Community Forums

bneukam · 02-23-2017, 03:26 PM

JohnBoyToo,
Thanks I appreciate your honesty.
I am going to give them a try. Will check into returning if no noticeable difference.
Could be what I am experiencing is getting close to the max speed rating on my Toyo's as they are only rated at 75mph. Doesn't take much for me to be at 75 without really noticing.

John Jones · 02-23-2017, 03:28 PM

Brett,

Good point about Les Schwab, they might not approve. I would still like to try a set though, I get a shake overtime at 40 mph, which forces me to speed up or slow down.

Are these easy for the do-it yourself person to install? I'd try them if they helped out.

bneukam · 02-23-2017, 03:45 PM

John,
Videos on YouTube will help explain what they are, and how to install. Sounds like you may benefit from them.
Not sure how your tires are balanced now. When I changed out the fronts the balancing beads inside had gotten wet, and had a few clumps. So on the new tires I just went with regular weights.

TeJay · 02-23-2017, 06:16 PM

John Jones,

If you can R&R a tire and torque it then you can install CM's balance's. The torque on a 19.5" tire is 150 ft/lbs. On the 22.5" tires it's 450 ft/lbs. That just might make a difference.

Smitty77 · 02-25-2017, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bneukam

Oops..... my bad. Smitty did answer my question. I guess I need to slowdown especially when reading Smittys comments.

A very polite way of saying 'I go on, just a tad bit, longer then needed!'

!
Smitty

Smitty77 · 02-25-2017, 02:34 PM

JohnBoyToo - For sure no worries on my part that you had contrary experience with them. Sharing info is what it is all about.

I did want to be clear that on the two sets of tires we've now had on this coach, even with the CM's on each axle position, I did also pay to have the tires balanced. (Again, all tires, including the Drive's. And I'll share that while at the installer in Denver that replaced two of my damaged tires about 20 months or so ago now - that gent also said not to bother balancing the duals/drives. I said thanks, but please do anyways.)

Why balance all wheels? Well over a 5-7 years hopeful usage of the tires, it's sure a small price when amortized out over that period. And, I we did detect a difference on the ride via the 'water in the pot/bucket vibration' test.

Why CM's if paying to have all wheels balanced anyways? Well we expected to keep this coach for 10-15 years of usage, so again amortized out over that period of time, not a great deal of expense. Tires sometimes wear differently. Wheels sometimes lose a balancing weight. Wheels sometimes get abused while maneuvering, and or while driving with pot holes all over the place. I felt, and still do believe, that the CM's can help adjust for some of those influences on wheels balance and ride.

And heck, it gives me something to then write about. In a very short, crisp, concise, to the point, no extra words methodology

!

Anyways, even though you never noticed a difference, maybe you never noticed a difference because the CM's were doing what they were supposed to do?

Best to you, and all,
Smitty

bneukam · 02-25-2017, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smitty77

A very polite way of saying 'I go on, just a tad bit, longer then needed!'

!

Smitty

Smitty,
Trust me your thoroughness and knowledge is very much appreciated. Especially to fairly new owners like myself. That's what I was trying to say.

Brett

JohnBoyToo · 03-02-2017, 08:38 PM

Smitty, I like your concise post

will you go into detail now ?!? Tee Hee - just playing !

John Jones · 03-02-2017, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnBoyToo

Smitty, I like your concise post

will you go into detail now ?!? Tee Hee - just playing !

John, did you return yours? Just wondering how their return policy is?

2-Nickels · 03-04-2017, 05:32 AM

It has been extremely interesting reading about everyone's experience with Centramatics. I have found it also interesting hearing about the importance of properly balancing your rims/wheels all the way around before you consider Centramatics.

I spoke with the Les Schwab in Junction City, they would not install Centramatics for me as they won't install anything between the rim and hub. I'm not sure on a product built for doing what it does that that makes sense but who am I to tell them how to run their business. I guess I see a trip to Texas in my future.

Thanks everyone for their contributions....

Cheers,

Curtis

TeJay · 03-04-2017, 08:03 AM

Curtis,

You don' indicate where you live and that's fine. You don't have to go to TX to have the CM's installed.

The CM's are just a round disc with wheel lug holes drilled to be sandwiched between the rotor and rim on the fronts and between the inner and outer rear tires. Not rocket science.

If you have 19'5" tires you can do that yourself because it only takes 150 ft/lbs of torque for the lugs. If you don't have a torque wrench you can buy one at O'Riley's and get all your $$$$ back when you take it back. You may not be inclined to R&R a 19.5" tire but it's a good thing to know because you might have a need to know some time down the road.

You have a flat in a rest area. You don't have a spare. Most RV's do not come with spares these days. We don't have one. You ask a few folks and they say there's a shop 2 miles down the road that can fix the tire. You call road service and find out it will be 3-4 hours before they can get to you. So you take the tire off, put it in your TOAD and drive the two miles to have it fixed.

If you have 22.5" tires they require 450 ft/lbs of torque and i don't even have a torque wrench for those. That's part of the reason we wanted the 19.5" tires. It's also not always a good idea to assume that the technicians are really torquing your lugs correctly. Also what about the idea that some/most places recommend re-torquing the lugs after they are driven 500 miles.

If you can't or don't want to take your tires off just go to a place that can and after they take one off you install the disc and they put the tire back on.

There's really no good reason for Les Schwab to refuse to install the CM's. Unless they just don't want to. It's only been done hundreds of thousands of times over countless years. I guess they own the business and can do what they want.

Until about three years ago I had never heard of Centrimatics. I had never dealt very much with the larger trucks and that's probably why. My first thought was curiosity. Just as I'd think Schawb's first thought would or should be. Like: What are they???? Do they really work??? Is this maybe an opportunity to expand my knowledge base and maybe to be a distributor.

IMHO!!! Having been a Teacher and indirectly around the automotive repair and manufacturing industry most all of my life that kind of close minded attitude is troubling for me. WHY?? Because it's counterproductive to good business practices and makes absolutely no good business sense.

As far as balancing tires before installing the CM's I heard the exact opposite and that was from the TX factory CM rep. He said if you have had your tires computer balanced then you don't need to remove the weights. If they have not been balanced then don't bother having them balanced before installing the CM's.

There might be one situation that might require balancing first. This part I'm not certain. If you happen to have a tire that requires more weights than the CM's can deal with then YES balance them first to get them close then let the CM's do the rest for the remaining life of the tire.

However, if I have a tire that requires that type of balancing then I've got a tire to far enough out of balance. If it's a new tire then I won't accept it. If it's an older tire it probably time to replace the tire and maybe the others as well.

wfalch · 03-04-2017, 09:00 AM

Hendersons Line Up in Grants Pass, sorry I do not have a number

JohnBoyToo · 03-10-2017, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Jones

John, did you return yours? Just wondering how their return policy is?

Sorry, didn't see this...

I think they had a 30 day no questions asked policy at the time for the ones on my Ford Excursion and so they gave me my money back no questions asked then

but this last set for the motorhome, I did not return.

bneukam · 07-11-2017, 03:34 PM

Had ordered the Centramatics a while back, and took the time today to have them put on. After a little convincing, Les Schwab installed them.
I did notice a smoother ride, and the passenger seat was no longer shaking at 65 mph, with no one in it.
This was just a test drive with the coach being pretty empty. Will see on our next trip once we get her loaded down more.
I bought mine directly from Centramatics, and they cost just under 400 for all corners, with shipping.
02 Intrigue with the 16.5 brakes.
800-822 Front
600-640 Rears