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03-15-2024, 01:06 AM | #1 |
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Join Date: May 2017
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Wire wheel balancing
Hello,
I recently purchased a Model A and was curious regarding the wire wheels. Are the wire wheel assemblies easy to true up? Are they easily able to balance and if so how would one go about balancing the wheel? |
03-15-2024, 05:31 AM | #2 |
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Re: Wire wheel balancing
Getting a buckled wheel to run true is not so easy but can be done. It takes careful shrinking of the appropriate spokes and maybe stretch others. It takes experience to get it right. I'm sure there will be places about over there that will do it for you.
Balancing: It won't be many posts before someone says to use Dynabeads (or whatever they are called over there). They are small bead that go in the tyre and automatically balanace the wheel as you drive. I haven't used them - I use an old free running front hub to mount the wheel and by trial and error, add weight to the top when the wheel stops moving till it stays where I put it (90° off where it stoped.)
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03-15-2024, 07:15 AM | #3 |
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Re: Wire wheel balancing
Honestly I'm also looking to get my wire wheels straightened. There's a couple that are noticably out of round and I actually got stopped by a guy once that said that my wheel was falling off
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03-15-2024, 08:00 AM | #4 |
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Re: Wire wheel balancing
I have never been able to get the beads into my tires.
Two other ways to balance. 1: Do it yourself using a HF balancer. I have been using this for years and works out well. https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=tire%20balancer 2: The other way is to bring the mounted tire and rim to a tire company that has the mounting equipment to do a high speed tire balance. I have also done this and it works well. |
03-15-2024, 09:35 AM | #5 | |
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Re: Wire wheel balancing
Quote:
I got a chuckle out of your comment...that is bad when someone stops you to tell you your wheel is about to fall off... |
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03-15-2024, 10:00 AM | #6 |
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Re: Wire wheel balancing
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Bob Bidonde |
03-15-2024, 11:41 AM | #7 |
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Re: Wire wheel balancing
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03-15-2024, 12:14 PM | #8 | |
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Re: Wire wheel balancing
Quote:
Charlie Stephens |
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03-15-2024, 12:32 PM | #9 |
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Re: Wire wheel balancing
Wheels with welded spokes can be difficult to true. If the rim is bent then it may be better to replace it. Bending spokes may or may not true it back to serviceable specs.
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03-16-2024, 10:16 AM | #10 |
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Re: Wire wheel balancing
To balance tires Dyna Beads worked well for me. Getting the beads in can be challenging though.
I found that using a jack under the axle start with the tire lowered so it is pretty squished against the ground. Attach the tube to the valve stem and start flowing the beads in. When they slow going in bump the jack up a bit creating negative pressure and the beads will start flowing again. Repeat as needed until all the beads are in.
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03-16-2024, 06:34 PM | #11 | |
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Re: Wire wheel balancing
Quote:
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03-17-2024, 06:47 AM | #12 |
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Re: Wire wheel balancing
I have used stick on weights on the back side of the rims. They are very secure and balance well. Balance job was done with spin machine at local garage. Weights are painted wheel color so the hide well. Bill
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03-17-2024, 02:15 PM | #13 | |
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Re: Wire wheel balancing
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03-17-2024, 03:03 PM | #14 |
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Wire wheel balancing
When I used beads, I was installing metal valve stems at the same time. It’s easy to get the beads into the hole in the inner tube that the metal valve stem will (eventually) go into.
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03-18-2024, 08:44 PM | #15 |
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Re: Wire wheel balancing
Nice picture. I know in the Overhaul shop balancing Tailrotor Blade and Hub assemblies, we would have to perform the task in a room with "Still Air" meaning even the Air-conditioning couldn't be on. I wonder if this also would apply to the tire/wheel assemblies? |
03-19-2024, 11:34 AM | #16 | |
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Re: Wire wheel balancing
Quote:
On motorcycle wheel assemblies, I use the same set up that I true the spoked rims with. If the wheel/tire assembly doesn't try to rotate in any clock angle setting then it's good to go. On car wheel assemblies, a person just needs an old bubble balancer to static balance. If it is properly static balance then it should run true in a computer balance machine unless the rim is bent. I used to use an old Micro like the one in this link. https://www.ebay.com/itm/19628052157...R_DmwPnKYwlike Last edited by rotorwrench; 03-20-2024 at 10:09 AM. |
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03-19-2024, 09:06 PM | #17 | |
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Re: Wire wheel balancing
Quote:
Performed quite a bit of T&B with the Chadwick and also static balance with the Marvel. 27 yrs aviation has taught me to do things right the first time and not have to spend time fixing sloppy work... |
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