RE: Balance Wheels or Not?

[Cadeuses]

 
Last year when I picked up our PU for the first trip home, I asked one of the mechanics at the deaqlership about balancing the wheels.  The dealership didn t have any eqipment to do wheel balancing, so I figured when he said,"  You don t have to balance PU trailer tires.  The re only 13 inches." , he was giving me a standard answer.  [&:]
 
 Later that year we travelled to Ontario, a trip that was about 1,500 miles one way.  Upon arrival at our destination on the second day, we unpacked the jeep, and started to set up the PU in the driveway of my Mom s.  The bunk end seemed really stiff and binding as I attempted to draw it out.  [:@]
 
 I stopped and started to check things out thinking some of the canvas was caught in the rails, but what I found totally surprised me.  There in the rails was the bolts nuts and washers which held the whole rail system together, obviously vibrated apart.  Now I was mad at the dealership and the mechanic for not recommending the tires be balanced, and me for listening to him.  [:@][:@][:@][>:][>:][][]
 
 I have since had all the wheels balanced on the PU, and never found the bunks rails coming apart, or anything else either.
 
 So, now I m curious.  What have the rest of you done?  Have you had the wheels balanced on your PU or not?
 
 

[Giffster]

 Cadeuses
I m about to get 2 new tires and I will get them balanced.  Local tire place can do it.

[Tim5055]

 Cadeuses
I did not have the original tires balanced, just like you the dealership said it was not necessary.
 
 When I had to replace the tires (dryrot) I stopped at a tire store after i got the new tires at the RV dealer.  I was surprised at the amount of weight they put on each one.

[Red neff Barchetta]

 Cadeuses
Had mine balanced just yesterday.  It can t hurt, but can only help I figure.
 Btw, mine were not balanced from the factory either.

[Ron]

 Cadeuses
In the spring when I pack the bearings and adjust the brakes I rotate the tires and have the two going on the ground balanced.
 The first time I did this I found one of the tires badly out of round this was after about 300mi on them had a little grumbling from the dealer but they replaced the tire and wheel.

[tlhdoc]

 Cadeuses
I had my tires balanced at Sears last Friday.

[Ab Diver]

 Cadeuses
Oh, yeah. The 13"  tires that came on our Bayside had a couple thousand miles on them, and they were scalloped on one side of the tire from being out of balance. I had the new 14"  tires balanced, and the new 12"  tires for our old Starcraft as well. BIG difference in how the tires on the Starcraft  rolled down the road.
 
 A balanced tire will have a longer tread life, and the resulting reduction in vibration is easier on the rest of the trailer (as you seem to have found out). Don t let anybody tell you it doesn t make a difference--- it does! Spin balancing is better than a plain ol  bubble balancer. And for these cheap little trailer wheels, if you can find it, a spin balancer that centers on the wheel lug holes will balance the wheel better than one that centers on the large wheel hub hole.

[mike4947]

 Cadeuses
Actually you need to find a shop that doesn t use the center hole for balancing. The holes on the RV wheels we all use aren t used for center the wheel and are not central. In other words. You use the center hole for balancing and you ve just created a more unbalanced wheel than when you started.
 You need to use only the lug locator holes.