Tire balancing needed

[Redbird]

Do Model A tires need to be balanced? If so, What are the jacking points for the four wheels? I plan on using Discount Tire.

[Mitch//pa]

i never balance my wheels, never had a need to.. no shimmy at speed....

if you feel the need use dyna beads which some use.

model A wheels look like s--t with weights stuck on them..

good luck letting discount tire touch your wheels ...lol


jack up under the front axle and rear diff i have used all 4 corners and also just the centers.

put the stands under all 4 corners

[Redbird]

I would have them place weights on the inside of the rim if necessary. The tires are new and just came with the car. Were they balanced from the factory when new?

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by Redbird

I would have them place weights on the inside of the rim if necessary. The tires are new and just came with the car. Were they balanced from the factory when new?

they dont look great on the inside either

[Redbird]

I have never heard of balancing beads. Do they just roll around inside the tube and stay in play by centrifugal force?

[fiddlybits]

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Originally Posted by Redbird

I have never heard of balancing beads. Do they just roll around inside the tube and stay in play by centrifugal force?

Here's a Youtube demonstration of the Dynabeads like I use on most everything.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq263AYgyYg

and here's the dynabead page that explains what is happening.

http://www.innovativebalancing.com/HowItWorks.htm

[fiddlybits]

Yes, they do.
Before you do you might want to consider the balancing beads.
I stopped balancing years ago on all my vehicles and use the microbeads.

I run 55-60 in my A all the time and the beads that happen to in those tires I picked up from Snyder ( http://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/5582).

I don't use their replacement valve though as I have sealing problems in the metal valve stems.

[CarlG]

Do the beads that Snyder's sell work just as well as Dynabeads?

[fiddlybits]

Originally Posted by CarlG

Do the beads that Snyder's sell work just as well as Dynabeads?

Yes

[Kevin in NJ]

When you put tires on the rims it is advisable to make for best balance.

I set up a front spindle with light oiled bearings. I mounted the tire mounted on the hub clamped to a bench.

I then let the wheel find the heavy spot. I then broke the bead and rotated the tire until I got the slowest finding of the heavy spot.

Note: the colored dots on the tires have different meanings. Go look up what the colors mean. None of the dots lined up either way on my wheels when I got to best balance position.

I also spun the wheel with the tire to make sure the tire was true. Some lower cost tires I understand are not always very round.

How important is balance?
Not as much with the heavy axles (unsprung weight). The mass of the axles will dampen a lot of imbalance.

I happened to find with my 5 new Goodyear tires that one was closely balanced and another pretty good. The other two were ok. On each wheel I had spots where the imbalance in the tire and the wheel lined up and it spun much faster to the bottom.

It was a bit of work to do the balance, but it is sometimes better to work with what you have for a best fit.

[Turkey Broth Trading]

I am a believer in balance beads and have a good supply in stock. My concern would be that all the beads I have seen say do not use inside inner tubes. What is the thoughs on that?

Craig

[JohnLaVoy]

If you plan on driving at higher speeds then you should balance the wheels.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I made this tool to check for bent wheels and to check wheel/tire balance. I've never balanced my wheels and never had a problem, but have used the tool to check wheels before using them. The spindle, bearings, and hub with drum are good used parts, so I bolted the bottom of the spindle to the stand in case I need to use them on a car.

[Charlie Stephens]

Just be sure they don't try to change a tire using one of their modern machines or you will have a problem with your rims being bent.

Charlie Stephens

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by Charlie Stephens

Just be sure they don't try to change a tire using one of their modern machines or you will have a problem with your rims being bent.

Charlie Stephens

the latest quality modern machines will not harm the rims or the finish

[1931 flamingo]

Before going to the trouble and cost of balancing, have you driven the car?? Any shimmy, or odd feeling??

Paul in CT

[Redbird]

It does not shimmy. Driving one of these things is new to me with the big tires. My last car was a 62 Corvette with no PS or PB, and a 17" steering wheel. I just didn't know that most of the 31's really don't need their wheels balanced.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

When I got Minerva, she had 6 month old Firestone Deluxe 19" tires. She was TOTALLY smooth from ZERO to 80 MPH, with NO balance weights! Gene must have put in Dyna-Beads!! I always forget to ask him.
Bill W.

[Redbird]

How much should one buy for 5 tires?

[fiddlybits]

Originally Posted by Redbird

How much should one buy for 5 tires?

Typically, for our tires, it's 4 Oz per tire.

I was low on dynabeads at the time so I just ordered from Snyder a 4 wheel kit and one extra. See link in post 3

(fwiw - DO NOT Drop any beads on the floor. I dropped a gallon jug of beads over a year ago and a few ounces got loose. I'm still sweeping them up!)