Trailer wheels and tires need balancing?

[dkutz]

I just bought some new tires for our starcraft trailer and want to get them mounted on the wheels.  Do trailer tires need to be Balanced?  I don't think so but I am not sure.  5.30x12

[tlhdoc]

Yes...

[wavery]

I just bought some new tires for our starcraft trailer and want to get them mounted on the wheels.  Do trailer tires need to be Balanced?  I don't think so but I am not sure.  5.30x12

It's best to have them "Spin-ballanced" while on the trailer.

[mike4947]

And the reason for "spin balancing on the trailer" is that most small RV towable wheels are NOT manufacturered using the center hole so it is rarely concentric with the bead area that carries the tire. Most tire balancing machines use the center hole to locate the wheel/tire for balancing. So you either need to spin balance then on the trailer OR find a tire store that has what's called a "lug centric" adapter which bolts to the wheel lug nut locations and then IT centers itself on the machine for proper balancing.

Just balancing them on a machine using the center hole will result in wheel/tire that is more out of balance than if you did nothing.

[flyfisherman]

I just bought some new tires for our starcraft trailer and want to get them mounted on the wheels.  Do trailer tires need to be Balanced?  I don't think so but I am not sure.  5.30x12

My '99 model Starcraft sports the 5.30 X 12" tires, too.  As best I can account for right now (and can remember), the trailer is on it's 4th set of tires; the camper has been down lots of road.  I've never had any tire balancing done on any of them, or seen the need for it; and I keep a close watch on those tires, pressure wise, how they are wearing and making certain they haven't picked-up any thing that's still stuck into them.




Fly

[mike4947]

Fly's reply jogged mt slightly senile memory a bit. The smaller the tire diameter the less likely it will be to need balancing. A larger diameter means a smaller amount of out of balance weight has a greater effect.

[dkutz]

SO the final answer is I don't need them balanced?  The wheels on there now do not have weights on them, so I assume they were not balanced, and I think they are still the factory tires....

[wavery]

SO the final answer is I don't need them balanced?  The wheels on there now do not have weights on them, so I assume they were not balanced, and I think they are still the factory tires....

Interesting conclusion :confused:

[dkutz]

well its seems the consensous was not to balance.  And I don't see the wheels I have on there balanced.  maybe I will call a tire store next week and figure it out.

[flyfisherman]

well its seems the consensous was not to balance.  And I don't see the wheels I have on there balanced.  maybe I will call a tire store next week and figure it out.

Let me ask you a question ... what conditions make you think the tires need balancing?  Were the previous tires wearing uneven?  And, could I ask ... what brand of tires did you buy?


Fly

[dkutz]

They are wearing even.  I just didn't know if it was normal practice to balance the tires when they are replaced.

[flyfisherman]

Im sure you posted your question looking for opinions ~ mine would be that as for my experience with the 5.30 X 12" tires and my Starcraft,  not to balance them, especially if the old tires had been wearing even.

Now, I'm sure you'll get opinions to do so as this would be part of their regular maintenance schedule.  I suppose in the end this will just have to be one of those "decisions" you'll have to make for you & your camper and your particular conditions.




Fly

[wavery]

Every single tire is different and NO tire is in perfect balance from the manufacturer. Some trailer tires may be 3oz (or more) out of balance. Just because your old tires didn't bounce, doesn't mean that the new ones won't. Out of balance tires can be very hard on your entire trailer. It can weaken welds, damage wheel bearings, wear out springs & bushings, loosen interior cabinetry and generally degrade the integrity of the trailer over time.

Seldom, is the bare wheel itself very far out of balance. Besides, if the wheel is out of balance, it may not make a big difference anyway because is is not far enough from the center to have a significant effect. The big thing on the wheels is that the holes may not be perfectly centered and that can also be corrected by "Spin-balancing".

You may want to just try it out before you do the balancing. Tow for 10-15 minutes at 55, then 60, 65 etc. If you notice any bouncing at all (at a particular speed), you may want to balance. Over-time, you may want to check for "cupping".

Cupping is caused be the tire bouncing and continually landing on the "Heavy spot" in the tire. If you see cupping, you may want to have them balanced.

[ranger97]

OOPS!  Posted this in the wrong place a minute ago.

The smaller the tire, the less need for balancing. Still, I balance mine by simply jacking up the wheel, and do a "static balance" right on the hub. Do this before packing the wheel bearings as fresh grease will inhibit free rotation to a small degree and produce a false position for the weights.

[Murray]

I used to own a tire store that sold a lot of Rv trailer tires and we
started to balance all of them, We found out that 1oz out of balance
is the same as 70lbs at 60mph. So remember that if the steering wheel
in you 3500lb car shakes at 60 because you dont have the proper balance on your front tires and if you notice that your passanger seat
is shaking it means the rear are out of balance. so now think about the trailer and all the stuff that would shake inside. So for the 20 bucks that it might cost to be sure, to me its a no brainer