Tire Balancing with Equal

[slabman]

I had Les Schwab replace my front tires last summer and they used Equal to balance instead of conventional weights. Now every time I go to check pressures I get leakage through the valve cores and cannot stop it without screwing the caps back on. Obviously, the particles are wedging in the core seats and causing them to leak. Has anyone else had this issue and what solutions are there for this problem? I can replace the cores easily, but the new ones seem exhibit the same problem.

[JoeT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slabman I had Les Schwab replace my front tires last summer and they used Equal to balance instead of conventional weights. Now every time I go to check pressures I get leakage through the valve cores and cannot stop it without screwing the caps back on. Obviously, the particles are wedging in the core seats and causing them to leak. Has anyone else had this issue and what solutions are there for this problem? I can replace the cores easily, but the new ones seem exhibit the same problem.

They are supposed to replace the valve stems with some type of filter to prevent this from happening.
On another note, does the coach drive ok? That is, without shimmy, etc? I replaced my front tires last year and the dealer used Equal. I had a terrible shimmy. The dealer removed the Equal and all was well.

[slabman]

Yes, the balancing seems to have worked well. No issues with the new tires or balancing. They tell me they did replace the cores with the specialty ones, but they haven't kept the "trash" out of the cores, so I need to get some new ones. I wonder if most truck stops carry a compatible core for this stuff? And is this a common problem?

[Triker56]

If they did use the special core you would not be having the problem.
IMI - EQUAL - Accessories - AirX

I have Equal in mine with the valve core in the link above for 4 1/2 years now with no problem. I also have Pressure Pro sensors on them with no problems.

Go back to Les Schwab and have them take the core out of one of the tires you have had problem with. And insert a new filtered one. Then see if the one taken out has a filter on it.

If no filter on it. Have them replace all FREE with the right core.

Make sure they are wearing safety glasses when changing the core as they need to be fast replacing as it will be like a sand storm.

My tire dealers help started to put mine on without the filter core. I was there watching and told them they were using the wrong cores.

[slabman]

Well, I had this done when in California last summer and I ain't going back to THAT STATE! Lost two tires, alignment needed and new Batteries along with a new BIRD and solenoid to control charging. Need I say more? LOL!

At any rate, I've already replaced one or both cores (Can't remember now) and only now discovered the need for the special cores. Strange, but I did not get sand blasted when removing them either. I'm wondering if most truck stops have these special cores or if I need to order online? I gotta leave in two days, so no time to ship any new ones.

[Wizard]

My tire dealer put equal in my new tires last year. Said the we didn't need to check balance on the machine.
We left for a long trip the last month. A thousand miles later, I couldn't stand the shaking any longer. Called a Goodyear service center, explained the situation and they said to bring it in. Was in Kansas City at the time.
They removed both front tires, removed equal and put on the balancer. One tire was out of round and could not be balanced, had to replace it with a new one. Goodyear covered the new tire, whew.
Motorhome continued to shake but not nearly as bad. After returning home, I had the equal removed from the rears and had them balanced. The tech checked them before removing the equal. They was way off. After dumping, he said that it didn't look like enough equal for that size tire.
After this experience I will never use anything like that again. To me nothing will ever replace putting it on the machine and seeing what is actually going on.
To me it sounds like the dealer can do this for the same amount of money but a lot less work.

[JoeT]

Finding a tire dealer, as least in my area, with the equipment to balance a big rig tire is tough. Most use equal. After the equal was removed from my tires (see previous post) they rode just fine without being balanced. However, I did find a place with balance equipment and had them balanced anyway. 10,000 miles later, still smooooth.
I'll never let anyone put Equal in my tires again.

[slabman]

Very interesting, Jerry. I think your story verifies that there is no ultimate answer. I know my two frt. Michelins seem to be well balanced, so that is a non-issue to me. But then my Michelins may have been built to closer tolerances than your Goodyears? Who knows?

But even if the Equal balances well for me, the fact that the "tire monkeys" didn't know enough to install the correct valve cores takes away from any positives of this type of method. Now I need to hunt up some filtered cores and install 'em, hoping I don't blow all the polymer out of the tire and then end up short of material. Seems like we can come up with these new, high tech products but then the guys installing them don't have the training to work with this stuff. Haven't we seen this repeatedly in other aspects of our society? Don't get me wrong-we need this progression, but we also need our installers to know a bit more about what they are doing. Of course, this takes more $ and too often we are a society that wants things for the bottom dollar....can't always get there from here.....'nuff said!

Now I'm wondering.....if I install the proper cores, will a TPMS work correctly, considering the possibilities of this polymer material getting into the sensors? Guess I'm in need of another research project....

[Jim Stewart]

Most tire dealers love to use Equal, it's a lot easier, they make a lot more money and any numb nut can do it. Good equipment to correctly center and balance a very large tire is expensive to buy, operate and maintain and requires special training. Larry, Darryl and his other brother Daryl can do the Equal!

[slabman]

Right-on, Jim. I do inspection work in the residential construction industry and over the years I've seen more and more "stuff" built on a jig back at the "factory". Then all they need is someone like Larry, Mo or Curly (My fav. buds, incidently) to haul it out and install. Oh, and also a couple (BIG) tubes of caulk to make it fit better. Today, the younger consumers don't know any better...they just accept this as the way its done. But as for us "old duffers"....well, we remember the good ol' days.

[Wizard]

Most cities have a Goodyear commercial tire service center. They can usually handle these tires. Another possibility is truck stops, most have a tire dealer nearby.

[Triker56]

Quote:

Now I'm wondering.....if I install the proper cores, will a TPMS work correctly, considering the possibilities of this polymer material getting into the sensors? Guess I'm in need of another research project....

You must have missed in my previous post that Equal works good with my PRESSURE PRO SENSORS with the valve core filter. Have had no plugging of the SENSORS in over the 4 1/2 years of use.

Don't understand why the ones are complaining about Equal when their their dealer didn't know how to install it right.

When they should be saying I will never use that dealer anymore to even put air in my tires, because they don't know what they are doing.
By using the correct valve core or the correct amount of material in the tire by Equal's chart.

I bet the dealer didn't ask them how much air they wanted in the tires either and just put in what the sidewall said. Or maybe the tire owners had no idea of what their RV weighted or PSI needed for that weight.

Link is for the Equal amount chart by tire size. Single & dual amounts not the same.
http://www.imiproducts.com/lib/pdf/e...tity-chart.pdf

[slabman]

Triker, No one's complaining about anything. Please don't mis-understand. I'm just lamenting on the state of affairs...something old people do who have experienced the "good ol' days".

So the guy didn't change out the cores? Big deal! I'm happy to do it myself. Just need to know what I'm dealing with, that's all. As for pressures, not sure why you'd think an inflation chart MAY NOT have been used. Of course it has....based on ACTUAL RIG WEIGHTS.

I've located a source for these filtered cores and will be installing them myself this AM. And with my trusty ON BOARD air compressor I can bring pressures up to "proper" levels. No guesswork here......

[wa8yxm]

With a powder balancing system, Which I'm very much not sold on, you need special valve cores that have filters on them so the powder can't mess up the valve.

Any Equal dealer should have 'em and the dealer that installed the powder SHOULD have put 'em in for you.

IN the future. I would request the old fashion balancing instead of the powder... But that is me.. I have read and read and read on the powder/bead systems and I remain firmly unconvinced that they are a good thing.