Wheel balancing and weights

KGBnut said:
I've always just balanced them on the car, and used the hammer on weights, and I split the weights between inside and out. I rarely hit speeds over 50, and that is plenty good enough balance for me.

Then, because I'm nuts, I paint the balance weights.
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Thanks, I like the idea of painting the weights so they are not as noticeable.
 
The way I do it is to take a front wheel bearing loose until it turns very easily, and then put on a wheel. It will go to the heavy side down, I use hammer on weights and put them on the inside of the wheel. Just add or remove weights until the wheel doesn't find a consistent place to stop. Three more and they will all be done. I have been up to speeds that shouldn't be achieved in a model A and the tires were rock solid and smooth.
A real problem is having a tire put on the wheel incorrectly, watch your line on the tire and make sure it is on the wheel evenly so it will run true.
 
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Marshall57 said:
The way I do it is to take a front wheel bearing loose until it turns very easily, and then put on a wheel. It will go to the heavy side down, I use hammer on weights and put them on the inside of the wheel. Just add or remove weights until the wheel doesn't find a consistent place to stop. Three more and they will all be done. I have been up to speeds that shouldn't be achieved in a model A and the tires were rock solid and smooth.
A real problem is having a tire put on the wheel incorrectly, watch your line on the tire and make sure it is on the wheel evenly so it will run true.
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That is pretty much what I do, only I divide the weight between the inside and outside of the rim.

One thing to keep in mind, you are balancing the tire/rim/brake-drum combination... so if you remove the wheel for some reason, you want to put the wheel back in same position. I put a line on the brake-drum with a tire crayon to mark where the valve stem goes.

Ken
 
CarlG said:
After all the other problems are taken care of, try balancing beads. They really work.
http://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/wheel-balancing-beads
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I start getting wheel bounce when I near fifty and anything over, I rarely hit fifty but sometimes I have to (traffic)
You're saying these beads will fix that issue?
In my mind I don't see how they would work, seems beads in the tire would make matters worse.
How am I wrong on this and beads are right?
 
I was once watching a Man balancing the NEW General Tires for my '81 Maxima. As he picked up an 8" weight, we made EYE contact, I shook my head "NO" & he whipped the tire off & got another from the back room!
Bill Fussy
 
29Cabriolet said:
Can you better describe or have a pic of where the linkage screws are found? (somewhat of a novice here :confused: )
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Those are the large screw plugs in the ends of the tie rod and drag link.

BTW, the guys on the Studebaker site refer to the drag link as "the reach rod". That's one I'd never heard before.:confused:
 
I asked about this a few weeks ago because I got intermitant wheel wobble, but I had to go out of town and didn't get to it until yesterday. As suggested, I checked all steering and suspension to make sure everything was tight and the correct shape (round - not oval, etc.). Everything was tight and round. I also checked the toe-in. It was very close (about 1/32) but I adjusted it so it was completely correct. I had the wheels spin balanced and they are all now dead on from a balance standpoint. The A drives better now, however I discovered my wheels are bent. I think that is probably the problem with the wheel wobble. I am going to look into straightening the wheels, but may look for new, unbent wheels.

Thanks for all your help and suggestions.

Ken
 
What happens when a tyre with those dynabeads is punctured? Do you lose the beads? Do they help slow or stop the leak? Can a tube with beads in it be reused when new tyres are fitted. YES, I do reuse tubes and have done so all my life unless it is obviously KAPUT.
 
In addition to everything else that wiggles in the front end, wheel shimmy can be the result of the steering box being loose where it is bolted to the frame.
 
Mitch//pa said:
OK Terry :rolleyes:

For the record I never found the need to balance my A wheels..
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I too never balance my Model A wheels. It is just not necessary for the relatively slow speeds involved. I fixed wheel wobble issues last year by refreshing tie rod ends and other related components.

A Model A tyre/wheel combination is very similar to motorcycle wheels from the 60's. Back then we did simple static balancing and wrapped non-cored wire solder around the spokes for weights. Worked well at speeds up to 140+mph. Maybe this would suffice for speeds up to 60mph of a typical Model A.
 
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I've had quite a bit of experience with "Death Wobble" between my three Mod. A s and some of it you probably won't catch by jacking it up and shaking the front end. Like the spring bushings. If they're worn out there's enough tension on the spring to hold everything in place while you shake the wheels. These can be diagnosed visually by inspecting the shackles. If the shackle bolts/studs are not dead center in the "eye" of the spring, the bushings are worn out, Not an expensive fix, but it's annoying with out a spring spreader.
Ditto for the "Torsion rod/bars" (Stabilisers) that go from the ends of the front axle to the ball joint bolted on to the bottom of the bell housing. Just keep looking! There's something loose somewhere and when you find it and fix it, the problem will be solved.
Terry
 
My neighbor has a Snapon spin balance machine and I'm able to balance the wheels (16") and the drums. The wheels are indexed to the drums. I've yet to find a drum that didn't need some help. I also balance my trailer wheels.
 
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