laknox

Arizona

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I wish like hell I'd had a handy video camera and hadn't been on a tight schedule today, or I could have shot a video that would have convinced every hardened no-balance/no-shock skeptic on here. We were heading up I-17 today when I came up on a guy towing a very new Gear Box TH, about a 25 footer. At first, I though he'd caught some trash underneath or the belly covering had come loose and I could see it flapping. As I got closer, I could see that it was the =axles= doing a major dance as he was driving about 65-70 mph down the road. I will bet that he's going to have flat-spotted tires and major suspension wear in short order. Had I been able to have a low angle of observation, I'd also be willing to bet that I could see daylight under the tires as they bounced off the pavement. Only makes sense to balance your wheels whenever you get new tires.
Lyle
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phillyg

Front Royal, VA

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I agree.
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JIMNLIN

out here

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So you could see at highway speeds the tires didn't have balancing weights on them already ??
And you could tell the tire hadn't split a belt or tread seperation issues ?? Your good
"good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" ............ Will Rogers
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Jim-Linda

Livingston, TX

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If it rotates, balance it.
Jim
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Jim-Linda

Livingston, TX

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If it rotates, balance it.
Jim
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Gooseneck

Waynesville, NC, USA

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JIMNLIN wrote: So you could see at highway speeds the tires didn't have balancing weights on them already ??
And you could tell the tire hadn't split a belt or tread seperation issues ?? Your good
99 times out of a 100 I would just let something like this fly by with no response. Then, there is that one that sets me off. The OP was making a sensible and justified comment based upon what he observed. Obviously, he did not stop the unit and inspect the wheels but made a reasonable assumption that most anyone of us would have made. Now, should I hit the "Post Message" button or not?
Gooseneck
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B.O. Plenty

Minnesota

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If a tire is out of balance it might shake a little but it shouldn't be bouncing off the ground. This is an indication of a much bigger problem, like an out of round tire or tread separation. This could be detected by trying to balance it but can only be cured by replacing the tire.
B.O.
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SoCalDesertRider

SanDiego, CA, USA

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The problem could also be exacerbated by axles possibly grossly out of alignment with the trailer and each other. That could further cause bad tire wear and tire failure, which could all have been going on at the same time.
Also, isn't towing a trailer at 70 mph illegal in AZ? I know it is here in CA. We have 55 mph towing speed limit here. Most trailer tires are speed limited to 45-65 mph (depending on size) by the tire manufacturer too.
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HamsHog

Fulltimer/ Palm Springs, CA

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SoCalDesertRider wrote: The problem could also be exacerbated by axles possibly grossly out of alignment with the trailer and each other. That could further cause bad tire wear and tire failure, which could all have been going on at the same time.
Also, isn't towing a trailer at 70 mph illegal in AZ? I know it is here in CA. We have 55 mph towing speed limit here. Most trailer tires are speed limited to 45-65 mph (depending on size) by the tire manufacturer too.
Towing speed in Arizona is whatever is posted. I see vehicles from Arizona pulling trailers here doing 75+ and in the #1 & #2 lanes of 4 lanes on I-10 all the time..
Regards, Hamshog
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JIMNLIN

out here

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Gooseneck wrote: JIMNLIN wrote: So you could see at highway speeds the tires didn't have balancing weights on them already ??
And you could tell the tire hadn't split a belt or tread seperation issues ?? Your good
99 times out of a 100 I would just let something like this fly by with no response. Then, there is that one that sets me off. The OP was making a sensible and justified comment based upon what he observed. Obviously, he did not stop the unit and inspect the wheels but made a reasonable assumption that most anyone of us would have made. Now, should I hit the "Post Message" button or not?
You gotta' do what you gotta' do. Guess you can also tell a tire has no weights on it at highway speeds.
When I see a loaded trailer with one tire jumping up and down off the pavement its certainly not because its not balanced correctly. As I and others mentioned something with the tire/wheel/suspension isn't right.
I've had a wheel do this on one of my equipment trailers not because it wasn't balanced but because six of the eight lugs had sheared and busted part of the wheels centers out. It destroyed the wheel and cracked the hub. The tire had a belt seperation with a huge bulge in the tread.
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