calling large tire junkies...

Ok, so today I dropped off my brand spankin' new MT 15x8 Classic Locks (3 5/16 offset) @ my tire joint for GoodYear M/T R 33"x12.5s fitting/balancing...

Since there is the simulated beadlock ring on the wheel, the guy says "yeah, we mount balancing weights on the inside of the rim with tape" ... He showed me in the garage some guy's 20s with the weights done like that.

Is this the way its done and its not talked about that much?

 Tape really stays on there? *laughs* I'm just thinking about what my Jeep will be put through - and i'm thinking "tape... hmm, yeeeaaaahhh...rrriiiggghhhtt" 

Any suggestions / comments welcome! Cheers!  I can't wait for the new road noise! I love that ####!

i dont have simulated beedlocks,but i do have 33's and if a tire guy taped weights on my wheel id pull them off and throw them at him,they are worthless,they fall off as so as mud,salt,water,etc hits them.id go another place and have them redone,if all else fails they have a powder they put in semi tires to balance them,i know alot of people with 38's and bigger use that,but mt/r's are the worst tire really made,you have to rotate them every 3k or the cup or feather,so you are going to have a constant battle to keep them balanced.hopes its not your daily driver.but then again you could luck out and never have a problem.and for your sake hopefully it works out.....good luck  

Sadly, kkiowaTJ - I really have the vibe I'll have them rebalanced somewhere else after the install.   It is my daily driver - however I do hear good/bad comments (more good) about the MT/Rs ... we'll see!  I did get 6months same as cash @ this place (GoodYear Dealer), so I'll take the attempt at balancing and go elsewhere! haha

Thanks for the info.

i had them for about 5k and traded them off for my bfg allterrians i have now.my rig see's alot of highway and off-road.i got better wear when i had swamper sx's.i understand that there is people for them and aginst them.i tried them for myself like you did,they might work better for your needs than mine.but ya the first thing is to get the vib out,thats gonna make them wear worse than if balanced.good luck with them and hope some body can help get that out for you.  

Hey kkiowa, sorry about my slang! I meant that I have the vibe that they won't be 100% balanced the first time - NOT that I have vibrations in the tires! hehe My fault!! The tires are not even mounted yet, they were too backed up today to get 'em done.  Tomorrow, we'll see! thanks again for your info!  

good tires, #### balance, my j20 runs 36.5 military oz tires and r powder balanced but they did that tape junk to my dd chevy truck and it didnt hold so theres no way it will take trail abuse   

remember the powder works at the radius of the tire, weights work at the rim. its not so big a deal with 33's but anything much bigger, I'm not sure Its even worth trying weights  

I'm about to pick up the Jeep in an hour or so ...  I'd say they used no more than 4oz on one of the wheels and as little as 2.5oz on two of the front wheels.  I told them to mount the lower weighted ones in front. I'll have some stories - these are the first new tires on this '00 TJ Sahara. The stock 30" that were on there were barely passing the nickel test when I bought it.  Thanks again for the feedback, you all!

Good to know. I have never heard of TAPEING weights on before. A "PROPER" balance has to have weights on BOTH sides of the rim, this is how my dealer did it on my 31"s and a mech. freind said that was the best way.  
96 grand,3.5 Tuff Country,3/4 spacers,rusty's trackbar and mount,dual stabilizers,JCR rock sliders, Dynomax catback etc etc.
www.coreoffroad.freeforums.org

It's been a few years since I worked at a tire shop, and I never worked with the fake beadlock rims, but We did have some showy aluminum rims.

The only time you CAN'T use the tap on weights is when the rim lacks the lip that runs along the bead, like many of these high end aluminum jobs.  These rims usually have the lip inside so the regular weights can be used on that side- 'tape on' weights would be stuck to the inside of the rim as close to the outside (showy side) as possible..  Personally I tried to use the inside weights to compensate, cause the tape on just suck- especially on aluminum wheels cause they corrode.

After a few K the tires whould wear in and not need as many weights anyway, if any.  I'd say a little vibration is to be expected from an aggressive tire, just like the howl.

just my two cents

Sorry, big guy, but I have to call "BS!" on this one.  Each tire/wheel assembly is different.  Some need weights on each siide to acheive proper dynamic balance, some don't.  Your source may have said that "it's the only way to balance THIS tire", and he'd be right.  It's impossible to say that EVERY one needs weights on both sides, however.  Simply too many variables to make such a broad statement.

Back to original post...Ideally, the tire mounter would try various tire/wheel positions to find the best baseline balance and go from there - labor and time extensive, but results in less weights to fly off.  You may ask for weight patches that go on the inside of the tire.

Also, in the absense of a normal wheel lip to put a "bang-on" weight on, the stick-ons are probably the most common ones in use (for external mounting weights).  For street cars they seem to be OK, but if you really intend to 'whhel the Jeep - go with patches.  All you need is to get some of the powder or beads or BBs or whatever stuck in the bead or fouling the schrader valve.

ZJ - ever get your big-azz bumper?

2 cents

No But I did get a 3.5" Tuff Country lift and 31 at Installed!! Anyways I haven't seen you on here in awhile, how you and the familly been? Email me (anyone) and I'll send you some updated picks of my ZJ with the new lift.

www.jason.roberts@ns.sympatico.ca

Oh and Merry Christmas

Family's good - kid turned 9 months old recently - tips in at 20-ish lbs!  Thanks for asking.

Yeah, I'd like to see updated pics - e-mail's on the way.

Thanks to all who added some tire wisdom.  Thankfully, when I showed up to take a look at the mounted wheels... damn, they looked soo tough!  There was no "tape", just the usual clamped weight - and not much of it on any of the wheels. Nice. 

Only problem now is that 5 days later I've got SIZEREXIA ... the 33s just don't look that big anymore to me - but to regular folk, I'm drivin' a ****'in TONKA truck! hehe   A girl at work walked up to my Jeep and says "damn, these things are up to my belt!!"  thats great!!!!

they grow up fast!! my Daughter is now 5months!! Christmas will be so great next year for her! My son(7) loves my lifted truck but now it's hard for him to get in LOL.  
96 grand,3.5 Tuff Country,3/4 spacers,rusty's trackbar and mount,dual stabilizers,JCR rock sliders, Dynomax catback etc etc.
www.coreoffroad.freeforums.org