Balancing Beads ok to use after run flat removed?

[trider]

I have some 365 XZL's that I removed the run flats in to mount on Long Wheel one piece rims. I have cleaned the run flat lube/black tar stuff out the best I can but as everyone knows you can not get it all out. There is still some smeared around inside the tire. I am wanting to put balancing beads or bbs inside for safe measure to be sure they are balanced. I am afraid the beads may stick in the tar/lube throwing the tire off balancing and the only way to fix it if this happened would be the break the tire down and clean them out. Does anyone know a better way to clean this crap out? If not should I use balancing beads or not worry about them?

 

[welldigger]

I would clean all of the slime out or not use the beads. A good substitute for the beads is 50/50 antifreeze and water. Not sure how much to add though. Never had to use either.

 

[trider]

I have not found anything that will get it all out. I have had several people say trying to get it all out will make you a crazy person.

 

[welldigger]

Dawn dish soap would be my best guess. But they are probably right about going crazy trying to remove it all. I know you have been having trouble balancing those tires. I'd be afraid the beads and slime would cause more problems rather than solve them.

 

[rustystud]

If you do decide to go with the anti-freeze route, use a 75/25 mix (75 anti-freeze, 25 water) if you live in a area with cold winters. The farmers in Eastern Washington use this combination and it seems to hold up for years.

 

[av8or]

If it is the same BLACK MATERIAL I found that after scraping out the what I could a power washer took care of the problem. It acted as if it was a soap base material.

 

[Lieutenant Dan]

Slime is horrible stuff. Absolutely horrible. I've been in the tire industry for a long long time and we hated that stuff. Your going to have to dismount the tire and scrub it and wash it out.

 

[Special T]

The "grease" is strange stuff for sure. If i were to try and get it all out I would scrape as much out as i could then take dawn dish soap and HOT water and add it to the tire and roll it around, let it sit then roll around some more. Its not really a grease and partially water soluble.

What i would say about "balancing" that big of a tire is this. Its a Truck, it wont drive like a Corvette!

There are however a few things i have learned about balancing truck or heavy equipment tires. a 75-25 water/anti frees is likely a good idea. Antifreeze conditions/swells rubber and will help seal leaking tires. The active ingredient in antifreeze is the same one in TIRE LIFE that they use in heavy equipment. I have personally used straight antifreeze to seal up weather checked Hummer tires so that i could dive on them. Unless you live in a very DRY climate the balancing powders like "Equal" or thier equilivant will not work. In wester WA there is too much moisture in the air and the powder bunches up and does not balance the tire. You could use lead/zink weights but the first time you drop in the mud you will spin them on the rim. Slime or other branded sealant will help seal holes but doesn't really help balance unless you add a HUGE amount. Tire guys hate sealant, the antifreeze mix would be your best bet. IMO.

 

[Lieutenant Dan]

Even the antifreeze mix makes problems for getting patches to stick to tires. The tire life conditioner works good in otr vehicles but they are huge and most of it soaks into the tire itself.

We used to service a 998 cat loader and they had calcium in the tires for weight balance. It would take 2 to 3 hrs just to pump the calcium out to even think about changing the tire.

 

[Special T]

There are 2 keys to making patches stick to tires that have the antifreeze mix in them. Use good Glue! The Rema Tip Top brand blue glue works great and will bond nearly any rubber surface. The second is the affected area need proper prepping. It is much harder to do a good job in the feild than at your shop. I would empty all the fluid out, and dry the area with a rag then use a heat gun to get it nice and dry. The Rubber buffing cleaner is also a must.. On Radial tires there are 2 layers of rubber on the inside. The Inner Liner is what is absorbing the Antifreeze. So in order to get the best bond buff through the inner liner around the hole and then taper to the inner liner making sure the patch overlaps the seam plenty.

There are many fixes to a flat tire that will work in a pinch and I have used many of them. Having Antifreeze in a tire requires a more "Perfect" repair to last.

 

[Lieutenant Dan]

Yup you don't have to tell me.... I ran 24 hr road service for over 13 yrs and rema is the best. I was just trying to explain in simple terms what to expect by putting balance stuff inside the tire. They gain you balance if you call it that but there is down falls.

Also you coukd try golf balls. We did it for many drivers and they say it works but idk if it does.

 

[Special T]

I would say equil is better than golf balls. I have seen semi tires with partially melted inner liners and messed up golf balls in them.

 

[red]

I've used airsoft bb's in some tires and pcc slime (puncture control compound) in humvee tires with great results for balancing. Used the pcc stuff with the runflats and no problems driving.

 

[brianp454]

trider did you ever sort out your imbalance issue? I sent you a PM and haven't heard back.

 

[trider]

No I didn't figure it out so I had Long Wheel make me a set of one piece wheels and am working on getting the tires cleaned up to have them mounted.

 

[trider]

Just an update very hot water and Dawn dish soap got them clean as a wistle on the inside. I was amazed I was able to get all that nasty black stuff out.

 

[rolling18]

/how much antifreeze do you put in a 395/ 85 tire??

 

[TsgtB]

What about the stuff used to weight tractor tires...?
Beet juice.
has a freezing point of minus-30 degrees Fahrenheit....
it's NOT corrosive to the metal, and if spilled SO WHAT... there is no special "clean up" for it...

 

[rolling18]

sounds like a candidate for automotive coolant!

 

[TsgtB]

sounds like a candidate for automotive coolant!

I'll bet someone has tried it...
I have no idea, but I did have my Kubota tires weighted with it, for traction, but wondered what it would do for balancing.
Just tossing it out there.