Balance Beads For Tires Chart | Ounces By Tire Size

Tire balance beads are matched to tire size, weight, and use, with many light-truck tires starting around 3 to 6 ounces per tire.

A Balance Beads For Tires Chart gives you a starting amount, not a magic number carved in stone. That’s why two charts can look close but not identical. One brand may sort by tire size and vehicle class. Another may sort by tread width, wheel diameter, or wheel position.

The smart way to use the chart is simple: match your tire size, check the vehicle type, then stick with the bead maker’s own ounce count. If your setup sits between sizes, go with the brand’s next listed step instead of guessing low and hoping for the best.

What The Chart Is Really Telling You

Balance beads work inside the tire. As the assembly spins, the beads shift to the light spots and help smooth out the rolling mass. The chart tells you how much media the tire needs to do that job without coming up short or carrying extra material it doesn’t need.

Most charts are built around three pieces of information:

• Tire size: The number on the sidewall is the first filter.
• Vehicle class: A half-ton pickup, one-ton truck, and commercial rig do not use the same amount.
• Wheel position: Some heavy truck setups need a different amount in dual positions than in single positions.

Why Two Charts Can Differ

Brand-to-brand differences are normal. Counteract says bead amount is shaped by tire size, weight, tread, and vehicle, while its rule of thumb starts at one ounce per 13 pounds of tire-and-rim weight. IMI FLEXX uses a separate chart layout for truck tires and groups many sizes by tread width and wheel size.

That means a chart is only reliable when you use it with the product it was built for. Mixing one brand’s ounces with another brand’s bags can leave you chasing a shake that should’ve been gone after the first drive.

Read The Sidewall And The Job Together

The sidewall size gets you onto the right line of the chart. The way the tire is used tells you which side of that line fits best. A lightly loaded daily-driver pickup on a highway tread may sit right on the lower listed amount. A diesel truck with load-range tires, a heavy bed rack, and rougher tread often belongs on the heavier line.

That’s why the same size can show one number for a half-ton and a larger one for a one-ton-plus truck. The tire may share the same basic dimensions, yet the assembly weight and the work it does are not the same. Read the row, then read your truck honestly.

Balance Beads For Tires Chart By Vehicle Type

For light trucks and SUVs, most listed amounts land in a tight range. Street tires and all-terrain tires often start at 3 or 4 ounces, then climb as the tire gets taller, wider, or heavier. Once you move into bigger off-road rubber or load-range tires, the count rises fast.

The table below shows common light-truck and SUV starting points pulled from a current manufacturer chart. Treat it as a brand-specific example, then match it against the chart for the beads you’re buying.

Tire Size	1/2-Ton	1-Ton+
195/65R16	3 oz.	4 oz.
235/75R16	3 oz.	4 oz.
255/85R16	4 oz.	6 oz.
255/70R17	4 oz.	6 oz.
285/75R17	6 oz.	8 oz.
275/70R18	4 oz.	6 oz.
275/55R20	3 oz.	4 oz.
305/50R20	4 oz.	6 oz.
325/55R22	6 oz.	6 oz.
325/45R24	4 oz.	6 oz.

You can spot the pattern right away. A mild 16-inch truck tire sits at the low end. A taller 17-inch or 18-inch all-terrain tire jumps into the 4-to-6-ounce band. Wide 22-inch and 24-inch setups can stay moderate if the sidewall is short, while tall 285/75R17-style tires ask for more.

How To Size Beads When Your Tire Is Not Listed

If your sidewall size isn’t on the page, don’t panic. Start with the nearest listed size in the same wheel diameter and section width, then lean on the maker’s own notes. Counteract’s application page says the amount can change with tire size, weight, tread, and vehicle, and its printable chart uses a one-ounce-per-13-pounds rule as a rough starting point.

1. Match wheel diameter first. A 20-inch tire should be compared with other 20-inch sizes.
2. Then match width and overall height. Taller or wider tires usually move up the chart.
3. If your truck carries more load or uses a beefier tire, pick the heavier-duty line instead of the lighter one.

Say your tire sits between a 275/65R20 and a 305/50R20. The first size is taller. The second is wider. That kind of split tells you not to chase the tiniest ounce count on the page. Pick the row that better matches the real mass of your assembly, then road-test it.

What Usually Throws The Number Off

A chart can be dead-on and the tire can still shake. The cause is often installation, not bead weight.

• Too much tire lube left inside the casing.
• Wet air or sealant inside the tire.
• Beads hung up in the valve stem during install.
• A bent wheel or a tire with a bad radial runout issue.
• Using a truck chart for a tire class the maker doesn’t list.

Beads can help with dynamic imbalance. They won’t fix a damaged casing, a wheel that’s out of round, or sloppy mounting work. If the shake stays after a proper install, stop blaming the chart and inspect the hardware.

Heavy Truck And Commercial Tire Starting Points

Commercial tires jump into larger ounce counts fast. Counteract’s chart lists 245/75R22.5 at 10 ounces single and 12 ounces dual, 295/80R22.5 at 14 ounces single and 16 ounces dual, and 445/65R22.5 at 20 ounces. IMI sorts many 22.5-inch and 24.5-inch truck tires by tread width instead of listing every size one by one.

That second style can be handy when you work on fleets with mixed brands. The IMI FLEXX quantity chart groups many 22.5-inch and 24.5-inch commercial tires like this:

Tread Width	Wheel Size	Quantity
235 to 265 mm	22.5″ & 24.5″	8 oz.
270 to 290 mm	22.5″ & 24.5″	10 oz.
295 to 345 mm	22.5″ & 24.5″	12 oz.
350 to 495 mm	22.5″ & 24.5″	16 oz.

IMI also notes an added 2 ounces for dual wheel positions on the setups covered by that chart. That detail matters. A steer axle amount is not always the same as a drive or trailer position, even when the sidewall size looks familiar at a glance.

When Beads Make Sense And When They Don’t

Balance beads are a strong fit for trucks, trailers, off-road tires, and larger assemblies that live hard lives. Mud, gravel, curb hits, and long highway miles can all make clip-on weights less appealing. An internal balancing product stays inside the tire, so it can’t get knocked off by trail junk or wheel damage.

They’re not a cure-all. If you’re dealing with a bent wheel, a tire with a bad belt, or a performance setup that needs a very exact static correction on a machine, the chart alone won’t save the day. In those cases, the right move may be fixing the assembly first or using a different balancing method.

Good Habits Before You Mount The Tire

• Read the bead maker’s chart for that exact product.
• Use dry air and keep sealant away unless the maker says it’s fine.
• Clean the bead seat and valve hardware.
• Match single versus dual wheel positions on truck tires.
• Recheck the tire for wheel damage if the vibration sticks around.

Picking The Right Amount The First Time

The best Balance Beads For Tires Chart is the one that matches your exact product, tire class, and wheel position. Start with the maker’s listed ounce count, stay honest about your tire’s real size and duty, and don’t treat all charts as interchangeable. Do that, and you’ll get much closer to a smooth tire on the first mount instead of pulling it back apart later.