Just put on my new Pro Comps and 35" KM2's that were mounted/balanced and shipped to my front door So the first thing I do is throw them on the Jeep and back out of my driveway to see all the wheel weights sitting on the cement. Apparently they didnt clear the calipers. Oops. Go easy, I'm still learning.

I drive into town to a Midas shop. I know the guy there and trust him. He said instead of putting weights on that there is a powder they put inside the tire. Kinda like the truckers do with their tires with golf balls. As you start driving the powder rotates around the tire and settles in the spots it needs to be to balance the tire. This happens at about 20 mph. This is all new news to me.

Has anyone or does anyone use this method instead of weights? What are pro's and con's? Should I just opt to have them put the weights on the outside of the tire?

 

people have been doing it for years. I used to sell parts for tractor trailer rigs and they even sold rings that went on the wheel that had tiny steel shot inside it for the same effect. I have heard of 4x4 guys using airsoft pellets in them too. Personally I would rather have the tires weighted correctly. I have the Nitto mud grapplers and they required almost no weight though.

 

I have wasted more money on that junk... I would love to tell you its worth the effort, but truly its not.

I have tried a couple of different versions and all ended up in the vaccuum. The worst was Dynabeads. The guy there kept selling me more and more til there was nearly 2# of the junk in a 37" Maxxis. It NEVER worked.

Tape on lead weights smoothed them out perfectly. Skip the gimmicks.

 

Ok, another balancing newb question. I drove about 40 miles to go catfishing tonight reaching speeds of only 55 with no weights on the wheels. Never a shimmy or a shake. What gives. There were a ton of weights on the wheels when I got them.

 

what happened to the weights? maybe the tires got rounder as you drove? Usually they require more weight as time goes though I think. I have never weighted a tire myself.. I have only told them to balance my tires at the tire/wheel hut and then hope they do a great job.

 

I've never done it, but have heard many swear by it. I have also seen that the beads are preferable to the powder as the powder may be comromised by moisture. Can't validate that claim myself though.

 

the powder, airsoft pellets etc dont play nicely with the TPMS sensors.

 

No problem here. I left them in my stock wheels. [!] is what i like!

 

Am I gonna be the guinea pig for the powder in a 35” KM2?

 

One thing I would worry about is if you air down the tire for off-roading, wouldn't the powder or anything else inside of the tire come out when you pull the valve core?