Do You Need to Balance ATV Tires?

There’s nothing that bothers an ATV rider more than unbalanced tires. You get a rocky ride full of vibrations and risk wearing the treads out faster.

But do you even need to balance your tires?

Whether or not you need to balance them mainly depends on the roads you drive on. If you drive on rockier roads, it’d be best not to balance your ATV tires.

If you drive on smoother roads, it’s safer to balance them.

Whatever your conditions may be, we’ve taken them into consideration. And, if you do decide you need to balance them, we’ll also introduce different methods on how to do it!

What Does It Mean to Balance ATV Tires?

A tire inevitably gets damaged by wear and tear as it encounters sharp rocks or garbage on the roads it drives through. This damage causes vibrations, which make for a rocky ride.

So, to reduce these annoying vibrations, you need to balance the tires. How do you do this?

To shift the tire’s center of gravity back to the center of the tire, you add small weights to the lightest spot of it.

And, as long as your tires have a removable center cap, you can do the same thing to your ATV tires through different methods!

When Do You Need to Balance ATV Tires?

Vibrations can be incredibly annoying when you’re trying to enjoy a ride on a smooth road at high speed.

So, if your ATV tires are average-sized with threads that are designed for speed, you’re more likely to notice the vibrations. In this case, it would be best to balance them.

If you commonly travel over speeds of 30 mph and cruise on smooth highways, you won’t enjoy the experience if your tires are constantly shaking up and down.

Furthermore, an unbalanced tire will experience too much pressure on its bushings and bearing when traveling at higher speeds.

Balancing the tires cancels that out by eliminating those vibrations throughout your ride.

When Is It Unnecessary to Balance ATV Tires?

ATVs are commonly ridden on rocky terrains or debris. So, no matter how well you balance your tires out, you’ll still experience a rocky ride.

And because those areas tend to be so rocky, you’ll need to travel at slower speeds than average (less than 30 mph).

In this case, balancing your tires won’t make much of a difference because the vibrations won’t come from the tires but rather the roads you’re riding on.

Additionally, ATVs that are made for riding on rocky terrains usually have tires with big lugs like mud tires. These types of tires are harder to balance, and you’ll likely need a mechanic for them.

They will also naturally collect a lot of mud during that ride, and nothing can balance that out.

How to Balance Your ATV Tires

So, if you’ve decided to balance your ATV tires, you’re probably thinking about how to do it.

Lucky for you, you won’t need a mechanic or any expensive equipment because you can do it yourself with some handy tools.

There are mainly two methods to balance your ATV tires, and both are simple and easy!

Stick-On Weights

This method is the easiest out of the two because all you need to do is stick on self-adhesive weights.

However, if you’ll ride your ATV tires on rocky terrains, expect them to fall off and require replacement every few months.

So, if you’ll be driving on smoother roads, opt for this method. Otherwise, it’s best to go for the second method.

You’ll need:

• Degreaser
• Brush
• Stick-on weights
• Bubble balancer tool
• Gorilla glue (optional)

1. First, you’ll need to degrease so the stick-on stays on.
2. Then you’ll use the balancer tool to figure out the center of the tire by ensuring that the bubble is also in the center.
3. Apply a layer of gorilla glue to the weights. This is optional. However, sometimes the adhesive on the weights is weak, so the gorilla glue ensures that they won’t fall off.
4. Stick the weights onto the spot.

And that’s it! Enjoy your balanced-out tires. Even if you don’t want to do it yourself, you’ll be happy to know it only costs around $10-15 to balance each tire using stick-on weights.

Balance Beads

This method is most efficient for tires that face a lot of rock terrain because the beads are placed into the tire. Then, they shift according to the tire’s movement to remain at the center.

This is also why you won’t risk anything falling off like you would with stick-on weights. And, you’ll be happy to know that using beads is super affordable and easy!

You’ll need:

• Valve core remover
• Balance beads
• Tube

1. Remove the wheel (this is optional, but it does make the process easier)
2. Push on the small knob on the valve to let most of the air out.
3. Remove the valve core.
4. Measure the number of balance beads you’ll need using this calculator.
5. Attach a tube to the valve.
6. Pour in the balance beads through the tube.
7. Put the valve core back in.
8. Inflate the tire.

And you’re good to go! The whole process should take you around 10-15 minutes. Luckily, you won’t need to worry about repeating this every few months since it permanently balances your tires out.

Wrap-Up

So do you need to balance your ATV tires? The answer to that question really depends on your needs.

Do you want to drive your ATV through a quick highway with the wind blowing through your hair? Then you’ll probably want to balance your tires out to enjoy the full experience.

Do you want to drive through the desert with the sand under your tires? If the answer is yes, you don’t need to balance your tires out.

Personally, I recommend balancing them out since the process takes almost no time, and it makes the ride smoother and safer.

Whatever you pick, don’t forget to take the necessary safety precautions and call a professional when you feel stuck.