Slimy38
|
| posted on 10/3/16 at 10:48 AM |
|
|
Bubble wheel balancer
Has anyone ever used a bubble wheel balancer? One of these;
Bubble balance, wheel balancer , quick and easy wheel balancing E4G 9600
I'm not looking at saving money here (if a wheel balance is a tenner tops then this is five balances), more that I don't want to have to
get my wheels to a fitter who may or may not actually treat them with any respect.
|
|
|
|
|
prawnabie
|
| posted on 10/3/16 at 12:14 PM |
|
|
I work at the Renault garage in willenhall, your welcome to balance them here if you can use the machine
|
|
|
britishtrident
|
| posted on 10/3/16 at 12:53 PM |
|
|
Bubble wheel balancers do work for static balance but proper dynamic balance could only be found very roughly by trial and error using road testing
moving the weights from the inside to the centre line of the rim.
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
|
|
|
cliftyhanger
|
| posted on 10/3/16 at 05:12 PM |
|
|
I have one, it seems to work OK and I have no complaints.
Back in the day that is all that was used!
|
|
|
bi22le
|
| posted on 10/3/16 at 05:49 PM |
|
|
My A048 are not even balanced, just fitted.
It is for track only use. I can't feel any noticable vibration but would not say it's faultless.
Track days ARE the best thing since sliced bread, until I get a supercharger that is!
Please read my ring story:
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/forum/13/viewthread.php?tid=139152&page=1
Me doing a sub 56sec lap around Brands Indy. I need a geo set up! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHksfvIGB3I
|
|
|
owelly
|
| posted on 11/3/16 at 01:07 AM |
|
|
I'm happy with the results from a bubble-balance. I have a proper balancer but not all wheels fit it. My Transit wheels won't fit on my
balancer so had to be static-balanced. I pile the weights on the rim until it balances and then share the weights on the inner and outer rims.
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk
|
|
|
Slimy38
|
| posted on 11/3/16 at 08:19 AM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by bi22le
My A048 are not even balanced, just fitted.
It is for track only use. I can't feel any noticable vibration but would not say it's faultless.
I once had a set of decent wheels that I took to a proper specialist, he knew the significance of the red and yellow dots (coincidentally that was
also using a Yoko tyre, A520 IIRC) and he managed to set up three out of four wheels without using any weights. The fourth required one weight but I
could tell he wasn't happy.
Problem is this will be for a tintop that does motorway miles, the 'perfect storm' for unbalanced wheels.
|
|
|
BenB
|
| posted on 11/3/16 at 03:10 PM |
|
|
Without wanting to thread hijack- what's the symptom of a poorly balanced wheel? My tin-top has developed an annoying trait. I can feel a
"wobble" on the steering wheel. It's happening at multiples of 18mph which makes me think "wheel". If I go 18mph and
take my hands off the wheel ("private testing track only of course officer" the steering wheel wobbles left and right quite a bit. We got
to drive down the motorway recently and the traffic meant it was hovering mid 50s- very annoying!!! I've checked and my passengers can feel it
as well (IE via the seats).
It doesn't look like I've lost any wheel weights.
|
|
|
CNHSS1
|
| posted on 11/3/16 at 04:05 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by bi22le
My A048 are not even balanced, just fitted.
It is for track only use. I can't feel any noticable vibration but would not say it's faultless.
the softer the tyre the more pointless balancing is. With slicks where the tread migrates around the crown of the tyre as they get up to temp anyway,
they would be forever wrong. So long as the rims are straight softer track/race tyres pretty much self balance. its a bit odd going out of the paddock
on what feels like 4 x 50pence pieces (thye flat spot as they cool) but as soon as they are warm they are fine. worth cleaning all the paddock crap
off between run though with stiff brush (type for rubbing down a horse) or surfoam
"Racing is life, everything else, before or after, is just waiting"---Steve McQueen
|
|
|
CNHSS1
|
| posted on 11/3/16 at 04:07 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by BenB
Without wanting to thread hijack- what's the symptom of a poorly balanced wheel? My tin-top has developed an annoying trait. I can feel a
"wobble" on the steering wheel. It's happening at multiples of 18mph which makes me think "wheel". If I go 18mph and
take my hands off the wheel ("private testing track only of course officer" the steering wheel wobbles left and right quite a bit. We got
to drive down the motorway recently and the traffic meant it was hovering mid 50s- very annoying!!! I've checked and my passengers can feel it
as well (IE via the seats).
It doesn't look like I've lost any wheel weights.
worth checking wheels aren't bent, amazes me at how many are and yet still don't vibrate. mount up and spin up at speed to see if the rims
are true. a lot of modern oem wheels are a bit soft as well as cheap aftermarket bling rims, the low pro stiff sidewall tyres survive potholes, but
sometimes the laods sent into the rim enough to bend it!
"Racing is life, everything else, before or after, is just waiting"---Steve McQueen
|
|
|
Slimy38
|
| posted on 11/3/16 at 06:12 PM |
|
|
My wobble started as visible steering wheel wobble, I swapped wheels front to back and now the steering wheel is solid and I get a nice a$$ massage on
the motorway.
I do actually have a run out gauge that I might try, as long as I can mount them on something predictable.
|
|
|
Slimy38
|
| posted on 12/4/16 at 12:08 PM |
|
|
Small update, I managed to pop out at lunchtime to a Hi Q, ten seconds on the balancing machine showed a six inch flat spot on the rim. Ironically the
wheel itself is actually balanced, I'm guessing whoever fitted the tyres just went ahead and balanced it up last time without noticing the wheel
wasn't round.
At least now I can spend the £50 from the bubble balancer on getting the wheel repaired.
|
|
|
