Balancing Wheels

[Bob Bidonde]

The wheels on my Victoria start to tamp at road-speeds above 50 MPH. I tried stick-on weights to balance them, but the weights have a habit of flying off.
What is the long term experience using beads in the tubes to balance the wheels?
My concern is that the beads turn to dust and loose their ability to effectively balance the wheels. Also, do the beads abrade the tubes?

[old31]

I have tried the balancing beads many, many, many, times, and I could never get them installed.

I use a HF tire balancer with stick-ons and have never lost a weight.

[Werner]

Hallo und guten Tag Bob.


I poured these balancing beads into all four wheels. I used a tiny funnel and a lot of patience.
I didn't notice any real improvement. Sometimes I thought it was better. Other times I felt like it wasn't any better.
After about 5,000 miles, I replaced the inner tubes because I was worried the beads might chafe them.
Afterward, I balanced the complete wheels again with glued-on lead weights. I used the front wheel hub with minimal bearing play.

It wasn't perfect, but it was noticeably better afterwards.

[JayJay]

My experience was similar to Werner’s. I put new tires on last summer and decided to try balance beads. After some frustration getting them in, I did not notice that they did anything. I replaced the tubes and static balanced them on a front wheel with a loosened bearing, and used stick-on weights on the inside of the rim. Better, but I will eventually pull them off and have them spun balanced. (Last time I spun balanced wheels, I had to go to five shops before I found someone willing to do it. Folks don’t want to touch anything unusual these days, and a 19” wire wheel classifies as “unusual”.) If I had access to an old-fashioned bubble balancer I’d use that.

As far as I know, I have not had any of the weights fall off. I was pretty fastidious about cleaning the rim.

Back in the ‘60s when I managed a full service gas station (remember those?) we used a Hunter balancer that spun-balanced wheels and tires on the car. Just looked on fleaBay and there’s one for sale for $1200 - out of my price range! But that’s the solution for Model A wheel balancing.

[alexiskai]

What about shops that service motorcycles? Feels like they would be more comfortable with this type of wheel.

[Ruth]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Originally Posted by JayJay

My experience was similar to Werner’s. I put new tires on last summer and decided to try balance beads. After some frustration getting them in, I did not notice that they did anything. I replaced the tubes and static balanced them on a front wheel with a loosened bearing, and used stick-on weights on the inside of the rim. Better, but I will eventually pull them off and have them spun balanced. (Last time I spun balanced wheels, I had to go to five shops before I found someone willing to do it. Folks don’t want to touch anything unusual these days, and a 19” wire wheel classifies as “unusual”.) If I had access to an old-fashioned bubble balancer I’d use that.

As far as I know, I have not had any of the weights fall off. I was pretty fastidious about cleaning the rim.

Back in the ‘60s when I managed a full service gas station (remember those?) we used a Hunter balancer that spun-balanced wheels and tires on the car. Just looked on fleaBay and there’s one for sale for $1200 - out of my price range! But that’s the solution for Model A wheel balancing.

I remember that type of balancer.

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by JayJay

Back in the ‘60s when I managed a full service gas station (remember those?) we used a Hunter balancer that spun-balanced wheels and tires on the car. Just looked on fleaBay and there’s one for sale for $1200 - out of my price range! But that’s the solution for Model A wheel balancing.

Last time I saw one of those spin balancers was in High School Auto Shop Class. It worked great.

When I installed my American Classic Tires 3 years ago about this time (Mama bought me 5 for Christmas) I went to balancer them on my bubble balancer and found them to be pretty close! So I deflated them and rotated the tires on the rims to get them as close as possible. This is with rubber stemmed tubes.

The plan was to install balance beads because they were not that far off, but then I got lazy and have never installed them. Have not had any issues so far. Next time I rotate them I will check balance.

I have used motorcycle spoked wheel weights in the past with good results. Paint them wheel color and the don't show up. Similar to these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C6314BR2...9ocXBfc2hhcmVk but mine are lead. I have seen guys wrap lead solder around their spokes also.

[rotorwrench]

Dynamic balancers are still available new but they are expensive. Some front tend shops use them to prevent warranty come backs. Tire shops just use the wheel spin balancers but that doesn't balance the whole assembly like a dynamic set up. A person might be surprised to see how far out of balance a brake drum or rotor can get.

Bent wheel rims are a whole other story. The wobble puts the rim out of track and induces a 1 to 1 lateral vibration. This can't be balanced out with weight. The rim and spokes would have to be straightened to restore the wheel track. There can also be wheel hop if the rim axis isn't symmetrical with the center axis due to a stretched spoke or bent rim.

I specialized in rotor balance on helicopters for many years. Spinning rotors have to be tracked with blade pitch control link adjustments first then weight balanced for lateral vibrations. On a main rotor, the out of track is a vertical vibration due to the vertical axis of spin. An automobile wheel has a lateral spin axis but the wheel has no adjustment to compensate for the wobble. I true spokes on motorcycle wheels and that will adjust the tracking of the rim but the Ford spokes are welded so there is no joy there.

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by rotorwrench

Dynamic balancers are still available new but they are expensive. Some front tend shops use them to prevent warranty come backs. Tire shops just use the wheel spin balancers but that doesn' balance the whole assembly like a dynamic set up. A person might be surprised to see how far out of balance a brake drum or rotor can get.

I thought about that, what happens when you rotate your tires??

[TMarsh]

Spin balanced new radials at local tire shop worked great for me. Crimp on rim weights on inside of rim. Never lost one to my knowledge. Would recommend. this to anyone

[Synchro909]

IMO, there is NO need to spin balance wheels for our Model As. They are so narrow that they can be considered a disc, thereby making dynamic balancing a waste. I made up a stand with a front hub on it and smooth running bearings. By adding stick on weights to the light weight places, I have smooth running wheels at speeds of 70 mph and likely more. I have never had a stick on weight fly off but I make sure the rim is clean before I attach them.
I have never used beads.

[Randy in ca]

Originally Posted by alexiskai

What about shops that service motorcycles? Feels like they would be more comfortable with this type of wheel.

Tubes for motorcycle tires are now available that have the balancing beads pre-installed in them by the manufacturer. Maybe similar ones of Model A sizing will be available someday!!

[Kurt in NJ]

I have balanced my tires without weights other than the original metal valve stem by rotating the tire on the rim.
The model A wheel is centered on the hub by the lugs.
Using a hub centered balancing machine will not be accurate in most instances.—- I tried as a experiment with the fancy machine at work trying the centering cone on both the inside and outside.

[Bill's Auto Works]

I will qualify my post by saying...I have never used balance beads in an inner tube....However

For ALL the vehicles/trailers I own, I use CounterAct Balance Beads & have for over a decade. I will NEVER balance a tire with weights again. Balancing a tire with weights only balances the tires for a limited time. After the tire wears some, the tire is out of balance again. With the beads, the tire stays balanced throughout the life of the tire, thus adding mileage to the life of the tire. I also have NEVER tried to install the beads through the valve stem as I just throw the bag of beads in the tire before I install the tire on the rim. A little plastic bottle & tube is supplied with some bead purchases which is supposed to aid in installing the beads through the stem, but again no experience doing that.

I drive well over 100K miles per year every year in my transport trucks/trailers/collector cars & love the way the beads balance the tires.

God Bless
Bill
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...closed.614419/

[springerpete]

I have spun balanced radials and powder coated wheels on my '29 roadster with stick on weights. 5 years now and almost 5000 miles. Maine rural roads at no more than 45 mph. No problems at all.

[nkaminar]

Bill, How do the beads move around if stuck between the tire and the tube? Or am I missing something?

[Bill's Auto Works]

Originally Posted by nkaminar

Bill, How do the beads move around if stuck between the tire and the tube? Or am I missing something?

Sir,

The beads go inside the tube. Some kits have a small plastic bottle & a little 6 inch tube that goes between the tip of the bottle & the valve stem after you remove the Schrader Valve. Lots easier for non tube tires!

God Bless
Bill
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...closed.614419/

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by nkaminar

Bill, How do the beads move around if stuck between the tire and the tube? Or am I missing something?

I think that when he’s talking about tossing a bag of beads in that he’s referring to modern tubeless tires…

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by nkaminar

Bill, How do the beads move around if stuck between the tire and the tube? Or am I missing something?

I think Bill was talking about tubeless tires.

[Elmo Rodge]

I have one of the Hunter balancers. I"ll check it out later this week. It's been a while.
Wayno