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ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Suzuki 4x4 Forum => Topic started by: Amilla on May 20, 2008, 11:09:37 AM

Title: Air Soft BB's
Post by: Amilla on May 20, 2008, 11:09:37 AM
Hey all, i just ordered some 34X10.5 LTB's.  Due to the fact that they are bias they cant be balanced.
I was wondering if anyone here knew a little something about putting air soft BB's in side the tire?
I need to figure out how much I'm supposed to put in each one.

Any help would be awesome.

Amilla
Title: Re: Air Soft BB's
Post by: rascott on May 20, 2008, 11:44:53 AM
ignorance is my excuse- i've never heard of air soft bb's. they sound cool.
i was wondering why the tires can't be balanced?
back in the old days bias ply was real common. i used to balance them w/a bubble balancer, but surely they can be spun?
richard
Title: Re: Air Soft BB's
Post by: kingzoo on May 20, 2008, 11:52:26 AM
   News to me.I thought bias ply tires were balanced like any other tire.
Title: Re: Air Soft BB's
Post by: lil_Truck on May 20, 2008, 12:02:53 PM
I now of a farmer that uses something like that in all his tires.  It's a compound that you put in your tire and when you start going down the rod it automaticly ballances your tire.

They will wobble a little at take off but even out quickly.

Also, I never had a problem balacing bias ply tires??
Title: Re: Air Soft BB's
Post by: Amilla on May 20, 2008, 06:22:35 PM
I'm pretty sure you can have them balanced the same.  But once you hit the road, they tend to get a little wobbly.  It has something to do with the constrution of bias tires, there tends to be heavy spots in it.
I just found something that said, to run 500 airsoft BBs in a 33x10.5 so i might give that a whirl.

This is the site that has the amounts for how much you need to put in.
http://www.innovativebalancing.com/BigTirechart.htm

Amilla
Title: Re: Air Soft BB's
Post by: phloop on May 20, 2008, 07:29:10 PM
Have those tires balanced, bias ply tires are balanced the same as a radial tire. And if you still want to add a balancing agent to the inside of your tires get the correct stuff. There is a powder that is used for this, may be more spendy than airsoft pellets but at least you cant hear the powder moving around.
Title: Re: Air Soft BB's
Post by: dres0081 on May 20, 2008, 07:54:08 PM
just run the BBs, then you can drive around and sound like one of those rainstick things :laugh: :laugh:
But anyways, ya i have heard of people doing this and having luck with it. Finding the airsoft BBs will be a lot easier than finding the powder.
Title: Re: Air Soft BB's
Post by: jeff1997 on May 20, 2008, 07:56:33 PM
My 31's are bias and have been balanced and rotated just like any other tire. ??? Save your time with the BB's, some guys use bags of shot or beanbags to try to keep BIG tires balanced, like 40's or 44's. You are wasting your time putting balancing agents in the little guys. The worst problem I have with the LTB's is flat spots on cold mornings. Give them a couple minutes to "warm" up at speed and they balance out and hum like a Super Swamper should!  8)
Title: Re: Air Soft BB's
Post by: Amilla on May 20, 2008, 10:29:20 PM
Im going to have them balanced out and everything, and have some BBs chucked in.
If its no bueno then ill just pull them out. 

Amilla
Title: Re: Air Soft BB's
Post by: rascott on May 21, 2008, 06:00:51 AM
thanks for the link.
i remember automatic balancers that bolted to the wheel.
i can see why trucker and highway use benefits, and will be interested in your experience.
richard
Title: Re: Air Soft BB's
Post by: ebewley on May 21, 2008, 08:42:34 AM
The balancing agent is called Equal powder and is at many tire shops.

Just warm your tires up real good at a high pressure and pull into your shop and have them balanced with good ol' fashion lead. The BB deal is no good unless you put a lot (enough to equal the lead) to do the job... and that's being optimistic.

http://www.imiproducts.com/equal/index.aspx

I've used it, hated it...

Good luck, Eric
Title: Re: Air Soft BB's
Post by: Amilla on May 21, 2008, 09:07:17 AM
That sounds about right Eric, i should probably just go with the lead weights.
I was just told yesterday that it takes 1lb of lead to balance a 33x13.5, and that seems like quite a bit of BB's to me.

Amilla
Title: Re: Air Soft BB's
Post by: mic on May 22, 2008, 09:46:38 PM
Go to any big rig tire shop for the equal. I've used it in much larger tires with some success, bu real big tires never truly balance. 35 or smaller any tire shop worth its weight should be able to balance or come within .25. Just my 2cents.
Title: Re: Air Soft BB's
Post by: lowrider on June 21, 2008, 07:22:03 PM
You can balance them with a little work I've done it before.something better than bb's is called equal they use it in transfer trucks.they would know how much to use and it works great.I used it in the tires on my lowrider when I had it.
Title: Re: Air Soft BB's
Post by: knightkat on August 01, 2008, 12:14:49 PM
I'd actually be a bit leary of using lead bbs as they will probobly wear and leave lead dust inside your tire for you to inhale the next time you mess with them...  You might want to try steel ball bearings (bb sized) instead as I've seen that mentioned on a number of other offroad forums.
Title: Re: Air Soft BB's
Post by: wildgoody on August 01, 2008, 07:30:10 PM
My 33x13.5 ballanced out fine with good old lead. if there isn't enough
space on the rim for weight, have them stick on lead to the inside flat
part to get them balanced.

Wild
Title: Re: Air Soft BB's
Post by: Basher on August 01, 2008, 11:11:19 PM
i read a articale about some internal balencing stuff in pettersons, they liked it, i know i end up loosing those tap on lead clamps the first few trails runs, all bias plys flat spot, its ok with me for the better price and better sidewalls, my cousins a trucker and they get there tire" shaved" on the rig they bassiccly shave the high spots as they rotate, youde think this takes off valuable tread, wich it does, but i hear it more than makes up for it if done right with even no scrub wear, i havent done it becouse i dont drive mine on pavement much , but its a thought, those airsfts are pretty light, i think youde need a crapload to help, but hey good luck! let us know how things work out
Title: Re: Air Soft BB's
Post by: bentparts on August 03, 2008, 06:03:40 AM
I use the ceramic balance beads in my 32x11.50's and it works great. No external weights at all. Kinda pricy, but worth it. I even bashed in a rim my last trip down to TN, and they compensated for it with no diserable difference, meaning smooth at 70mph.