videos where guys used the little bags of premeasured near dust sized ceramic or glass beads (so they can also be put in through a valve stem) and just tossed them into a tire as a clump fully expecting the bag to break open. Some bead materials are so fine, they might clump or cling? Usually the insert bag is shipped/sold encased in another bag to protect it from accidental opening during handling. I'd break them open & pour them in if I used them.

Funny … Buddy of mine who ran a shop once had a customer come in all mad because his beads didn't balance and he wanted the tires opened up, beads removed, and tires to be rebalanced using weights. His customer had gotten the beads off line. He said the customer came back after he got off work to pick up the car, was happy paying the $44 bill ($10.95 each). My buddy said he didn't know why the guy expected beads inside two bags would balance a tire. He showed me a bag from the trash can, customer had never opened the labeled shipping packet, just tossed the bagged-bags of beads in and had a "in effect", little bean bags moving around in the tires. Small wonder he was unhappy. I should have rescued the 4 bags of beads from the trash can and kept them … maybe … but then some mechanics spit into them cans too. … so then, maybe not?

Just gonna add, it worked very well in our trike, both on the rear P215/70R15 tires and the Avon Trike Radial front tire … as well as the '85 GL1200A bike. Glass smooth always.