Balancing 1936 stock wheels?

F

franksford

Senior Member
I'm getting ready for new rubber on my 36. Do i need an adaptor for modern balancers and if so, who has them. Thank you.

Frank
 
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34fordy said:
Is this a balanced adapter or should it be balanced first before using it to do individual wheel/tire combinations? I use an aluminum wide five racing adapter and was surprised how out of balance it was. I had to make a plate with a small bearing to insert into the adapter center to get it in balance first.
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Have the plate balanced.
Anyone that seriously knows proper about machining will attest to this.
 
These might work and you can get them with 1/2" studs unlike some other vendors have.
https://www.racinginthedirt.com/product-page/ritd-aluminum-wide-5-adapters


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none of them are balanced. They all need balancing before mounting to a wheel you want balanced. Best method to balance an adapter is to drill or grind away the heavy spot.
 
This is the stock car racing adapter that I can use. Notice all the holes that I drilled to find the sweet spot. Now, I assumed that the center hole was indeed in the center. It did turn with minimal runout (.0015) but true center would only be my assumption. I made a small round plate with a very small bearing that I pressed into the center. All this being said, I believe each wheel/tire spin balanced on the car gives the most accurate balance. I do not know if this service is available now. I remember watching this done on a large truck 50+ years ago
 

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I have one of the steel adapters from speedway. I spun the adapter on a spin balancer by it self, and it showed to be true, no weight needed. I then mounted the adapter on a spare wide 5 wheel with no tire or valve stem, and spun it on the spin balancer. It showed it needed 1/4 oz. of weight to balance it. I have not gotten around to trying it with a tire mounted on the rim yet
 
take one front drum assembly off the car. bring it with the mounted tires. the front drum will work on the balancer machine . why buy an adapter you will proulbey never use again
 
I run beads in my 39 had nothing but trouble getting rims balanced but with the beads great [be warned they are a pain in the backside to get them into the tubes but worth the effort ]
 
IMO take the car to a shop who can balance the tires on the car , he will first shave the tires to make them round , then balance on car , then mark tire rim and to drum in case you ever dismantle
 
john greco said:
IMO take the car to a shop who can balance the tires on the car , he will first shave the tires to make them round , then balance on car , then mark tire rim and to drum in case you ever dismantle
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That is the correct way.

Be sure to index mark all parts associated with each rotating assembly.
 
If your wheels are true and you use good quality tires you may not need any balance weights.
I put a set of radials on stock wheels without tubes on a 37 sedan back in 2008. I don't have a balance adapter, but was told about a shop in the city who could balance on the car. I got the wheels and tires mounted on my car and found no vibration at all, so never had the wheels balanced. Last year we sold that car to a friend of mine who put new tires on the same wheels. He had the same experience, good quality radials without tubes that needed no balance weights to run smooth.
 
Balancing on car is the way to go if you use weights as you balance the whole rotating assembly but this locks you in to using that wheel in that corner on that stud every time as even rotating the wheel one stud whole will alter the balance Great if you don't rotate your tires or want/need to use the spare ;With beads because the rebalance them selves every time no problems .
 
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