Are Combination Trailer Wheel/Tire Products Fully Balanced and is it Necessary for Trailer Tires

Updated 11/06/2017 | Published 11/05/2017

Question:

Are the Trailer tire and wheel combination balanced?

asked by: Bryan

Expert Reply:

The pre-mounted combinations of trailer wheels and trailer tires that we offer are given a degree of balancing by the distributor but not a full dynamic balance on a balancing machine as passenger car tires require. I will explain.

Wheels and tires always have a high spot and a low spot, meaning that their weight is not 100-percent perfectly distributed around their circumferences. The wheel and tire distributor from whom we obtain these products will mount the tires such that the wheel high (heavy) spot is matched up the tire low (light) spot. By matching up these opposite points on the two components a degree of balance is achieved.

This is NOT the same as the full dynamic balancing done on a tire for a passenger car but it results in a wheel/tire that is sufficiently well-balanced for use on a trailer.

If you wanted to you could certainly have trailer wheels/tires fully balanced but it is not essential to do so.

expert reply by: Adam R