Centramatics?

[saflyer]

Anyone use Centramatics for balancing your steer wheels? I’m getting new tires all around and a friend advised me to go with them versus beads or spin balancing.

Ed            
‘05 HR Ambassador 

[96 EVO]

I've read nothing but positive reviews!

[K9 Exec]

HI Ed, 100% agree with your friends advice. I put them on a unit that we couldn't ever get a slight vibration out of, no matter how many times we balanced the wheel, got it to balanced to 0.00 and still had an issue. The steer set was about $550, that took care of the problem. I am a firm believer in Centamatics, but the cost is worth the investment. I have also had customers used the beads with 'okay' results, that option is a lot less and is good for folks that don't want to drop that kind of money. I have put on a few sets of Centramatics and have never had any complaints. Please let us know what you decide and how you like them!

Nick

[Guest Ray Davis]

I have Centramatics on the front, and they have been great for years.  There is another brand called Balance Masters, which uses mercury instead of balls rolling around inside.

Most balancing methods are okay.  I have even heard of BBs, etc. that were used, and although I wouldn't use BBs I suppose they would balance.

[Scott 61]

I have balance Masters on all four corners 5 years now and very happy

[Ivan K]

Balance masters up front. Centramatics on all rears. Same function, different material. One time expense and done.

[96 EVO]

59 minutes ago, Ray Davis said:

 

Most balancing methods are okay.   

Ray.... Myself, and I know of one other Monaco owner, left a tire shop with new Toyo M144's, spun balanced, on the steer axle, and within the first couple hundred miles, the tires had rotated on the rims!

I s*** you not!

So, Centramatics or Balance Masters would deal with that problem!

[K9 Exec]

I don't have any experience with Balance Master, but I can tell you that the Centramatics actively balance and I can also vouch for guys running they on all axles on semi's as well. 1M + miles with no issues, and they seem to get more mileage out of the steers as well as drive axles. Just my $.02 worth. 🙂

In this category-whatever you choose is better than doing nothing at all.

Thanks,

Nick

[saflyer]

2 hours ago, Ivan K said:

Balance masters up front. Centramatics on all rears. Same function, different material. One time expense and done.

OK, I need to know more about Balance Masters. What’s the difference between them and Centramatic?

 

2 hours ago, Ivan K said:

Balance masters up front. Centramatics on all rears. Same function, different material. One time expense and done.

 

Edited September 24, 2023 by saflyer

[96 EVO]

Balance Masters use mercury in the tube. Centrmatics, ball bearings.

[Ivan K]

What Ben said. Plus balance masters are black powder coated and a bit more expensive. Centramatics do the exact same thing, you can hear the balls rolling when you have it in hand but no way to hear when driving. Can't go wrong either way. I posted this pic in the past.

[saflyer]

There are several different models based on wheel type. Hope they have good customer support for helping me order the right ones.

[gjh2916]

I have been running Centramatic's on all three axles for over 10 years. When I get new tires NO balance just put Centramatic's back on. Coach rides smooth as glass.

[K9 Exec]

They are a pretty amazing product in my opinion. Isn’t it nice to reuse a product over and over and know it will continue to do its job? Great quality, Made in the USA. That’s one product I recommend and know it won’t come back to bite me. 
 

Have you noticed longer wear life of the tire compared prior to using them?
 

Nick 

[gjh2916]

20 minutes ago, K9 Exec said:

They are a pretty amazing product in my opinion. Isn’t it nice to reuse a product over and over and know it will continue to do its job? Great quality, Made in the USA. That’s one product I recommend and know it won’t come back to bite me. 
 

Have you noticed longer wear life of the tire compared prior to using them?
 

Nick 

Nick good even tread wear, but I never wear out the tread on tires, they go bad do to age.

[Guest Ray Davis]

12 minutes ago, K9 Exec said:

Have you noticed longer wear life of the tire compared prior to using them?

In my case,  and the RV tires, I have never put enough miles to hardly even detect any wear.  I would love to travel more, but it just doesn't seem to happen  & at age 82 I'm running out of time.   Me & my tires are aging out together.  LOL

[willbo777]

I have Balance Masters on all 3 axles, and am very pleased, very smooth ride.  I used to use beads and thought they did all right, but after 10,000 miles or so with the balance Masters, I believe and so does my wife the Balance Masters are better. And even with the fairly high mileage I put on between tire changes, I've never had an issue with wear.

[georgecederholm]

Another vote for Centramatics. Been using the same set on all 3 axles since ~2009. Better than Dynabeads and easily handled changes in tire sizes (295 to 315 on steer and tag, 295 to 12R on drive).

[96 EVO]

315 tags 🤔.

I only need 80psi in my 295's!

Edited September 26, 2023 by 96 EVO

[georgecederholm]

35 minutes ago, 96 EVO said:

315 tags 🤔.

I only need 80psi in my 295's!

Agreed. OTOH, I’ve felt that having my tag use the same size as my steer was the right move for me. First time we went to Alaska I heard stories about days spent waiting for an odd size tire being shipped in. I replace the steer tires every 3-4 years and rotate the used steer tires to the tag for the remainder of their lifespan. Probably costs me a bit more over time but works for me.

[96 EVO]

Understood!

I do the same, moving steers to the tag position and running a few more years!

[miacasa_2000]

I have Centramatics all around they are great, But a word of caution . On my last set of tires they did not spin balance because of them and I had a terrible wobble went back and they put them on the spin balancer and found a tire out of round a factory defect which nothing will overcome. So I know I will from now on always have them balanced along with my Centramatics so I know I'm starting out good and who knows later down the road if a weight falls off the balancers will keep up with it.

Roy   2003 Dynasty

[Paul J A]

13 hours ago, georgecederholm said:

Agreed. OTOH, I’ve felt that having my tag use the same size as my steer was the right move for me. First time we went to Alaska I heard stories about days spent waiting for an odd size tire being shipped in. I replace the steer tires every 3-4 years and rotate the used steer tires to the tag for the remainder of their lifespan. Probably costs me a bit more over time but works for me.

THAT is the way to do it. I did the same. But I had 315's on all 3 axle's on our 07 Executive. Never thought of the 12r.

14 hours ago, georgecederholm said:

Another vote for Centramatics. Been using the same set on all 3 axles since ~2009. Better than Dynabeads and easily handled changes in tire sizes (295 to 315 on steer and tag, 295 to 12R on drive).

What brand 12R's do you have/used?

[saflyer]

4 hours ago, miacasa_2000 said:

I have Centramatics all around they are great, But a word of caution . On my last set of tires they did not spin balance because of them and I had a terrible wobble went back and they put them on the spin balancer and found a tire out of round a factory defect which nothing will overcome. So I know I will from now on always have them balanced along with my Centramatics so I know I'm starting out good and who knows later down the road if a weight falls off the balancers will keep up with it.

Roy   2003 Dynasty

Interesting. Just today someone posted on ramblinpushers.com the same thing. Seems like “belt and suspendes” idea but makes sense.

[saflyer]

On 9/24/2023 at 10:14 AM, saflyer said:

There are several different models based on wheel type. Hope they have good customer support for helping me order the right ones.

One person said it’s best to buy Centramatics where they have all models in stock and do a lot of motorhomes so they can select the best ones. I don’t have that luxury but the tire shop that is installing my tires installs a lot of Centramatics on semis so I figured he could tell if they sent the right one from the local Centramatics dealer. So far so good.