Equal (tire balancer) experiment failure

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Apr 22, 2005 | 06:39 AM

#21

mt_goat

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Joined: Nov 2002

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From: Oklahoma State

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTL_4runner

Guess I should have asked did you ever put any back in? (sorry, I haven't had my coffee yet....totally busted!)
....from your response I would guess the answer was no.

I'll give it a shot and just dump it out if I don't like it either.

Yeah I thought that might get a laugh.

I don't plan on ever putting it back in, unless I'm like 500 miles from home and throw a weight or spin the tire on the rim. Since I am usually wheeling a long way from home I'll carry some for emergences.

Apr 22, 2005 | 07:53 AM

#22

MTL_4runner

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Joined: Jul 2003

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From: Montreal, QC Canada

I got some free samples of Equal today too.
Maybe I will try a comparison and see which works better.

Apr 22, 2005 | 09:25 AM

#23

Robinhood150

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Joined: May 2002

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From: Wandering around Phoenix

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTL_4runner

Just so people don't get confused....

Radial balance: A heavy spot, stiff portion of the tire or vertical runout problem acting parallel to the tire centerline (typically tire)
Lateral balance: Usually a sideways runout problem (rotor, tire, rim, etc) acting perpendicular to the centerline of the tire

The balancing beads (like Counterbalance and Equal) will only cure a radial balance problem as mt_goat mentioned since it uses centrifugal force to distribute the material and thus would have no way to create any sideways forces which result from lateral balance problems.

Ok, I see, thanks for clarifying. Just to re-iterate my original point, a radial imbalance can induce a shakey steering wheel so a shakey steering wheel is not necessarily indicative of a lateral imbalance.

Last edited by Robinhood150; Apr 22, 2005 at 09:26 AM.

Apr 22, 2005 | 12:23 PM

#24

MTL_4runner

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From: Montreal, QC Canada

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robinhood150

I think you would feel vibration through the steering wheel with a radial imbalance too but lateral imbalance usually is more pronounced because it causes the steering wheel to turn side to side (as you would to steer) and thus the vibration has less dampening. You are right though, "a shakey steering wheel is not necessarily indicative of a lateral imbalance".