Tire balancing

[ffspecracer]

I have heard from several sources that it is a waste of money and weight to have race tires balanced. One source was even a tire service tech.

 

Is this true? What can one expect from not balancing them? Should they be balanced or not?

 

TIA

[Tims]

normally I do balance all wheels but I have raced on unbalanced setups. I don't think it is a waste, but race tires don't last long either.

[Greg G.]

I have heard from several sources that it is a waste of money and weight to have race tires balanced. One source was even a tire service tech.

 

TIA

 

Weight? What 1 to 4 ounces a wheel? If your tires are out of balance badly you will be able to feel it at high speeds (bounce, wobble, etc), and you may even get some left or right pull if they are on the fronts. I have a FWD car, and if the fronts are not balanced, it's a problem. The rears tend to pick up marbles and race rubber so they are often out of balance somewhat anyway. If they are bad, I can feel either side bouncing slightly at high speeds, but I can ignore it.

 

Make sure to put tape over your stick-on weights to help them from getting thrown when the brakes heat up the stickum. I've found that using the actual aluminum tape is the best. You can get it at Home Depot for about $4 for 15 feet. And, even though it seems really thin, like it will easily tear, the reflective properties are such that I've never thrown a weight when using it. I threw weights with just about every other type of duct tape, contractor's tape, etc. that I tried. (And, at least with my car, I could almost always feel it after I lost a weight).