Dirt bikes, as the name implies, can become notoriously untidy. For the most part, we blast through muck, dirt, water, grass, and everything else that could be found around a track or on a trail. As a result, we must take care of our equipment to keep them in good working order. With that said, do balancing wheels play a part?
Balancing your dirt bike tires is an essential part of bike maintenance. Unbalanced tires can produce uneven wear, resulting in dangerous driving situations (up to and including loss of control). Conversely, well-balanced tires offer a smooth ride when pulling the throttle on smoother terrain.
When trailing down dirt roads and you feel a sudden hopping and vibrating sensation above 40mph can be an eye-opener. As a result, forcing you to slow down on a long stretch can spoil the mood. First, however, it is vital to understand the risks involved if you choose not to balance the wheels. That said, what are the chances?
What Happens When You Don’t Balance Your Wheels?
When a tire and wheel assembly is first put into a dirt bike axel, the system is balanced, which means that the weight of the wheel and tire assembly is distributed equally across the axle. Unfortunately, that weight distribution is altering from the first bump on the track – and with each bend you take.
These minor weight adjustments build up to a significant imbalance over time. Even a quarter-ounce imbalance can provide unequal pressure on the treads, resulting in uneven tread wear and extra heat that shortens the tire’s life. Tire misalignment can also burden the wheel bearings and suspension system.
How To Balance A Dirt Bike Tire?
While there are a variety of procedures to balancing a wheel, having the correct equipment is always beneficial. In addition, there are stands available that are intended primarily for balancing wheels.
They have incredibly low friction, allowing even the slightest weight difference to revolve around the entire wheel. The heavier side will rotate to the bottom of the wheel’s weight isn’t evenly distributed. A dirt bike balancing stand is easy to get, and you may even buy one on Amazon here
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The tools you will need to begin the job are as follows:
- Balancing stand
- Tire weights
- Small No.0 Phillips screwdriver
- 12mm wrench
- 3mm and 4mm hex keys
- Tape
How To Construct Your Wheel Balancing Stand
The BikeMaster wheel balancer and truing stand are utilized in these instructions. This stand is not required; however, several stages may be skipped if you use an alternative stand. Regardless of your stand, the fundamental of wheel balance stays the same.
- Set the feet in place. The feet are crucial because they assist in leveling the entire stand.
- Set up the bubble level.
- Tighten the bubble level in place with a little Phillips screwdriver.
- Set up the uprights. The uprights of the Tusk stand may be placed in two different positions – smaller or broader. The broader adjustment is suitable for the majority of applications.
- Using a wrench, tighten the nuts and bolts on the uprights.
- You set the stand to sit absolutely level by adjusting the feet and using the bubble as a reference. It is necessary to ensure that your wheel is correctly balanced.
- When assembling the bar, place the cones and retaining collars in the proper orientation.
Getting The Wheel Ready
Now that your stand is ready to do its job ensure that your wheel is safely removed from the bike. There are a few checks you will need to do before moving forward.
- The cones received from the stand must sit on the bearing races of the wheel. Spacers that are in the path must be removed.
- Slide the bar through the wheel and repeat on the other side on the one side.
- Tighten the first retaining collar as far as it will go. Place the wheel firmly against it.
- Turn the wheel on its side and place it on the retaining collar you just tightened. Place the full weight of the wheel on the bottom cone.
- Now, tighten the top retaining collar.
- After that, the wheel may be attached to the stand.
Balancing Your Dirt Bike Tire
Now that you are entirely ready to navigate through your unbalanced tire, the following steps help you balance it, starting with finding the heavy spot.
- Generally, the heavies point of your dirt bike tire is where the rim lock is located. Rotating the wheel about 45 degrees clockwise (or anti-clockwise), letting go, and setting it will determine where the heaviest point lies.
When the wheel no longer rotates as a function of gravity, you’ve discovered the heavy place at the bottom.
- You know the light spot is at the top now that you’ve identified where the heavy spot is at the bottom. Mark the light spot with a piece of tape.
- Select a random number of wheel weights as a starting point for testing. Because determining the proper number of wheel weights takes trial and error, the first number is only an estimate. For example, you may start with three, but it doesn’t really matter whether you start with more or less.
Some people use magnets to identify the number of weights they need. You may apply your weights on the spokes, close to the nipple. If you don’t have any dirt bike wheel wights and would like to find some, Amazon, again, has got your back here.
- Now that your weights are on turn the wheel 90 degrees. Based on where the wheel revolves, this will show if you initially picked too many or too few wheel weights. You’ve chosen too few wheel weights if the heavy patch continues to drift to the bottom.
You’ve picked too many if the light spot begins to move to the bottom. To ensure that you’re measuring the weight precisely, rotate the wheel 90 degrees in both directions.
- Wheel weights can be added or detached as needed. If you started with too many wheel weights, remove one or two. Add one or two if you started with too few.
- Repeat until the wheel no longer moves after turning 90 degrees and simply makes a sudden stop without gravitating towards any direction. It implies you’ve discovered the ideal amount of weights for correctly balancing your wheel. To be certain, you can rotate the wheel in multiple different locations.
Once you’ve hit the sweet spot, it would be best to tighten the weights onto the spokes.
How Often Should Dirt Bike Wheels Be Balanced?
Now that you know how to balance your dirt bike tire, which requires small offsetting weights carefully positioned around the wheel. You may want to know how often this would need to get done?
Tires should be rebalanced after any repair, just like any other vehicle on the road, to account for the minor weight differential created by the patch or plug. It’s a good idea to get your tires balanced every 4,000 to 6,000 miles under regular use.
Conclusion
Everything should be considered, including wheel balance, and should never be overlooked when it comes to the safety and maintenance of a dirt bike. As you can see, balancing a wheel is something that anyone with the proper equipment can perform.
Once you have followed the steps mentioned earlier and balanced your wheel, your ride will be noticeably smoother.