Balancing

[DaveA1]

For some reason when I bought my new van I assumed, why I don't know, that the wheels would be balanced as I knew older vans weren't.
Anyway the other day I dived under the van to check the brake rod support to see if it was still attached to the floor under the van, has it had come away on my lads van.
I shone the flash light about and noticed no balance weights on the wheels at all, off to ETS and had them done.
Not sure if good/bad or what, one needed 95grams the other 50grams.
Let me know?
Maybe I will not have so many screws loose from now on. Apart from mine, that is.
Why would you not balance the wheels.

 

[Jcloughie]

Regardless of what caravan manufacturers say. I firmly believe that balancing is very important and can be nothing but an improvement. Certainly, balancing could never be detrimental.

I bought my last van new in 2015, The dealer was not equipped to balance the wheels, so I had previously sussed out a tyre dealer that had sufficient room. I called in on my way home and had them done. It was necessary to turn the van around and I used the mover. Tyre staff and customers looked on in amazement.

I have heard of wheels that could not be balanced as they were so bad. Presumably yours would have been fine if the balancer had passed them.

John

 

[RogerL]

Some tyre fitters still believe that caravan/trailer tyres don't need balancing - so be on your guard when replacement tyres are fitted and insist that they are.

 

[Hutch]

I fully agree with you, since changing my tyres , and getting them balanced, less bits falling apart inside the van.
My biggest problem is I have Tyron Bands, most dealers cannot change the there's as they don't have the equipment, thankfully I do,

I am due to replace my tyres, 7 years old Hankooks Vantra.
I now I have Tyre Pal sensors , but do I refit my Tyron Bands,

1. Why not, adds a bit more safety, to keep the tyre on the rim.
2. Nothing negative apart from hassle on fitting, and changing a tyre.
I haven't had a puncture in 15 years. I think I do less than 2000 miles a year.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I fully agree with you, since changing my tyres , and getting them balanced, less bits falling apart inside the van.
My biggest problem is I have Tyron Bands, most dealers cannot change the there's as they don't have the equipment, thankfully I do,

I am due to replace my tyres, 7 years old Hankooks Vantra.
I now I have Tyre Pal sensors , but do I refit my Tyron Bands,

1. Why not, adds a bit more safety, to keep the tyre on the rim.
2. Nothing negative apart from hassle on fitting, and changing a tyre.
I haven't had a puncture in 15 years. I think I do less than 2000 miles a year.

Its a matter of personal choice whether to use tyre bands, You may choose to , but definitely won't. and my reasons are, the primary job they claim to do is to retain the tyre on th erim in the event of a deflation. The majority caravan rims already have a bead whose job is the same.

The manufacturer has not provided any verifiable evidence the product improves the safety or control of normal caravans. Military vehicles may be but not normal road going vehicles.

If the product is so good, why are they not obligatory

Why are the not fitted on most normal domestic vehicles as standard.

As thier function can only really be shown when the tyre has deflated, its rather like closing the door after the horse has bolted. Prevention is far better so a TMPS or even regular tyre checks before driving are likely to be better value than a tyre band.

Tyre bands can complicate balancing wheels

Some tyre companies cannot handle the fitting of replacement tyres when a tyre band is present.

There is also a weight penalty not only for the caravan bt also the unsprung mass of the wheel.

Please feel free to spend extra money to have tyre bands fitted, or to have additional problems when you need to have a tyre changed.

 

[Dustydog]

Plus another fully in favour of balancing the caravan wheels. If you removed the wheels yourself don’t forget to double check the nut/ bolt torque after 50 miles

 

[Buckman]

We have always had our wheels balanced and it makes a massive difference.

Its a matter of personal choice whether to use tyre bands, You may choose to , but definitely won't. and my reasons are, the primary job they claim to do is to retain the tyre on th erim in the event of a deflation. The majority caravan rims already have a bead whose job is the same.

The manufacturer has not provided any verifiable evidence the product improves the safety or control of normal caravans. Military vehicles may be but not normal road going vehicles.

Please feel free to spend extra money to have tyre bands fitted, or to have additional problems when you need to have a tyre changed.

We have been down this route previously in a number of other threads and you have never been able to provide evidence that they do not work? Surely it is up to the individual to decide whether to use them or not?

 

[Billybushwick]

My wheels do not have Tyron bands as the pressure required to remove a tyre from the rim is fantastic, and considering that a caravan weighs little over the weight of a car, they would be fitted to cars if needed.
The 95g and 50g isn't bad, I used to work fitting tyres and we've had them over 170gms! One bloke wouldn't have it and said that his wheel could be balanced as it had been balanced before, I told him that he had either hit a curb hard or a bad pothole at speed, then I showed him the warping by spinning the machine by hand. He told me that it wasn't so bad so I let him try to balance it himself, on the premise that every weight he put on, he paid for. 100's of grams later and he gave in, slipped me a £5 and walked off chunttering something lol.

 

[Buckman]

My wheels do not have Tyron bands as the pressure required to remove a tyre from the rim is fantastic, and considering that a caravan weighs little over the weight of a car, they would be fitted to cars if needed.
The 95g and 50g isn't bad, I used to work fitting tyres and we've had them over 170gms! One bloke wouldn't have it and said that his wheel could be balanced as it had been balanced before, I told him that he had either hit a curb hard or a bad pothole at speed, then I showed him the warping by spinning the machine by hand. He told me that it wasn't so bad so I let him try to balance it himself, on the premise that every weight he put on, he paid for. 100's of grams later and he gave in, slipped me a £5 and walked off chunttering something lol.

Yep we had to have some serious weights on one of our wheels when the caravan was brand new. The alloys are probably from some cheap manufacturer in the Far East.

 

[Milkfloat]

Plus another fully in favour of balancing the caravan wheels. If you removed the wheels yourself don’t forget to double check the nut/ bolt torque after 50 miles

I would be checking even sooner if someone else did it. I have trust issues.