Balancing Tires - What About This?

[Mullaney]

I remember before computer tire balancing for automobile vehicles was around. There was a piece of equipment that would roll up to the wheel, spin the tire, add weights, spin the tire again, etc.

I remember being told that sort of balancing included the wheel and tire AND it also included the drums and hubs too. So anyway, on the quest for tires to be balanced: Is that still a possibility today?



Pictured below is what seems to be "the new version" of that piece of equipment. AMERIMAC at AllTireSupply appears to sell one. Yeah, it is $5500 bucks but compared to a lot of things that we buy for these big green toys that isn't awful...



Anybody have an opinion?

 

[gringeltaube]

.... Anybody have an opinion?

Yes, it works well - if the operator knows what he's doing... Typical equipment for a smaller tire shop that handles all kind of vehicles, all day long.
But for a hobbyist who does 6 - 10 tires per year? No thanks, 5.5K would be way too rich for my blood...!
I get good results balancing any size wheels, tires, brake drums, flywheels and what not. And still spending less than 1/100 of that amount, for any new bolt pattern, different from what I already have.

 

[Mullaney]

Yes, it works well - if the operator knows what he's doing... Typical equipment for a smaller tire shop that handles all kind of vehicles, all day long.
But for a hobbyist who does 6 - 10 tires per year? No thanks, 5.5K would be way too rich for my blood...!
I get good results balancing any size wheels, tires, brake drums, flywheels and what not. And still spending less than 1/100 of that amount, for any new bolt pattern, different from what I already have.

I have to agree that 5.5k is pretty rich for a dozen tires in a year. I am cheap. If I can find something used, I would be willing to try that. I found one in Florida @ GovDeals.

Just wondering... Sure seems like a better plan than beads

Might even find somebody local that could balance the tires who does it daily...

 

[NY Tom]

Yes, it works well - if the operator knows what he's doing... Typical equipment for a smaller tire shop that handles all kind of vehicles, all day long.
But for a hobbyist who does 6 - 10 tires per year? No thanks, 5.5K would be way too rich for my blood...!
I get good results balancing any size wheels, tires, brake drums, flywheels and what not. And still spending less than 1/100 of that amount, for any new bolt pattern, different from what I already have.

What is your method?

 

[gringeltaube]

What is your method?

DIY Tire Balancing

The balancer adapters posted above make things a little clearer now. I was right there at the balancer with the shop owner and another employee and the conventional adapters just don't fit the HMMWV wheels well. It's almost impossible to get it right. The wheels look bent when spinning. They...

www.steelsoldiers.com

 

[frank8003]

In 1967 my favorite guy at small town Shell station used that machine on my 55 Chevy. Always Vibrations at 56MPH never at 130 and wide open when weight came off the front. Worked really good.
If one could find that machine, It had a special thingie He would attach to the wheels.
First He static balanced them, put them back ON and then ran that machine on the two fronts, I had had a problem due to bad ball joints and that 350 engine. Only had stock wheels with whatever tires I could get, really good tires went on the back, back in the day.
Four bucks then ............

 

[Mullaney]

In 1967 my favorite guy at small town Shell station used that machine on my 55 Chevy. Always Vibrations at 56MPH never at 130 and wide open when weight came off the front. Worked really good.
If one could find that machine, It had a special thingie He would attach to the wheels.
First He static balanced them, put them back ON and then ran that machine on the two fronts, I had had a problem due to bad ball joints and that 350 engine. Only had stock wheels with whatever tires I could get, really good tires went on the back, back in the day.
Four bucks then ............

I think you are right Frank. Things "back in the day" like giving the filling station owner with a 3 bay garage and 4 gas pumps three dollars to use his old semi-retired equipment. That three bucks would rent his manual tire machine. It was bolted to a concrete pad outside with a "bubble balancer" also out there. Top part of the balancer was carried inside at night... I can't remember what he charged to use that machine to "spin balance" if we happened to be rolling in the dough that week.

Oh, and just to make me dated: All the gas pumps were leaded - before we knew there was any such thing as unleaded!

Tim
.

 

[frank8003]

Well
You old enough to remember when gubermint took the lead out of the fuel, I made a bunch of money havaing "someone else" do valve jobs on city cars, back in the day.
All owners then said "It won't hold a tune". The exhaust valves cooked off on those Caddies.
01011996 lead in duh fuel was banned but there was engines on the streets that needed it.
That killed many a "Maybelline". They tried to kill my 65 390 4 speed auto too.
Well, We did have a good time
!00% of the "filling stations" are gone.

 

[Mullaney]

Well
You old enough to remember when gubermint took the lead out of the fuel, I made a bunch of money havaing "someone else" do valve jobs on city cars, back in the day.
All owners then said "It won't hold a tune". The exhaust valves cooked off on those Caddies.
01011996 lead in duh fuel was banned but there was engines on the streets that needed it.
That killed many a "Maybelline". They tried to kill my 65 390 4 speed auto too.
Well, We did have a good time
!00% of the "filling stations" are gone.

Agreed. On all parts. Same guy at the "filling station" called buying gas at his place "trading" with him too
Bet there are a lot of folks who have never even seen a full service gas station either...
I do remember a lead additive that would stop that rattling sound too.

 

[frank8003]

tire wheel balance machines had no "puter" back then

There is new ones
beeline

or how about a crankshaft fluidmaster for your wheels
balance it

and in 1945
old time

 

[frank8003]

moment of imbalance prioritized truck wheels
the patent

 

[Karl kostman]

Tire balancing. Some of this depends on how big of a tire your balancing. I took my M920 to a tire shop to balance the tires/wheel assemblies and they took one look at them and said NO WAY, those tires are way to big to balance with lead weights, the truck had 1600x20 on it with HEMTT wheels. We talked about it for awhile and decided to go with 64 oz of equal (tire balancing media, like powder) They injected this into the truck tire through the valve stem and it worked perfectly! On the way home I could actually get up to 16 th gear and drive 55 mph, one of the best outcomes I have ever had in balancing large tire/wheel combinations!

 

[patracy]

I run balance beads now in all my vehicles. Once I mount up another set of military tires, I'll be using those as well. Best part of all, they constantly adjust over time.

 

[joel]

I run balance beads now in all my vehicles. Once I mount up another set of military tires, I'll be using those as well. Best part of all, they constantly adjust over time.

I used a bubble balancer

 

[chucky]

I remember before computer tire balancing for automobile vehicles was around. There was a piece of equipment that would roll up to the wheel, spin the tire, add weights, spin the tire again, etc.

I remember being told that sort of balancing included the wheel and tire AND it also included the drums and hubs too. So anyway, on the quest for tires to be balanced: Is that still a possibility today?

View attachment 825286 View attachment 825287 View attachment 825288 View attachment 825289 View attachment 825290

Pictured below is what seems to be "the new version" of that piece of equipment. AMERIMAC at AllTireSupply appears to sell one. Yeah, it is $5500 bucks but compared to a lot of things that we buy for these big green toys that isn't awful...

View attachment 825292

Anybody have an opinion?

Years back i used to get my steer tires trued . It looked sort of like this thing but it sliced the tread with the ll/24.5 spinning on the hub and sometimes there would be a pile of thinly shaved rubber but those tires were so smooth going down the road. In the early 90s we used this pack of green fluid more like the color of green koolaid into the tire before you aired up the tire for the first time and the fluid turned to tan ball bearings all different sises the next time you broke the tire down and they worked well at any speed .