Doesn't matter. The pellets will compensate for the imbalance either way.

I'm lazy, and would just leave them on. But they are ugly, and you don't need them anymore, so if you want to pull 'em, pull 'em...

Robert

Can't you just pull the valve stem center out and put them in that way without unbeading the tires?

The last time I did a set the wheels never came off the Blazer. It was as simple as jacking up the corner your working on , let air out , cut stem off with side cutters, fill with guestamated amount of Daisy BB's , dip new stem in Dawn dish soap and wrestle that ***** back in.

Only works with steel wheels though.

Assuming the pellets/BB's would fit (not sure they would), but even so do you know how long it would take to feed hundreds of BB's one at a time into each tire:eek:

Pulling the tire off and debeading it is pretty quick and easy. Take it off the truck, use a Hi-Lift under the bumper of a truck to push the bead off, dump in the BB's, air it back up.

if its a dd or drove on the road much use the airsoft bb's over the copper reg bb's because i shot peen'd my rims with the cooper ones and it was a DD they make the air soft in different weights get the heavy's and it should work out great

You pushed the valve stem from the outside into the wheel? A standard one like this https://www.expeditionexchange.com/air/air002%20006.jpg ??

I diddnt think that was possible.

it is indeed possible, just takes some work.

Yep..

It wasn't easy.. but it seemed easier than removing each wheel and breaking at least one bead.


I just modified a large cheap-o screw driver tip into a "V" shape as a tool, did a little smoothing with a file to make sure it wouldn't cut the stem and spent maybe 10 minutes a wheel.

I've seen it done on the trail after one getting tore off by a rock.

I picked up a jug of steel BB's at wal mart today.

I think I can easily load them through the valve stem, with the valve core removed.

According to wikipidia, the internal threads on a standard schrader valve is 5.3mm. The BB's are 4.5mm.

The bottle they come in has a cylindrical loader as a cap...

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/2453/63845011.jpg

I'm going to try and load them through this bottle. If that doesnt work, I'll rig up some sort of proper diameter tube and a funnel.

Now I just have to find some way to measure and weigh out grams....dont have any scales.

I just hope this helps me. Not sure it will though. I have a pretty good shimmy as she gets up to speed. Comes and go at certain speeds, but above 40mph is pretty bad.

Anyone know where I could get the tires trued? You know, shaved to make them round again.

well, i wouldnt fill with that bottle. you need to know how much youre putting in and try to keep it even or close to it at all 4 corners. its going to be slow going through the valve stem. only one bb at a time can pass through it. good luck,:beers: let us know how it worked!

new valve stem install from the outside is a real PITA... but there are certainly things that are even worse. so in perspective. its really not that bad. but it is a PITA none the less.

I'm going to only fill the bottle with 10-12 ounces of BB's at a time.

One at a time, but they will all flow through the tip of the bottle very quickly, one after the other. Like a funnel. The tip of the bottle has an opening that will be only wide enough to fit one BB, so they should flow out one by one, but very quickly.

BB's dont fit through a standard valve stem :(

Guess I'll have to bring it to work and break them down on a tire machine. Oh well, I need new valve stems anyhow. :(

Damn that Wikipedia!

i have heard that steel BBs dissentegrate into powdery dust that packs up and sticks, not doing its job.

Bring the tires to my shop and I will run over them breaking the bead on 1 side. Dump whatever you please in them and seat them with air and done. This is very easy!

Was going to say the same as above, just break one bead, dump them in, and air it back up. Just make sure you don't have any BB's laying between the bead and rim lip when you air it back up.

Regarding the comment about steel BB's disintegrating.....not sure about that. I ran regular steel BB's in my daily driver/tow rig truck for probably 6-8k (tires were getting uneven wear at the end of their life so I tried the BB's to smooth them out). When I removed them the BB's looked exactly like when I installed them and no evidence of any wear on the rims or tires.

no firsthand experience here, just what i have heard here and there.... don't trust the interwebs, was just sharing in case it had any truth.

The talk that I heard about the steel BBs is that with long term use they will begin to rust and leave nasty crap in the tires.

I've read the same posts about rusting and disintergrating, but it never came from anybody with personal experience.....was always "I read it somewhere that it happened". Usually how these rumors start is somebody asked the question a couple years ago and a person replied with "maybe this or that will happen if you put steel BB's in the tires". Next thing you know the "big fish" story takes affect and now people think "this or that" is gospel.

Anyway, with that said I can't guarantee you won't have those issues with long-term. But I have had normal steel BB's in a set of tires for 6-8k on a daily driver with no issues, and BB's in my trail rig tires for going on a couple of years now.

Thanks for the offer! But I'm going to take them to work and either use the tire machine (not sure if they will even fit) or use the forklift's forks to push down and break the bead.


On a related note, anyone know where to get some of the steel valve stems? My rubber ones are ready to break off.

put new rubber valve stems back in and weld a ring around the valve stem

stick with rubber valvestems they are more forgiving the metal ones just snap off as soon as something hits them unless you go with the (i think arb) ones that the stem part actually unscrews.

Diddnt think about that....thanks...ive got a handfull of rubber ones in my box. I guess since the old ones have lasted a few years, Ill just throw on some more rubbers.