Ask the Expert: Why should I switch to internal tire balancing?

May 1, 2020
Internal tire balancing rolls freely within the tire and repositions itself as the wheel assembly turns, neutralizing any imbalance and eliminating vibration through centrifugal force.

Question: Why should I switch to internal tire balancing? 

Answer: 

The industry standard for balancing tires is the addition of external weights to the vehicle wheels. This method has flaws because the weights only balance tires based on their condition at a fixed point in time. As they wear, their balancing requirements change meaning the original fixed weights no longer provide a proper balance.

The science of internal tire balancing 

An imbalanced tire creates an outward force from the tread that causes vibration in the tire. Utilizing Newton’s law that every force creates an equal and opposite reaction. Internal tire balancing rolls freely within the tire and repositions itself as the wheel assembly turns, neutralizing any imbalance and eliminating vibration through centrifugal force.

Once the internal balancing product has found its position, it stays there until the vehicle stops. Once the vehicle stops, the product falls to the bottom of the tire, ready to pick up where it left off the next time the vehicle moves.

What to use

Different internal tire balancing beads or compounds are available on the market such as glass beads, ceramic beads, powders, liquids, and granules. In our opinion, the highest quality balancing bead/compound on the market is tempered glass beads. Here is a brief comparative table:

How to use it

Most internal tire balancing compounds come in premeasured bags that you simply toss directly inside the tire during installation. The rest is business as usual.

Information provided by Martins Industries 

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