balancing wheels

tacoma0309 · 02-25-2006, 07:49 PM

I know the Tacomas stock wheels are lug centric and there are few places that have the adapter to balance them correctly, but how many of you have had your wheels balanced on a regular hub centric machine and can you tell the difference? I am looking to get somes new tires at Sams and I don't think they will have the adapter. Thanks

TacoDell · 02-25-2006, 09:27 PM

Discount Tire hub centric balanced my BFG AT's 265/75/16 when purchased... There was a vibration and shimmy between 55 and 60 mph following their work... I then took it to the Yota dealer as I knew they used the lug centric method... All the vibration and mild shimmy disappeared... So for me the answer would be... absolutely.. I'd think the larger tire you go to... the more important this becomes...

The Dude · 02-25-2006, 09:35 PM

you think thats what could be wrong with my black crawler wheels? or are the 1/4 in spacers doing it?

TacoDell · 02-25-2006, 09:41 PM

Could be the spacer... But I'll almost bet it's the balance... 1/4 spacer ain't so bad... Steel wheels make it a little more difficult as well... Mine are alloys... But IMO... It would be a good place to start... Make sure they weight both inner and outer beads... If you wheel hard in the rocks... have them use stickys on the inboard of the rims outer lip... If you don't rockcrawl... use the standard clip ons... They may look ugly... But it's worth the lessened aggravation...

NorCalTRD · 02-25-2006, 11:05 PM

is there a differance, sure. but if the person who balanced your tires knows what they are doing you would have a hard time felling the difference between them. at the tire shop where i work, we have the ability to "pin-plate" a tire if needed. the pin plate acts as if there are lug nuts, which make the tire act more like it will when it is on the vehicle. i know my shop has this, i would imagine that most other tire shops would have the same thing.

tacoma0309 · 02-26-2006, 05:45 AM

What is the name of the adapter that you need? I'll ask them when I go there next.

Full_Tilt_Fud · 02-26-2006, 08:17 AM

I work for a tire store as well. We have the pinplates to center the wheel off the lugnuts but through experimentation with my own truck i have foend that the truck will drive better with less vibrations when the normal old center cone is used. The problem is that when you use the pins you are still suppose to place a center cone behind the wheel to help center it. With the large hubs on the tacoma you have to use a large cone and when you tighten it down the cone contacts the machine before the backside of the wheel so there is no support which is bad.

cdub · 02-26-2006, 08:34 AM

Full Tild Fud said it right on. I work for Discount and balance my 33's with the normal cone. As long as you get a good person balancing the wheels it really makes no difference. Just ask for one of the top technicians to balance the wheels for you and you should be fine.

tacoma0309 · 02-26-2006, 11:53 AM

Thanks for all the info !!!

NorCalTRD · 02-26-2006, 10:05 PM

both Full_Tilt_Fud and cdub are correct, just hope that the guy that does the work knows what he is doing and there shouldn't be a problem.

02-25-2006, 07:49 PM	#1
tacoma0309 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Tennessee Posts: 340	balancing wheels I know the Tacomas stock wheels are lug centric and there are few places that have the adapter to balance them correctly, but how many of you have had your wheels balanced on a regular hub centric machine and can you tell the difference? I am looking to get somes new tires at Sams and I don't think they will have the adapter. Thanks __________________ '04 Taco DC, TRD, 4WD '08 Honda Odyssey EX (The Sleeper)

02-25-2006, 09:27 PM	#2
TacoDell truck ~n~ tow My Rig: '00 Tacoma Join Date: May 2005 Location: Hemet/SoCal Posts: 10,733	Discount Tire hub centric balanced my BFG AT's 265/75/16 when purchased... There was a vibration and shimmy between 55 and 60 mph following their work... I then took it to the Yota dealer as I knew they used the lug centric method... All the vibration and mild shimmy disappeared... So for me the answer would be... absolutely.. I'd think the larger tire you go to... the more important this becomes... __________________ '00 Taco SR5, xtrcab, V6, 5-SP, 4X, and some extras... Truck... ~n~ ...off road action photo's Trailer... Truck build --- Trailer build

02-25-2006, 09:35 PM	#3
The Dude Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Casper, WY Posts: 1,409	you think thats what could be wrong with my black crawler wheels? or are the 1/4 in spacers doing it? __________________ 1997 FZJ80, Factory Lockers, 285s, OME lift.

02-25-2006, 09:41 PM	#4
TacoDell truck ~n~ tow My Rig: '00 Tacoma Join Date: May 2005 Location: Hemet/SoCal Posts: 10,733	Could be the spacer... But I'll almost bet it's the balance... 1/4 spacer ain't so bad... Steel wheels make it a little more difficult as well... Mine are alloys... But IMO... It would be a good place to start... Make sure they weight both inner and outer beads... If you wheel hard in the rocks... have them use stickys on the inboard of the rims outer lip... If you don't rockcrawl... use the standard clip ons... They may look ugly... But it's worth the lessened aggravation... __________________ '00 Taco SR5, xtrcab, V6, 5-SP, 4X, and some extras... Truck... ~n~ ...off road action photo's Trailer... Truck build --- Trailer build

02-26-2006, 05:45 AM	#6
tacoma0309 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Tennessee Posts: 340	What is the name of the adapter that you need? I'll ask them when I go there next. __________________ '04 Taco DC, TRD, 4WD '08 Honda Odyssey EX (The Sleeper)

02-25-2006, 11:05 PM	#5
NorCalTRD Veteran Member My Rig: 2004 Tacoma Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Northern California/Oregon Posts: 708	is there a differance, sure. but if the person who balanced your tires knows what they are doing you would have a hard time felling the difference between them. at the tire shop where i work, we have the ability to "pin-plate" a tire if needed. the pin plate acts as if there are lug nuts, which make the tire act more like it will when it is on the vehicle. i know my shop has this, i would imagine that most other tire shops would have the same thing.

02-26-2006, 08:17 AM	#7
Full_Tilt_Fud Veteran Member My Rig: 1985 Pickup Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Battle Creek, Michigan Posts: 3,354	I work for a tire store as well. We have the pinplates to center the wheel off the lugnuts but through experimentation with my own truck i have foend that the truck will drive better with less vibrations when the normal old center cone is used. The problem is that when you use the pins you are still suppose to place a center cone behind the wheel to help center it. With the large hubs on the tacoma you have to use a large cone and when you tighten it down the cone contacts the machine before the backside of the wheel so there is no support which is bad. __________________ ~ Todd 85 ex. cab with the usual stuff on 38's 01 Dodge Ram 2500 w/ a Cummins.....Tow rig

02-26-2006, 08:34 AM	#8
cdub Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 96	Full Tild Fud said it right on. I work for Discount and balance my 33's with the normal cone. As long as you get a good person balancing the wheels it really makes no difference. Just ask for one of the top technicians to balance the wheels for you and you should be fine.

02-26-2006, 11:53 AM	#9
tacoma0309 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Tennessee Posts: 340	Thanks for all the info !!! __________________ '04 Taco DC, TRD, 4WD '08 Honda Odyssey EX (The Sleeper)

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