Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Model A (1928-31)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 09-17-2018, 11:21 AM   #1
Standing Elk
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: St. Maries, Idaho
Posts: 162
Default How do you balance your wheels / tires

This may have been discussed before but I have not seen it addressed so am asking. How do you guys balance your wheels? Mine run pretty smooth up to about 48 - 50 mph then the front wheels start to bounce some. When I had my new tires mounted the local tire shop told me that they had no way to balance my model A wheels. Just curious what some of you guys were using. I suspect maybe one of the old static type bubble balancers would work if I could find someone that still had one. Thanks
Standing Elk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2018, 11:35 AM   #2
diditt
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 1
Default Re: How do you balance your wheels / tires

Unless your brake is to tight, when you jack up the front wheel it will roll with the heavy side down.
You can then get some lead sheet and wrap it around the spoke at the top.
Do in such a way to protect the paint, tape first or?
Just a posability.
diditt is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 09-17-2018, 11:49 AM   #3
Gary WA
Senior Member
 
Gary WA's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Clinton,WA/Whidbey Island
Posts: 4,088
Default Re: How do you balance your wheels / tires

Dyna Beads
__________________
www.whidbeymodelaclub.com
Gary WA is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2018, 11:55 AM   #4
Kurt in NJ
Senior Member
 
Kurt in NJ's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: on the Littlefield
Posts: 6,140
Default Re: How do you balance your wheels / tires

I rotated the tire on the rim and rechecked, one needed a little so I put a patch on the tube, the others came out good


Most wheel balancers have a lug centric plate that can be used to balance A wheels---- but it takes time to setup
Kurt in NJ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2018, 02:53 PM   #5
GPierce
Senior Member
 
GPierce's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Germantown,TN
Posts: 513
Default Re: How do you balance your wheels / tires

I found an old timer with a spin balancer. He balanced them on the car. I was concerned about the balance of the steel brake drums as well as the wheels.
GPierce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2018, 03:11 PM   #6
Cool Hand Lurker
Senior Member
 
Cool Hand Lurker's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: So Minn
Posts: 1,564
Default Re: How do you balance your wheels / tires

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Also check the wheel bearings for looseness and take the slack out if needed. Same with the wishbone ball joint mount.
Cool Hand Lurker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2018, 04:08 PM   #7
duke36
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,414
Default Re: How do you balance your wheels / tires

I've got a 50+ year old bubble balancer that works fine on A and other wire wheels. I believe Harbor freight still sells one similar. I use hammer on weights collected over the years, but the newer stick on weights are available. (which sometimes don't stay on so need to be checked periodically). The hubcaps should be removed to sight the bubble and help center the wheel.
duke36 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2018, 05:28 PM   #8
Synchro909
Senior Member
 
Synchro909's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 7,471
Default Re: How do you balance your wheels / tires

I made a stand to which I welded a stub axle. I used second hand bearings and a little oil, not grease to lubricte them and adjusted them slightly on the loose side. I welded a piece of rod onto the drum to balance it, then I fit a wheel to the hub and add weight to the top once it settles (the heavy spot goes to the bottom). Mine are 21" wheels so the hammer on weights are not possible. I use either the stick on ones or I wrap a piece of lead around a spoke as outlined above.
My favourite way of doing that is to melt the lead out of an old battery and pour it into the Vee of a piece of preheated angle iron (with a piece of flat welded over the ends) I use masking tape and modern weights to get the balance right, then add up the weights I used. I weigh the long srtrip of lead I cast and measure its length. It is a simple calculation to work out where to cut it. I then put some tape around the spoke and wind it on. A little paint and viola! Smooth driving.
__________________
I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood.
Synchro909 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2018, 07:02 PM   #9
aermotor
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Greenville, SC
Posts: 1,099
Default Re: How do you balance your wheels / tires

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gary WA View Post
Dyna Beads
X2

John
aermotor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2018, 07:37 PM   #10
Terry, NJ
Senior Member
 
Terry, NJ's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Bucks Co, Pa
Posts: 3,740
Default Re: How do you balance your wheels / tires

I use an old Bubble Balancer. If it's 2 ozs out, split the weight, 1oz and 1oz weight and put the 2 - 1oz weights on the inner and outer halves of the rim! Don't clump it all on either the inside or the outside of the rim. I have balanced all my wheels/tires this way and it's fine for my top speeds of 70 - 80 MPH, for the last forty or so years.
Terry
Terry, NJ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2018, 09:22 PM   #11
Cape Codder
Senior Member
 
Cape Codder's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,261
Default Re: How do you balance your wheels / tires

Dyna Beads X3
Cape Codder is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2018, 10:30 PM   #12
Ed Wendell
Senior Member
 
Ed Wendell's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 149
Default Re: How do you balance your wheels / tires

Dyna Beads X4
Ed Wendell is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 03:17 AM   #13
old31
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,087
Default Re: How do you balance your wheels / tires

Like Gpierce I found a company that can do spin balancing and it is now very smooth. All of my stick on weights are on the inside so that they dont show (as much).

I would prefer dynabeads but I just could not get them in.
old31 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 07:35 AM   #14
2manycars
Senior Member
 
2manycars's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Eastern CT
Posts: 2,732
Default Re: How do you balance your wheels / tires

I have Lester tires, and found no need to balance. I drive at 50-55. When I had firestone tires, I used stick on weights, as the hammer on weights will not work on a 29.
__________________
Bill
www.brauchauto.com
2manycars is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 11:39 PM   #15
CarlG
Senior Member
 
CarlG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Posts: 9,109
Default Re: How do you balance your wheels / tires

DynaBeads X 5
__________________
Alaskan A's
Antique Auto Mushers of Alaska
Model A Ford Club of America
Model A Restorers Club
Antique Automobile Club of America
Mullins Owner's Club
CarlG is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2018, 12:00 AM   #16
denniskliesen
Senior Member
 
denniskliesen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: SoCal
Posts: 877
Default Re: How do you balance your wheels / tires

DynaBeads X6
denniskliesen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2018, 10:18 AM   #17
Cool Hand Lurker
Senior Member
 
Cool Hand Lurker's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: So Minn
Posts: 1,564
Default Re: How do you balance your wheels / tires

What material do they use to make Dyna Beads?
Cool Hand Lurker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2018, 11:42 AM   #18
Y-Blockhead
Senior Member
 
Y-Blockhead's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Redondo Beach, CA
Posts: 5,817
Default Re: How do you balance your wheels / tires

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cool Hand Lurker View Post
What material do they use to make Dyna Beads?
According to Dyna Beads® they are a "high-density ceramic bead". Count me as a user also. I used my engraver to vibrate the tube connected to the valve stem. Patiences is the key...

Which reminds me I have yet to do my spare. I have the beads, just too lazy to take off my trunk and spare.

One thing I should mention is that two times now while checking my tire pressure the Schrader valve didn't reseal. I had to blast a little air thru the stem to get them to seal. I'm assuming a bead or two were stuck in the valve? I used the special valves that came with the beads.

Anyone else experience this?

Last edited by Y-Blockhead; 09-19-2018 at 11:57 AM.
Y-Blockhead is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2018, 12:19 PM   #19
denniskliesen
Senior Member
 
denniskliesen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: SoCal
Posts: 877
Default Re: How do you balance your wheels / tires

Quote:
Originally Posted by Y-Blockhead View Post

One thing I should mention is that two times now while checking my tire pressure the Schrader valve didn't reseal. I had to blast a little air thru the stem to get them to seal. I'm assuming a bead or two were stuck in the valve? I used the special valves that came with the beads.

Anyone else experience this?
No problems here holding air or beads stuck in the valve, and I have a regular valve in my spare.
denniskliesen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2018, 02:13 PM   #20
john in illinois
Senior Member
 
john in illinois's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,181
Default Re: How do you balance your wheels /nmm tires

I had wheel hop at 50-55. I tried dyna beads and also hammer on weights. No change. The wheels and tires were out of round. No balancing will help. I now check radial and lateral runout on wheels and mounted tire. Some model A tires are not round.

John
john in illinois is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:52 AM.