Wheel balancing

[Constant Mesh]

If the tire's light spot is not marked you can approximate it fairly easily.

Using a static balancer (Parnes, etc.) you can get an optimal balance with a few simple steps.

With no weights on the bare wheel find the wheel's heavy spot and mark it. While still on the balancer rotate the wheel so that its heavy spot is at 3 o'clock. Release it and time how long it takes to reach the 6 o'clock position. Record this time for later use.

Now mount and inflate the tire. Put it back on the balancer.

If the wheel's heavy spot settles on the left side of center, the tire's heavy spot is on the right side. If it settles on the right the tire's heavy spot is on the left.

Now, knowing the tire's heavy half how do you find its heavy spot?

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If the wheel's heavy spot is on the left side rotate the heavy spot to the 3 o'clock position, release it and time it to the 6 o'clock position. Is this time more or less than the time recorded for the bare wheel?

If it's less (rotating faster) the tire's heavy spot is approximately 45 degrees (360 x 1/8) to the right of the wheel's heavy spot. If it's more (rotating slower) the tire's heavy spot is approximately 135 degrees (360 x 3/8) to the right of the wheel's heavy spot.

or,

If the wheel's heavy spot is on the right side rotate the heavy spot to the 9 o'clock position, release it and time it to the 6 o'clock position. Is this time more or less than the time recorded for the bare wheel?

If it's less the tire's heavy spot is approximately 45 degrees to the left of the wheel's heavy spot. If it's more the tire's heavy spot is approximately 135 degrees to the left of the wheel's heavy spot.

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Mark the tire's light spot opposite its heavy spot.

Deflate and loosen the tire and rotate it so that its light spot is adjacent to the wheel's heavy spot.

Inflate and balance the wheel/tire.

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This technique should approximate the tire's heavy/light spot within 45 degrees. Only one balance with weights is required. Balancing the bare wheel is not required.

 

[SkooterG]

For me, re-popping the bead and rotating the tire is the PITA part. Rotating a tire when it is already on a rim can be tricky depending on the brand/model of tire. Balancing the wheel only is easy-peasy and tells me EXACTLY where the heavy spot of the tire is after it is mounted. That's the way I do it.

 

[Fred W]

There's a much easier (and more accurate) way to do this.

Before mounting the tire, don't just find the heavy spot, balance the bare wheel with weights temporarily attached to the wheel.

Mount up the tire randomly on the pre-balanced rim. Now all of the mis-balance is the fault of the tire. You will know exactly where on the tire is the heaviest spot. By how much you really do not care. You just want that aligned with the light spot on the rim. So, just mark the heavy spot on the tire with a grease pencil, and after breaking the bead re-align that with the already known light spot of the bare wheel (where all the temp weights are). Remove the temp weights and complete the balancing.

If you mark the inside surface of your rims with a permanent marker (sharpie) the first time you do this with location and how much weight they need you can save time on future mountings.

 

[SkooterG]

There's a much easier (and more accurate) way to do this.

Before mounting the tire, don't just find the heavy spot, balance the bare wheel with weights temporarily attached to the wheel.

Mount up the tire randomly on the pre-balanced rim. Now all of the mis-balance is the fault of the tire. You will know exactly where on the tire is the heaviest spot. By how much you really do not care. You just want that aligned with the light spot on the rim. So, just mark the heavy spot on the tire with a grease pencil, and after breaking the bead re-align that with the already known light spot of the bare wheel (where all the temp weights are). Remove the temp weights and complete the balancing.

If you mark the inside surface of your rims with a permanent marker (sharpie) the first time you do this with location and how much weight they need you can save time on future mountings.

I thought that's what I said. In a LOT few words.

Interestingly, I do mark the heavy spot on my wheels with a sharpie and write down how much weight it takes to balance the wheel only. What I DON'T understand is why the heavy spot moves a little bit occasionally and the amount to balance the wheel only also changes a little bit from time to time. Weird.

 

[Fred W]

Sorry, Greg. You're right. Your response was so short I breezed right over it!!

 

[Constant Mesh]

That's fine but I don't want to bother with temporary weights on the wheel before the final balance. The technique I describe will give results very comparable to your method but I don't have to touch a weight until the end.

Finding/knowing the tire's light spot before mounting should be the goal. Efforts expended in wrestling/mounting/dismounting the tire should be kept to a minimum. Pay a professional, maybe. Need a simple lightweight frame for mounting/centering the bare tire on the balancer.

Probably much ado about nothing anyway. The installers at most shops would never expend the effort to find the wheel's heavy spot. Their balancer shows them how much weight is needed and where and they follow orders. Must be quick and easy.

 

[Geezer]

I marked my wheels for the light spot, but I got tired of spooning on a tire and having to try to spin it around to match the heavy spot on the tire with the light spot on the wheel. Now I just spoon the tires on randomly and balance them as they are. Seems to work fine.

 

[SkooterG]

I marked my wheels for the light spot, but I got tired of spooning on a tire and having to try to spin it around to match the heavy spot on the tire with the light spot on the wheel. Now I just spoon the tires on randomly and balance them as they are. Seems to work fine.

Oh, I agree. I only do it in extreme circumstances where I randomly match the heavy spot of the wheel with the heavy spot of the tire and they are both off enough that it takes an 'excessive' amount of weight to balance the wheel/tire combo.

What is *REALLY* nice is buying tires where the light spot is marked - Bridgestone, Pirelli, Dunlop and Continental to name a few. Too bad a 'premium' brand like Michelin (and their PR2s) doesn't do it. In fact the last PR2s I mounted took a LOT of weight to balance both front and rear and even when balanced the front gives me a bit of vibration over 100mph. WTF am I paying premium prices for on those tires?

 

[RaYzerman19]

My wheels were out significantly (20-30 grams) and there were clip-on weights from the factory. So, I balance the bare wheel first, then assemble and balance. I find that tires these days are pretty good and most don't have any marks.

 

[mattster31]

My wheels were out significantly (20-30 grams) and there were clip-on weights from the factory. So, I balance the bare wheel first, then assemble and balance. I find that tires these days are pretty good and most don't have any marks.

My problem lately has been finding the right douple sided tape that actually sticks. I reuse my old weights......

 

[SkooterG]

My problem lately has been finding the right douple sided tape that actually sticks. I reuse my old weights......

3M automotive tape: Clicky. Available in most automotive parts stores.

 

[dcarver]

Unless it's waaaay out of balance, I ain't breaking the bead again. Too much work, and life is short. Remove all weights, and balance the 'system' out. 'Component' calibration takes too long, too much work. By the time you break the bead, *again*, I'm done and out riding.

FWIW, I use a sharpie to mark heavy point, blue CarverTape to temporarily affix weights, when balanced out, use 3M double side tape to affix weights.

Ezy-Pzy..

 

[Roy Epperson]

Timely posts. I've not broken down and purchase my own mounting tools but thinking about it.....

The question is - do you split the weights between each side of the wheel. I just pulled off my front to get a new one mounted tomorrow. The previous shop put all the weight on one side. The tire has about 12,000 miles on it so I'm assuming over time the left and right turns would be about the same wear 'n tear. The side with all the weights was more rounded and thicker from belts to other top. While to other side was flatter and within a cord width of rubber to the first layer of cords.

I would think you would want to split the weights between sides. There was about 25 grams of weight. Any recommendations/thoughts?

 

[escapefjrtist]

Unless it's waaaay out of balance, I ain't breaking the bead again. Too much work, and life is short. Remove all weights, and balance the 'system' out. 'Component' calibration takes too long, too much work. By the time you break the bead, *again*, I'm done and out riding.

FWIW, I use a sharpie to mark heavy point, blue CarverTape to temporarily affix weights, when balanced out, use 3M double side tape to affix weights.

Ezy-Pzy..

I'm with Carver on this one. Balance the rim, stick with PR2's and most likely you'll need very little weight movement to get perfect balance. There are the rare exceptions where I'll break the bead and rotate, but they're few and far between.

--G

 

[Fred W]

I'm actually also with the "non-bead breakers", for the most part. For one thing, I don't like putting a lot of sidewall stress on a brand new tire, although they do tend to break a lot easier when they were just seated and still have lube on them (compared to 6-10k miles later).

By knowing where, and by how much, the wheel is out of balance you can make an informed decision on whether or not to bother with it. I know my front rim is off by 21 grams (3 flat weights) and it is light at the valve stem. If when balancing I find that any other point is the new light spot, or that the valve stem is still the light spot by less than 21 grams I just leave it alone.

I did mount a tire once and have the valve stem come up light by 7-8 weights. I broke that one, spun the tire 180 degrees and needed only one weight. But that was the exceptional case.

If mounting a lot of weight to the wheel, I'd split it up. More for ease of mounting than anything else. One or two 1/4 oz weights, it doesn't really matter.

@Roy - Your front tire wear is completely normal and not related to the balancing. Front tires generally wear more on the left side than the right in right side driving countries. Reference

 

[Geezer]

On splitting the weights, I'm with Fred. I only split them when there is a lot of weight. I do put the weights on the angled part of the rim up against the seam so they are near the center anyway. If I find that the light spot is directly on one of the spokes I will try to split the weights evenly forward and aft of the spoke.

Regarding reuse of stick-on weights, I have used silicon gasket goop to stick them on with good results. I always have a tube of some sort of silicon gasket goop in my tool box so it is convenient. The drawback is that you need to wait for it to cure before you go ride.

 

[Aasland]

I marked my wheels for the light spot, but I got tired of spooning on a tire and having to try to spin it around to match the heavy spot on the tire with the light spot on the wheel. Now I just spoon the tires on randomly and balance them as they are. Seems to work fine.

oster_stupid:

My problem lately has been finding the right douple sided tape that actually sticks. I reuse my old weights......

Since I change tires for my friends too, and use a lot of weights which they don't pay for, I just use Lexel because that is what I have on hand.

The question is - do you split the weights between each side of the wheel. I just pulled off my front to get a new one mounted tomorrow. The previous shop put all the weight on one side. The tire has about 12,000 miles on it so I'm assuming over time the left and right turns would be about the same wear 'n tear. The side with all the weights was more rounded and thicker from belts to other top. While to other side was flatter and within a cord width of rubber to the first layer of cords.

Road crown causes this. I think.

 

[LAF]

I marked my wheels for the light spot, but I got tired of spooning on a tire and having to try to spin it around to match the heavy spot on the tire with the light spot on the wheel. Now I just spoon the tires on randomly and balance them as they are. Seems to work fine.

Plus One on this method.

I have driven myself absolutely crazy with my Mark Parnes, balancing a tire to "perfection". I marked the heavy spot on the wheel with the above mentioned sharpie, which oddly is about 25 degrees off from the metal valve stem, if there are dots I align them, pop the beads and balance the things.

Only way I will break a bead again if there appears to be excessive weight needed to balance it. If I ever get into the 28 or 35 gram area I reevaluate the situation.

 

[RadioHowie]

Only way I will break a bead again if there appears to be excessive weight needed to balance it. If I ever get into the 28 or 35 gram area I reevaluate the situation.

Not being a "self-balancer" somebody 'splain to me why lining the "heavy spot" on the tire to the "light spot" on the wheel is so frickin' important?

Does it really matter if you save a quarter ounce of added weight to get the wheel balanced?

What difference does it make if it takes 1 ounce...or 10 ounces...to balance a tire, as long as it's balanced, who cares?

Are some of you guys THAT anal that two weights is aesthetically worse than one?

I just don't understand. Balanced is balanced -- one weight or four -- what difference does it make as long as it's balanced?