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Wheel balancing
Just wondering if anyone can share their knowledge.
I had my tyres fitted recently by the local tyre guy round the corner. He was reluctant to do the balancing with my rims. He said it was always better to put the weights on the outside of the wheel but quite rightly didn't want to do that with my rims as it would spoil the look. I'm glad he didn't. He showed the inside type weights that stick on to the inner side of the rim. I was about to tell him go ahead with that, but thought it would be a good idea just to run it past those who have the experience already. |
I've had the stick-on inner weights on a number of different sets of rims. Never had a problem with them.
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You're not going to like my answer:
After many attempts to smooth out my front end vibration using a variety of balancing methods, with mediocre results, I took them to an "old school" guy that has a pre 70"s machine that actually spins the wheel and tire while on the car and then he "magically" starts attaching weights to the inside of the wheel till it spins without any vibration whatsoever. He gauges the vibration by spinning the wheel to about 90MPH and then letting it coast back down while his hand rests on the fender. When he feels no vibration during the spin down, he is done. After 45 minutes and many tries, he finally came to me and said that the only way to eliminate ALL of the vibration would be to attach a small weight or two to the outside of the wheel (as well as several to the inside). I didn't want to ruin the look, but the vibration at 65 MPH really bugged me, so I gave him the OK. He attached two small weights to the outside of both my front rims and the vibration is gone. Smooth as glass at all speeds now. If you can accomplish the smoothness you want with just weights on the inside, let him do it. If not, you might want to consider this alternative. |
You need the wheels to be balanced but some wheels are more difficult for sure. It is a pain and requires extra time but there are a few methods you might consider. Stick on or glue backed weights can be placed on the inner surfaces of the wheel and then remount the tire on your wheel. You must wrap the inner circumference with a good tape (use fiberglass packing tape) to secure these weights as insurance. Any good shop will know how to properly install these weights. This all takes extra time and you can no longer see if a weight comes loose but it is one way to skin the cat.
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Sounds like your not having a balance problem, but wondering if stick ons are ok.
Stick on weights on the inside of the rim will be fine. Just make sure the guy cleans the area that he is going to attach the weight with prepsol or alchol wipe. |
I also have the stick-on weights on the inside of the rims, they work well as far as I can tell.
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I have the stick ons on my 09 G6E turbo from factory and although not wide like your have found no issues with stick ons.
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Sorry to jump in here with another angle, but my front tires seem to be vibrating more and more with only 4,000 miles on them. The original owner had the body set low and it rubbed the fender. I'm wondering if they can shave used tires somehow to balance it better? Wonder if a new spin balance would fix the vibration. These are Michelin tires so I'm trying to save the cost. Any tips would be appreciated!
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What's wrong with weights on the outer rim ? The original Cobras had them there.
I reckon safety before bling. There are polished (shiny)weights available. |
Hi WardL,
Yes you can get your tyres rebalanced. Balancing is part of routine servicing but is normally done on a need basis. The weight of a bit of rubber can be counteracted by a lead weight. Unless they are badly gouged 10 or 15 grams of lead may do the job. Shaving tyres is an option I haven't heard of before, except with retreads where they basically lathe (think crude lathe type machine) the old tread right off to leave a coarse surface to bond the new tread on. Thankfully retreads are not used mch any more. A hole in a case of a retreaded tyre will often cause a bubble between the casing and new tread which will lift the tread and cause the inevitable tread shedding. If a tyre is regrooved to deepen the tread available this will change the balance and also require rebalancing. Other option is to go and have some fun converting them to smoke. BUT, as we know, real men smoke Bridgestones. :) |
Just bought a set of Billboards from Shelby Las Vegas and took my rims and they mounted and balanced at their Racing Tire Wharehouse. They used stick ons on the inner side of rim. They ALSO used a wide piece of stick gray tape and covered weights. Did not ask them but I think this was a precaution to keep weights from dislodging from the rim.
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Stick on weights on the inside is fine. If your rims are good quality the only weight difference is the valve. Make sure they position the tyres on the rims correctly. The tyre should be marked with a white or yellow dot, this goes in line with the valve. I bet 99% of tyres are fitted incorrectly needing huge globs of lead.
http://www.toyo.com.au/tech_info14.htm How many people have now just gone to the shed to check their tyres? I can comment on the Vintage pin drive wheels and with the tyres fitted correctly only 1 or two thumbnail size leads were required on the back of each wheel. Try the wheel on the wheel balancer without the tyre first to see how out of balance the bare wheel is. |
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