Balancing beads

[Sandy]

Just curious question for this morning…


Is there any rough relationship between the amount of conventional wheel weights used & the amount of balancing beads to use?
The Suzuki weights that attach to spokes are available in 20 & 30G sizes (.71 & 1.06 oz). If you took off a 30G weight, what amount of balancing beads would you need to add?

Yes interesting question. As Chuck said normally 1oz. for the front but if you have a wire wheel with tube they recommend 2oz. which is what I put in. I'm wondering if that was too much because, as in my previous post, I have quite the out of balance situation at high speed. If you go to their site they recommend for high speed use to gradually add a small amount of beads until the tire feels balanced. What, add too much then have to start over? WTF. That's sounds like a real PITA and isn't going to happen. Anyway to me the experiment with the beads is a big fail and have to swap in a new tube over the winter. In your case it would be interesting to just add a corresponding amount of beads for the weight you removed and see what happens. I think it should work.

[Boriqua]

I see the thread is all about how to use the beads but I thought I would mention .. when I recently had my front tire replaced at the shop he asked if I had put beads in my tire. At the time I wasn't even sure what they were but he let me know he charges extra for removing tires that have the beads installed.

I asked why and he said that he keeps his shop immaculately clean .. I have seen cleaner but there was no grease or stains on the floor .. nice shop. He said the beads are almost like grease when they come out of the tire when he breaks them from the rim and they get all over the floor. He said the floor is crazy slippery with the tiny beads and his guys have to spend a fair time cleaning up.

Never tried beads so I dont know how valid his concerns were but thought I would throw it out there.

[bwringer]

Yes, the beads go absolutely everywhere when you break the bead, and on a hard floor they are dangerous. Installing the beads is easy, but collecting the damn things next time around is a mess and a pain. I got surprised by beads about five years ago and they still turn up in various nooks and corners of my garage, despite semi-regular cleaning and sweeping.

I think the best cleanup method I've heard of is a piece of panty hose over the end of a shop vac nozzle. This will supposedly slurp them up and collect the beads in the toe.

[jabcb]

As Sandy mentioned, CounterAct’s recommendation is: “Front tires on sport bikes obtaining triple digit speeds can experience vibration because too much weight was added, please start with 1/4oz. Thin front tires with tubes and spoke rims that call for 1oz, please use 2oz.”


I asked about a ratio because my guess would be that the beads are less efficient. If you need to add 1 oz of metal weights, then you probably need more than 1 oz of balancing beads.


Suzuki sells 1 oz weights for the T/GT spoked wheels with tubes. An efficiency ratio might explain why CounterAct ups the recommendation from 1 to 2 oz.

[chuck hahn]

Why collect them?? For reuse?? Waste of time i say. As for the mess. Break one bead, stick a piece of tubing into the shop vac hose and tape it up, stick said tubing into the tire and stand the tire up so the beads pool up and suck them out. Continue removing tire.