P700 Balancing Beads. Good or Bad?

KevP700-4

KevP700-4

Well-Known Member
Mar 27, 2021
267
636
93
Northern MI
Ownership

  1. 700-4
Anyone using balancing beads for tire balance. Just got Tusk Terrabite tires (27x9-12 and 27x11-12) for our '21 700-4D. Was going to get them mounted on the OEM aluminum wheels. We do about 25% paved road, 75% dirt/sand/loam trails I'm northern MI. Our old OEM tires were pretty tore up after 850 miles. Don't want to put balancing weights on the wheels, but anything to increase the tire longevity, smoothness on the road, less vibration to the axles and gear boxes would be a plus, if the beads work. True, they won't make a difference at slow speeds, but might at over 25mph or so. What's your thoughts?? Thanks

PS: It was suggested to use about 5oz of beads per tire (ceramic beads).
 
  • Like
Reactions: DG Rider
Hello_Darkness

Hello_Darkness

Well-Known Member
Jun 6, 2024
603
2,464
93
Just to the right of nowhere
Ownership

  1. Do not currently own
Waste of money, scam imo

Balancing offroad tires is useless, if running them at the correct pressure they'll never ride smooth.
No offroad tire will last on road, no matter what. Unless you get truck tires, their just gonna wear out on blacktop.
 
ODAMO

ODAMO

Well-Known Member
Oct 12, 2018
1,378
3,627
113
Ohio
Ownership

  1. 1000-3
Tires on a 700 are gonna wear fast on road just because it has a rear spool. And if the front end is not aligned that’s helps wear em out too.
 
906UP

906UP

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Club Contributor
Jul 6, 2017
14,892
141,555
113
da Yoop
Ownership

  1. 1000-3

  2. Talon X
The Terrabites will last considerably longer than the OEM tires, they're a much harder compound. I wouldn't bother w the balance beads, you're not gonna spin them fast enough for the beads to have much effect.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Smitty335 and CID
The Green Goat

The Green Goat

DEI has ended. You gays are on your own.
Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Sep 7, 2020
2,358
17,417
113
Ohio
Ownership

  1. 520
I have them in my Jeep tires and it's one of the dumbest things I've ever done. They shift to one side on occasion and throw the tire so far out of balance that it shakes the steering wheel out of your hand. This requires you to stop, let them settle, and then take off again to get them to redistribute evenly. I'd like to strangle Custom Offsets for talking me into them and myself for actually believing it.
 
ODAMO

ODAMO

Well-Known Member
Oct 12, 2018
1,378
3,627
113
Ohio
Ownership

  1. 1000-3
I have them in my Jeep tires and it's one of the dumbest things I've ever done. They shift to one side on occasion and throw the tire so far out of balance that it shakes the steering wheel out of your hand. This requires you to stop, let them settle, and then take off again to get them to redistribute evenly. I'd like to strangle Custom Offsets for talking me into them and myself for actually believing it.
Nothin like adding to the Death Wobble. I’ve only experienced it twice in a jeep but it is a violent experience. I can imagine those beads would add to it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Smitty335
The Green Goat

The Green Goat

DEI has ended. You gays are on your own.
Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Sep 7, 2020
2,358
17,417
113
Ohio
Ownership

  1. 520
Nothin like adding to the Death Wobble. I’ve only experienced it twice in a jeep but it is a violent experience. I can imagine those beads would add to it.
They tend to do it if I coast to almost a stop, but then take off again. It's like they fall to the bottom, but as soon as I start rolling get stuck there instead of redistributing. As soon as I hit 40-50mph, they start shaking. I legitimately have to come to a complete stop and then take off again. I really should just take them in and get them vacuumed out in exchange for normal balancing, but I've been lazy since its mostly just an annoyance.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Smitty335 and CID
Robobrainiac

Robobrainiac

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Jul 15, 2020
2,662
9,242
113
Missouri
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
I worked in the automotive industry for 14 years. For what it's worth, 10 of those were served as a GM certified technician.

I worked on automobiles, I used my knowledge to work on powersports for myself on a personal level. I can tell you from experience that balancing beads are a waste of time and money. I cannot tell you how many I have removed over the years and the customers did not even know someone put them in. They were just frustrated with a shimmy or wobble sensation.

In my own opinion, balancing a wheel does not alter tire longevity. Rotations, alignment, and proper air pressure are key to tire longevity.

UTV tires are a bit more complicated than DOT automotive tires. The rubber compounds used in a UTV tire has no requirements or minimums to meet for safety and can allow manufacturers to create blends that are basically anything. These rubber compounds and thicknesses can make one brand last forever and another brand wear out fast. But proper rotation, alignment, and tire pressure will alter that longevity from one user to the next.



There are alot of opinions on this website for which tires are the best. Tires and fluids are probably the most political part of any vehicle.

If you use a good brand name tire, you should be good to go in most cases.

For me personally, I have two sets of wheels. My trail set, and my at home set.

My trail set is Interco Sniper 30x10-14 on Vision beadlock wheels.

My at home set is Achilles Desert Hawk MT 30x9.50r15 (these are actual LT tires for on road vehicles) on Falcon Ridge Wheels.

My at home set of tires I have them balanced for comfort. I used a method called "static sticky weights". It has worked well for my application. When I take the Pioneer into town I can run five miles one way on blacktop. The Achilles ride like a small truck. The pioneer grips well, has no vibrations, and turns smooth. I have never used them on the trail. I know @Remington did and he had good things to say about them.

On pavement, the best way I could describe the bighorn tires, the SuperATV Intimidator tires, and the Sniper tires; in a turn they feel like the sidewall flexes before the tire grips and then the machine follows my input. The Achilles just does what I tell it to.

For my personal alignment, I have aftermarket control arms that allowed me to adjust toe and camber on the front and rear of my machine. I used the alignment machine I had access to at work.

This is a long winded way of saying most on here get aftermarket wheels so front and rear can match. This allows for tire rotation. Confirm the alignment is correct. The OE machine has toe adjustment. In theory the fox shock can alter camber by adding or removing pre load. On Google you can find images that will guide you on how to look for proper tread wear using air pressure. This can be misleading if your alignment is not correct. Basically center of tire is thinner = too much psi. Outer edges getting thinner = not enough psi.

Hopefully that is helpful.
 
Last edited:
KevP700-4

KevP700-4

Well-Known Member
Mar 27, 2021
267
636
93
Northern MI
Ownership

  1. 700-4
Thanks all for taking the time to reply!! Seems the beads won't do a whole lot of good, but also appears from research that beads are like oil, everybody has their opinion. With the front of my 700-4 in alignment and average cruising speed around 20mph, which includes trail and road, the beads prob won't do allot to improve the life of the tires. True, alignment is prob the most critical factor in tire life followed by proper inflation. We keep those both in check.

For reference our old rear OEM tires were worn very even across the tread, just the tread was very thin after 850mi. The front tires had some strange wear across the tread bars, but the wear was consistent across the width of the tire. That wear looked like scallops taken out of the tread bars, those bars were also thin. Oh well those tires will soon be fill for a turf football field.

Thanks Again All
 
DG Rider

DG Rider

Member: Triple Clutch Club
Lifetime Member
Aug 14, 2013
9,558
43,567
113
Casa Grande, AZ
Ownership

  1. 700-2
Anyone using balancing beads for tire balance. Just got Tusk Terrabite tires (27x9-12 and 27x11-12) for our '21 700-4D. Was going to get them mounted on the OEM aluminum wheels. We do about 25% paved road, 75% dirt/sand/loam trails I'm northern MI. Our old OEM tires were pretty tore up after 850 miles. Don't want to put balancing weights on the wheels, but anything to increase the tire longevity, smoothness on the road, less vibration to the axles and gear boxes would be a plus, if the beads work. True, they won't make a difference at slow speeds, but might at over 25mph or so. What's your thoughts?? Thanks

PS: It was suggested to use about 5oz of beads per tire (ceramic beads).
Wait...your 700 goes fast enough to need the tires balanced?
 
advertisement
KevP700-4

KevP700-4

Well-Known Member
Mar 27, 2021
267
636
93
Northern MI
Ownership

  1. 700-4
All very scientific. I wouldn’t go 10 mph with his test tires. He hardly mentions whether or not the tires were more balanced, or not. True his balance machine showed results, but how was that tire before beads??? With tires that bad, nothing will help! Oh well. Do know the bikers use them with success and the truckers like them.