balancing tires on boat trailer

[simple]

Do you people have your boat trailer tires balanced? I get mixed opinions. Some tire places tell me that I should while others do not. If tires don't come balanced from the factory if I buy a tire/rim combo, what's the point?

 

[LubeDude]

Re: balancing tires on boat trailer

Your tires will last longer, and things wont rattle loose as quickly. I allways ballance mine but I have a Bass boat, and Im on the road a lot. If you never run long distances though, its probably a waist. Most boat trailer tires will rot befor they wear out.

 

[NathanY]

Re: balancing tires on boat trailer

I really dont know if you should or not, but when I bought my new tires a couple of weeks ago, it was included with the mounting. Like I always say "If its free, its for meeee!!"

 

[sangerwaker]

Re: balancing tires on boat trailer

I think it also saves some premature wear on the bearings and spindles. I always balance mine too. And I too, simple, have had many tire places tell me it's not necessary. I just think it is cheap insurance and peace of mind.

 

[KaGee]

Re: balancing tires on boat trailer

No such thing as FREE Nate.<br />You paid for it! LOL!

 

[Peter J Fraser]

Re: balancing tires on boat trailer

Always. Stops the shakes coming up through the coupling into my truck.

 

[NYMINUTE]

Re: balancing tires on boat trailer

Inexpensive insurance, and prolonged life. Do It

 

[Provo5]

Re: balancing tires on boat trailer

The advantage of balancing your tires is it will keep them from cupping. I didn't balance mine but I live across the street from the lake. If I had to travel to get to the lake I would balance them.

 

[gcboat]

Re: balancing tires on boat trailer

So I guess the consensus is if you don't do a long haul then not worth the money. I don't know - a couple of extra bucks for safety and longevity would be worth it in my book. I just seem to feel better knowing mine are balanced - even though it's a six mile round trip at 35 to 45 mph.

 

[mthieme]

Re: balancing tires on boat trailer

I don't bother with mine - and I have a tire balancer!
But, my trailers never go further than a couple hundred yards.

 

[cbavier]

Re: balancing tires on boat trailer

Mine are balanced. I just figured it would be a smother ride for the boat. The boat hasn't thanked me yet though , so it may not matter to the boat. Of course I haven't thought to ask the boat yet either. But on the other hand the boat hasn't complained about the ride either. If I can remember i'll ask the boat when it comes out of hibernation.

 

[Mkos1980]

Re: balancing tires on boat trailer

I ran a year on unbalanced tires then this past year I replaced them and the shop balanced them this time. I noticed no differance.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: balancing tires on boat trailer

It don't hurt but unless your wheels are severely out of balance, you would most likely never know the difference. I normally balance or at least check them when I first mount them, if their out more than an ounce or so, then I may add weight but other than that, I don't bother. I found years ago on an older tandem I had that it was about impossible to keep the tires in balance for any length of time. With all the scrubbing and twisting tandem wheels do, your constantly removing rubber and changing the balance, grease slung off the inner seals will also change the balance.

I don't travel very far or fast with mine, so it's really no big deal either way. Maybe if I had to run farther or at highway speeds I'd worry more about balancing the wheels.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: balancing tires on boat trailer

balancing, even 8", they will last longer, and ride better, less wear on the bearings also.

 

[Randybeall]

Re: balancing tires on boat trailer

For those who do trailer any distance, balance will lessen the vibration in your boat which wears things out even though you aren't using it. Also, tail and brake light bulbs last longer, the vibration of imbalanced tires will break a filimant and give the officer another reason to stop you.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: balancing tires on boat trailer

I tow about a hundred miles to the lake sometimes.When i replaced the tires on the tandem trailer i changed to radials and had them balanced,I can tell its a smoother ride at highway speeds and the trailer does not vibrate in the mirror looking at the bow stop.
Less vibration and things on the trailer and boat do not work loose as often.

 

[pinkham89]

Re: balancing tires on boat trailer

has anyone noticed a difference or is there a difference between putting a metal based weight on the rim or either equal or those little plastic beads in the trailer tires?

 

[bowman316]

Re: balancing tires on boat trailer

Can you even balance trailer tires, Mine just have a simple bearing that attached them to the axle.

I don't see what you could adjust to balance them.

 

[clemsonfor]

Re: balancing tires on boat trailer

yes you can balance a trailer tire, most of the 14'' ers havethe same pattern ford uses on the ranger and small older cars.

The other aspect no one has mentioned, is the tire warrenty, i use to work at a tire store as a salesmen and we would not honor a damaged tire that was not balanced, this may have been told to us to sell the service, but i can see even if you but a ST tire or trailer tire if it blows out them denying to fix it possibly for this reason, even though it really has nothing to do with that type failure anyway, and to tell you the truth the company may try to get out of it even if balanced.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: balancing tires on boat trailer

balancing, even 8", they will last longer, and ride better, less wear on the bearings also.

I called around to all the local tire dealers here, they can't balance an 8" tire other than using a bubble balancer, and then they said that most 8" rims now won't hold a weight. I looked at several of mine, the rims edge rolls around much farther than that of the larger tires, so a hammer on weight won't work, the only option would be stick on weights. I have a bubble balancer, but when I put an 8" on it, its not enough weight to float the head on the balancer.

12" tires work fine. I put four of my 12" tires on the balancer and one took a 1/4 oz. the others came up fine with no weight.

When I bought my last two new tires, both 205/14 Carlisle tires, and the guy said that he spun them up but they came up perfect with no weight so he left them alone.

Running in saltwater most of the time, I also notice that the little clips on the weights tend to rust away pretty quick and let the weight fly, often within the first season. I've always thought that a flying weight could really damage the boat if it didn't get caught by the fender. (I had a weight fly off my old dually pickup, it came off the inside of the outer tire and flew right through my fiberglass fenders. The weight came off, but the clip stayed in place in that case).