I realize this thread is 3 months old, but it is where I got the info for the ceramic beads. I highly recommend! After three months I have NO vibration at any speed.

 

Good to hear. I just got a set of the centramatic balancers and I'm gonna give those a whirl and see how they do. If they don't work, then I guess I'll break down and get the beads.

 

Centramatics work on exactly the same principle as beads. The beads are just in light oil inside the balancer and cost a lot more.

 

I know. The thing that sold me on the balancers over the beads was that they can be used from tire to tire and if I happen to pop a bead for some reason I don't have to worry about the beads falling out.

 

If you get good quality wheels/tires and have them match mounted and road force balanced you don't need any beads or centramatics. Beads and centramatics won't make a bad tire/wheel run smooth!!! they only work if out of balance.

 

I just used Diesel Rob's suggestion. Put about 16 oz of antifreeze in each tire. Left the weights on that tire store put on. SWEEEET ! I had a bad vibe around 60 to 70 mph before the antifreeze. I promise its gone now.

 

The quality of the balancing depends on who is running the balancing machine. Those guys are not the highest paid or skilled, and don't really care about the job they do, they are looking for a paycheck. But lets say for your sake they tires are perfectly balanced when they leave the shop. As tires wear they become unbalanced. They can throw a weight, you can knock one off, uneven tire wear, or just getting a rock stuck in the threads will throw the balancing off. The beads compensate for inbalance all the time. They are constantly working to balance the tires. This is a good thing.