Wheel Weights

[Whiskey_River]

Has anyone had trouble with wheel weights falling off or coming off their trailer be it 5th wheel or travel trailer. I stopped at a tire shop last week to price tires and ask if the price included mount & balance. He said they usually do not balance tires for a trailer, any type trailer, ie horse trailer, trailer for hauling or RV, because they come off bouncing over bridge expansion joints, pot holes etc. They will balance them but just wondered if that is true....

[Horizon170]

golf_bears wrote:
Yes you should have your trailer wheels balanced. If you're concerned with the weights falling off, consider using ceramic beads placed inside the tires. The Bead system works great and the wheels stay balanced regardless of which roads you travel on.

All highway tires should be balanced.
I use the bead method also. That way there is nothing to worry about until you get a flat or the tire wears out.
BTW-------------I advise to NEVER use SLIME to seal a leak as they nullify the use of balancing beads.
Marvin

[Durb]

I don't count and keep a log of my wheel balancing weights. I seldom remove my trailer tires so couldn't tell if a weight was thrown or not. When I need new tires I will have them balanced and most likely be oblivious until the next time. My tow is bouncy when I first leave the driveway but it smoothes out in a few miles, out of round I guess.

[beemerphile1]

If you do get trailer wheels balanced make sure the garage has the correct adapter. Trailer wheels are lug centric and car/truck wheels are hub centric.

[mosseater]

I've been using balancing beads for several years and I have no evidence to suggest they don't work. That said, I don't really have any evidence they DO! Tread wear is even across all tires. And the beads don't fall off!

[Chuck_thehammer]

that's called using cheap wheel weights..

steel wheel.. car/truck/trailer same weights..

aluminum wheels... several models of wheel weights. so correct one is needed
or use stick-on..

if they fall off.. go to a better tire shop..

[deltabravo]

This is a video of the tires (and their out of round condition) on one of my trailers. The concept of balancing trailer trailers a;ways seem to stir the pot so I thought I'd share my video here.

Back in 2010 I bought a different trailer than the one in the video. It was a flatbed PJ car hauler trailer, which I hauled my Jeep TJ Rubicon on. The tires were so badly unbalanced, the trailer vibrated going down the road empty. I took the tires/wheels to Discount Tire. They said 2 of the 4 were badly out of round, and they saw no point in trying to balance them. I took all 4 tires and wheels back to the dealer I bought the trailer from and the sales guy gave me a "deer in the headlights" look when I said the tires were so badly out of round that they couldn't be balanced. He said "trailer tires don't need to be balanced." I told him they DO need balanced when I can feel the trailer vibrating going down the road when it's empty. They rounded up a new set of tires for me a few days later, I had them balance on the way home, and the trailer towed way better after that.

The trailer in the video vibrated as well. I didn't notice the vibration until I towed it with my Silverado Dually (stiff suspension). I could feel the vibration being transmitted through the trailer hitch to the truck.
Balancing the tires solved the issue on this trailer as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwFMpTrFJHM

On a heavy RV, there's probably a lot less likelihood of feeling a tire balance or out of round condition... but on an empty utility trailer, it was very evident.

[Whiskey_River]

OK, 10-4 all.
I thought when he said that it sounded like an "old wives tale", or "urban myth", but thought I would see if any folks have lost weights on their trailers bouncing over bridge expansion joints or pot holes.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

There is a lot of reasons for not balancing trailer tires but weights falling off is not one of them.

[NEHOG]

I've used stick on weights on the inside of the rims and not lost any. Rim must be very clean when installing however.

That said, I've never had a tire balance issue on a trailer.

[RAS43]

If a shop told me what they told the OP I would be on my way to another shop that believed in tire balancing and had the experience to do it correctly so the weights don't come off. I don't believe I have had a weight come off anything I have owned.

[golf_bears]

Yes you should have your trailer wheels balanced. If you're concerned with the weights falling off, consider using ceramic beads placed inside the tires. The Bead system works great and the wheels stay balanced regardless of which roads you travel on.

[Lynnmor]

I think that the loss of wheel weights is usually caused by incorrect weights or poor installation. That type of weight to be used depends on the type of wheel.

[JIMNLIN]

Whiskey River wrote:
Has anyone had trouble with wheel weights falling off or coming off their trailer be it 5th wheel or travel trailer. I stopped at a tire shop last week to price tires and ask if the price included mount & balance. He said they usually do not balance tires for a trailer, any type trailer, ie horse trailer, trailer for hauling or RV, because they come off bouncing over bridge expansion joints, pot holes etc. They will balance them but just wondered if that is true....

I've lost lead weights off my trucks wheels before when I was on the road full time. Never lost one on my rv trailer or any of my working trailers as I don't use them nor did they come on the OEM tires.

Trailer lugs are notorious for working loose especially on a new wheels till they get worked in from side stress created as they side scrub around corners and especially being lug centered.

I would say a trailers wheel is more apt to shed lead weights, if it does, than the tow vehicle.

You would have to ask those that have lost wheel weights what they think is the reason theirs came off their trailer.

[rhagfo]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Balancing trailer wheels :H

YEP......you betcha
If it goes round and round at SPEED balancing can only help



Loosing wheel weights
NOPE.....

All wheels are balanced when tires are installed.
Never lost a weight on any wheel

Shocks on trailer axles help control the bouncing also.

X2!
Yes balance as it is spinning, and X2 to shocks, our TV was in the shop when we
Needed to change parks, so I followed the hauler and it to the new park. I knew the rough spots on the road, watching the 5er go over them smoothly from the rear was interesting to watch.