wheel balencing

I am running great big honking wire bead tires at 26x2.7 and soon to be bigger. While I have said I have been up to 40 miles an hour I have been even faster up to 60 where the tires even if they had a problem would have canceled out vibrations. I stand by my word story will never change I have no vibration problems. Smooth as silk.....

I have been to ludicrous speeds if the slime favored making things worse I would know. Been up to 60 mph [ going down a mountain]everything can rattle then.

I have seen a simple reflector cause havoc with a bicycle wheel it will bounce even at speed..

Bicycle shops will say well when I asked does it matter they will usually say no..

I also don't like the reflectors and will not use then becuase the spokes they get connected to seem to work loose in my observations.

I don't use them.

They may be a great idea for someone statically balancing a wheel however.

While I have not spun my wheels up suspended yet I never needed to there was never ever a problem to diagnose. I will some time for curiosity sake give it a look though!! Would be a cool thing to observe!


On my 26x2.7 size tires I used 6 oz of slime. I have always ran the heavy leather thick thorn proof tubes. How do I make this clear I get no flats.

Well now if it is indeed impaled The best thing I ever found was to ride it when the puncture happens! That's just how the slime works . With a motor I would get on it hope for the best.[think a lot bigger than a sticker] That would get me home or to an air station. Usually after I re-air the tire, ride hard once more it was sealed perfectly. No worry whatsoever..

Occasional sure. Flat? shoot man air it up ride it its fine. I have to park the bike for weeks and even months. These are the only time I have ever got a flat. Patch kit I don't even own one. I never will ether..

My tires are riddled with Goat Heads . Lots of them tiny holes! Got thousands of them! More than I can express for comprehension sake. Its the darnedest thing tires is aired up working perfectly .. On five different bikes at the moment , and all these years for me without a hitch.

I HAVE SURVIVED A LOT MORE THAN A GOAT HEAD.


On my motorized I always run my rear tire until it is bald until there is a tiny layer of skin there[call it morbid curiosity]. I have never experience a flat per say I have tubes that are in their third tire.

I DON'T USE TIRE LINERS I HATE THEM think out of round rough riding tire for starters.....

That cannot be balanced..

I had one tire I reused [was r&ring a rim] I did not notice the tire had severe dry rot enough to worry about. That thing rode rough as all heck [the galloping horse] the tube was sticking out. I got a new tire reused the tube and all was fine.

I love heavy duty tubes.


All it takes is one person V it one time to trigger the valve core pointing down and gauges etc will give issues. Just pull the core out with the tool and clean it up once all will be fine. I promise you!

Something designed to plug holes is the stuff I wanna use. You don't want to engage the valve core any lower than 10 O clock. One can even give the valve core a quick touch to clear it of any residue before engaging with a tire chuck or gauged so not to corrupt it. Which I never do... and have never corrupted anything by the way. 10 O clock or higher.

SLIME - Worldwide Leader in Tire Care - Repairing a flat tire? Slime Tire & Tube Sealant

From the Faq: What's the best way to inflate/deflate a SLiME treated tire?

Whenever possible, we recommend rotating the tire so the valve stem is in the 10 or 2 o'clock position. Gravity will help the sealant to flow away from the stem preventing it from blowing up through and out of the valve stem where the fibers and other particles can clog and block the valve and or blow out into your pump or compressor.

Confusion always gets stirred up don't it..


Quote from here: Slime 8oz Refill Bottle For Bike Tires And Tube Repair

Once installed, SLiME remains liquid and will not harden or dry out. Slime is guaranteed for 2 years.


From the Faq: SLIME - Worldwide Leader in Tire Care - Repairing a flat tire? Slime Tire & Tube Sealant

What is the shelf life of SLiME?

As long as the sealant is contained within its original bottle with the cap securely closed and stored in a cool, dry place SLiME will remain effective for at least 4 years. If you intend to use a bottle you've had for awhile, please be sure to shake the bottle vigorously prior to installation. This will help to blend the product and restore the normal viscosity. Once installed in a tube or tire Slime will remain active for two years.

Will SLiME pool at the base of the tire?

Tubeless tire SLiME has more adhesive characteristics, which allows it to cling to the inner casing of the tire longer. This helps to prevent vibration when the tire rotates and the sealant is once again forced to flow around the tire.

Inner tubes are very slick, so when a bike or other tubed tire is stationary the sealant will pool relatively quickly at the base of the tire. It, too, will redistribute very quickly and evenly once the tire is up and rotating again.

Will SLiME freeze?

SLiME Tire Sealants can be used in relatively extreme conditions. SLiME will not freeze solid in extreme cold, but the viscosity may increase. As soon as the tire is in rotation, friction will create heat and that heat will bring the sealant back to its normal viscosity.

Does SLiME Pro Freeze?

Slime Pro contains an antifreeze additive that enables cyclists to ride in cold weather conditions as low as -4˚F (-20˚C).

[Now I have to imagine Alaska would be the test wouldn't it! I put my bikes inside at night.. to stay warm with me and the dogs.] Think Three Dog Night.. I love my dogs



Will SLiME affect wheel balance?

Adding SLiME to high speed tires - especially front tires - could result in vibration. In high speed applications, we recommend using SLiME as a repair only Installing sealant in rear tires alone does not, normally, affect balance.

[ I also think this statement only applies to car tires.] As I have observer nuttun....

[ Here is where I may be different I use more slime product than usual] Think about this concept.

http://www.khulsey.com/rv_info/rv_ce...balancing.html


Now a good tire is a flat preventative for sure. I have had slicks like these that fared off quit well.

http://www.rei.com/pix/common/pixel.gif Yes with no slime. I still used slime when I ran these however I just used less. I think about that stray Goat Head all the time..



Yes slime is a green goop that makes folks bashful. I am bashful about my well greased [motorized bike] think rear wheal and chains. That pitch black grease never wipes or washes off. I am so glad I don't wast time patching tubes!!!

I just rinse it off my hands no problem..


From the Faq: How do I clean up a SLiME spill?

SLiME is manufactured with a non-staining dye and is water soluble. If the spill occurred on a hard surface you may not need to do anything more than wipe it up with a towel until the spill is gone. If the spill occurred on fiber (carpeting, clothing etc) be sure to use a clean/dry towel to first absorb the majority of liquid. Next, cleanse the area with warm, sudsy water. If the sealant was left for awhile before and has set up, you may need to use a stain removing product like Oxy Clean. Always test fabrics for color-fastness.



So to wrap up where I stated if the tire or rim is not round anymore it cannot be balanced. As a auto mechanic I put cars on a lift all the time to see if I have to condemn a tire or rim. 4x4 with huge tires are more frequent with this example.


I put all the other literature here because some one always starts uneducated confusion.......


Chalo made good points before about what a good tire can do. Without slime...

How ever he was a slime hater that stirred up more confusion than truth. He tried to say it could not plug a hole. Slime works as good as this stuff in my opinion.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...sg=AFQjCNHyGSwdo2ehC-NSex0edKLJmJYGgA&cad=rja

I contacted the slime company and asked if they would make a video. All I got back was a politicization type answer.

http://motorbicycling.com/f11/goats-head-22645.html

I in my folly was prolly unable to word my self as well as he did. I think he made good points though.



Bairdco if I may say? Runs heavy duty steel rims the works and does not balance wheels. Also I believe he does not use slime ether. With out tire balancing issues..

I am not familiar with tubeless tires or Stans. I have always used tubes. I just posted the extra stuff because confusion always seams to ensue.

I think maybe the tubeless tires are rougher riding but would not know as I have never tried them.

I am not entirely sure that anything will not freeze up to a solid in a Alaska winter? I have road in every winter here no probs though. It would be interesting to see how that holds up to Alaskan cold?



I have heard that you folks have to take your car batteries inside at night? So I recon not..


The way the general conversation seamed to be going was that using this stuff caused tire balance issues I was simply offering my life's hands on experience with this goo.

Every time this stuff comes up someone always says but its green and I got some on me. Or they say they don't know how to use there air tools with it. It is usually the haters causing confusion.. Sure if you run a thin walled tube and or over air a tire, get snake bite from your rim ya stand a chance of getting green. I've just enjoyed never needing a patch kit.


You can read the debate between Chalo and I to see both sides of the story. Just about everything was covered there.


There is a fun debate over here too.

http://motorbicycling.com/f41/strengenthing-my-new-cruiser-22120.html

He would make a swell fellow on any debate team and brings up good points

What was the white sealent in the vidio with all the nail holes?

There's no hatin' here - no "confusion" Goat - it's just that there's two sides to every story, some aren't quite as enamored with that product as you seem to be lol, there's an upside & a downside to every product & some of us are just bringing up the flip side. It's great that you've found a product you're so pleased with - but this thread was about wheel balance & there's the possibility of the goo effecting that, which was the only point.

I will say that if 'Slime' isn't sponsoring you - they outa be



Anyhoo - back to wheel balancing, I really didn't wanna twist a chunk of solder to my spokes as it looks a lil silly, so I used a split weight (fishing) drilled out to crimp it to the spokes & cut down a lil to reduce it's weight... but I'm still not particularly pleased with it. I've thought about the adhesive type, marking the light side, airing down the tire and squeezing it aside to stick the weight to the inside of the rim (rounding the corners of the lil weight ofc)... but TBH it seems too much like work so I've not bothered heh

I'll also admit I've not bothered balancing the rear wheel, I was mostly after comfort & the slight vibration felt in my handle bars (and ofc experimenting with balancing bicycle wheels lol), I suspect that without a chain tensioner (shiftkit) and this particularly smooth-running HT (random chance) that I've less engine vibration than some - which makes anything else more noticeable ofc.

Again tho - I'm runnin' "industrial" tires which while rugged as heck aren't known for their uniformity. I've noticed that with the really nice, high end bike tires that they're not only far more uniform - but also incredibly light weight, which would also make balancing unnecessary. So like with anythin' it's all about application & need, if ya give the wheel a gentle spin and it jus' takes forever to settle, or never quite settles to the same spot - then you've not got a balance issue & ya needn't bother. Yet, if it does have a pronounced heavy spot, if it always settles exactly the same then it's easy 'nuff ta fix - if it matters to ya at all lol

how fast are you guys going to need to ballance your wheels???? unless you have a short gear on a small wheel your not turning enough rpms for this to make a differance... i look at my downhill racing experiance(why my body aches now) and wheel balance was never an issue and we would hit 45 mph regularly on open ski runs....as for the car example at 45 well that must have been a small wheel on that car or it was much more than an ounce....typically i dont see wheel balance problems much less than 60mph


but hey that static ballance used to work on motor cycles so why not on a bike...i just am afraid your pulling your hair out for nothing but **** ive done the same and cant say i wont do it again

I think where this is getting confusing for some is it's an admittedly tiny detail, one if neglected wouldn't have any serious negative consequences at all - it's simply another lil thing that's wicked easy to do, for very little effort & no expense a minor flaw can be fixed if an out-of-balance is even evident *shrug*

It's like some don't care if their cables are hangin' or routed neatly - heck, even as minor as valve stems being perfectly straight outa the rim lol, some like to focus on the tiniest of build details & some jus' like to ride.

To each their own I figure, I've other things that make me go bald


BTW - unlike our bikes, wheel balance on motorcycles is a CRITICAL safety concern, out of true and/or out of balance wheels can lead to the dreaded "tank slapper" - an extremely sketchy phenomenon that once experienced you'll never want to repeat lol, I did my time in a motorcycle shop and trying to balance those wheels was part of it... an annoying part heh Ofc they stopped static balancing & got a proper computerized spin balancer after I got a different job

i runs heavy duty steel rims the works and does not balance wheels. Also I do not use slime ether. With out tire balancing issues.

wait, did someone already say that?

i build my own wheels, run heavy duty tubes, don't like slime because i've seen what happens to it when a tire blows, and the one time i tried to use it it clogged up my valve stem and i couldn't air up the tube.

my bike goes faster than most, and the faster i go, the smoother it rides. it feels all lumpy at 20 or under.

i've stated my opinion and some fact based reasons why i don't balance my wheels in at least one other thread, so i'm not going to go into it again.

i also think tying and soldering spokes is a joke. the reason bicycles are spoked is because they're supposed to move to absorb shock. that's one of the reasons why mags and aerospoke wheels break.

the only reason i could see to balance and/or solder and tie spokes, is for when you're sitting around taking a break, smoking a cigarette and trying to get the numbness outta your hands, you can point it out to looky-loos, and be all, "yeah, bike rides much better after i balanced my wheels, before, she wouldn't even get over 50..."

another thing. static balancing is prehistoric.

and finally, if you really, really think you need to balance your wheels and you've got some money to spend, go here: Dyna Beads for Motorcycle Riders and Dealers

Dyna Beads are small ceramic spheres, high in density and perfectly smooth, that travel inside the tire to locate themselves opposite heavy points to eliminate out-of-balance motion.

Click to expand...

NEVER heard of 'em lol and TBH it's makin' my brain hurt

basically, your tire becomes a supercollider, and when the ceramic beads crash into each other at high speeds, it creates a strangelet, and the vibration disappears like it's getting sucked into mini black holes.

orly? ZOMG! I hasta haz thems

So - I assume there will also be the corresponding tear in space/time and I'll finally be able to break the 50mph barrier? I gotta get me some better racing goggles fosho!



Ofc... the bugs may prove problematic

sounds like a great idea,its time we got some inovative use out of the Star Trek shows,next step,,,WARP DRIVE