The Ford Barn

WillC · 03-12-2024, 05:55 PM

Is there a way to balance the model t wheel/ tire? I get up to around 38 or so and the tires start to shake. It would be great if there was some kind of adapter a person could use to spin balance them.

J Franklin · 03-12-2024, 08:58 PM

Find a shop with a static wheel balancer.

redmodelt · 03-12-2024, 09:38 PM

You could try balance beads. Lots of people use them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZQXPLfOPXc&t=381s

Dodge · 03-12-2024, 11:22 PM

I use a flywheel mandrel and do them on my Stewart Warner crankshaft balancer.

Those suckers are balanced!

rotorwrench · 03-13-2024, 11:43 AM

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To check front rotating assemblies, a person can carefully jack the car for best wheel vertical plane. If the wheel assembly has a heavy side, it will always rotate toward gravity until it stops. That is the heavy side on the bottom. A person can add weight in some fashion to the top or opposite side of the heavy point until the wheel assembly will no longer rotate when placed in any position. This is as good as any way to static balance a rotating assembly. The only bad thing is that it doesn't work so well on the rear end due to drive train rotating friction.

Rim track is also important. A wheel assembly can be rotated while using a fixed pointer very near the edge of the rim to see if the rim is deformed or bent. Usually the track can be checked visually but even a small amount of deviation can be problematic with increased speed of rotation. This leads to an excessive side to side motion. If steering linkages are loose then that will just make the movement of things more obvious and can lead to a wobble.

The problem may also be tire carcass related. If the rims are removable then they can be removed and rolled by hand on a flat smooth surface. if they roll straight and fairy even then the tire is good. If they wobble and flop over then the tire is bad. Most death wobble situations can be traced to a bad tire. Unfortunately, with non demountable type wheel assemblies, it is more difficult to perform this test.

Look for a front end alignment shop that still uses a balance system that checks the balance on the car by rotating the wheels off the ground and attaching a balance sensor to detect any imbalance and the clock angle of that imbalance in order to attach weights for correction. Tire shops generally don't have this equipment but some front end alignment shops still do.

03-12-2024, 05:55 PM	#1
WillC Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 50	Balance Is there a way to balance the model t wheel/ tire? I get up to around 38 or so and the tires start to shake. It would be great if there was some kind of adapter a person could use to spin balance them.

03-12-2024, 08:58 PM	#2
J Franklin Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 5,963	Re: Balance Find a shop with a static wheel balancer.

03-12-2024, 09:38 PM	#3
redmodelt Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Portland OR Posts: 6,342	Re: Balance You could try balance beads. Lots of people use them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZQXPLfOPXc&t=381s __________________ I know the voices aren't real but damn they have some good ideas!

03-12-2024, 11:22 PM	#4
Dodge Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Sonoma, CA. Posts: 1,497	Re: Balance I use a flywheel mandrel and do them on my Stewart Warner crankshaft balancer. Those suckers are balanced!

03-13-2024, 11:43 AM	#5
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 16,437	Re: Balance Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) To check front rotating assemblies, a person can carefully jack the car for best wheel vertical plane. If the wheel assembly has a heavy side, it will always rotate toward gravity until it stops. That is the heavy side on the bottom. A person can add weight in some fashion to the top or opposite side of the heavy point until the wheel assembly will no longer rotate when placed in any position. This is as good as any way to static balance a rotating assembly. The only bad thing is that it doesn't work so well on the rear end due to drive train rotating friction. Rim track is also important. A wheel assembly can be rotated while using a fixed pointer very near the edge of the rim to see if the rim is deformed or bent. Usually the track can be checked visually but even a small amount of deviation can be problematic with increased speed of rotation. This leads to an excessive side to side motion. If steering linkages are loose then that will just make the movement of things more obvious and can lead to a wobble. The problem may also be tire carcass related. If the rims are removable then they can be removed and rolled by hand on a flat smooth surface. if they roll straight and fairy even then the tire is good. If they wobble and flop over then the tire is bad. Most death wobble situations can be traced to a bad tire. Unfortunately, with non demountable type wheel assemblies, it is more difficult to perform this test. Look for a front end alignment shop that still uses a balance system that checks the balance on the car by rotating the wheels off the ground and attaching a balance sensor to detect any imbalance and the clock angle of that imbalance in order to attach weights for correction. Tire shops generally don't have this equipment but some front end alignment shops still do.