Wheel Balancer advice

Discussion in 'Mechanics Garage' started by xpcgamer, Nov 4, 2019.

  1. xpcgamer

    xpcgamer New Member

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  2. Captain 80s

    Captain 80s Member

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    I can't speak to the quality of that particular stand, but I static balance all of my tires with a similar set-up. I've never had any issue and they get tested into triple digit speed every now and then. I mount and balance my own tires because I don't want to pay some hack to fuck up my wheels.
     
  3. FJ12rydertoo

    FJ12rydertoo Member

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    I have the Marc Parnes balancer and it works great, but there's no reason that HF won't also work.
    The main issue of course is getting the correct wheel spacers to work with your VFR wheels, especially the
    rear one.
     
  4. xpcgamer

    xpcgamer New Member

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  5. bk94si

    bk94si Member

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    May be controversial but I use tire beads.
     
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  6. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    I have used both wheel weights and dyna beads and have not had any issues with either of them. The only thing with the dyna beads though is this. I have right angle valve stems on my wheels and dyna beads are supposed to be poured in after the wheel is mounted, through the valve stem. That works for the standard valve stem but not for the angled stems. More of the beads end up bouncing all over the shop floor than go down the stem into the tire.

    What I did to overcome this was to mount and set the tire bead, then break the bead on one side and pour the beads in through the broken bead, then re set the tire. Worked great. There is a dyna liquid you can get for balancing that also works well as far as balancing goes. But, come time to change that tire, a real guddam mess.

    I see that the OP has white wheels. When I used wheel weights, I bought a jar of white model paint and painted the wheel weights to match the colour of my white rims. That worked very well. If the colour matched painted wheel weights are too much for you to see, then I think you are really looking too hard at them.
     
  7. FJ12rydertoo

    FJ12rydertoo Member

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    Not controversial...if you believe in magic. :)
     
  8. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    Have you tried them? I have on three sets. Ran smooth as any tires I have run with lead weights and the tires lasted just as long.
     
  9. FJ12rydertoo

    FJ12rydertoo Member

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    And many people say the same thing about tires with no weights whatsoever. I don't care what you use, but the sketchy "explanations" of why
    the magic beads work is what I was talking about.

    Anytime they tell you you can't verify that the tire is balanced by checking it, then I start to wonder a bit. Sounds like magic to me. :)
     
  10. bk94si

    bk94si Member

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    You can't verify because when the tire is not spinning fairly fast, all the beads go to one spot.
     
  11. FJ12rydertoo

    FJ12rydertoo Member

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    That's what they say, and I say "Trust, but verify". :)
     
  12. dbuzz77

    dbuzz77 New Member

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    I have beads in all my bike tires that have been changed and they are fantastic. at low speed, high speed whatever. my friend had a balanced tire on the front of his shadow and had a wobble at 70 so we put some in and it was good, no wobble, as fast or as slow as he wanted to go. It's science, and just because we don't understand it it's not magic.
     
  13. Terry Smith

    Terry Smith Member

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    Clarke's Third Law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic
     
  14. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    I suppose they could be verified by spin balancing them on some better machine than the simple balancing machines seen in this thread. It has been my experience, with cars and light trucks anyway, that if a tire is out of balance, you would be able to feel it. Some of my earlier vehicles were often out of balance for many reasons. Maybe when I replace the front tire in the spring, just to satisfy my own curiosity, I will use the beads and do just that.
     
  15. FJ12rydertoo

    FJ12rydertoo Member

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    Any blurb I've read about the beads is that they have to be on the vehicle to work. Kind of like
    "If you don't believe in it, it won't work". You supposedly can't check them on any spin balance
    machine, even the ones that spin up pretty fast, or so I've read. I could be wrong.

    I know weights work, because I can check them and visually see the tire is balanced. Those are
    just my reasons, other people do things differently. And FWIW I have heard of people who have
    had issues with them at high speeds, but don't know first, or even, second hand.
     
  16. dbuzz77

    dbuzz77 New Member

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    I know an issue around here is no one has a spin balancer that fits bike wheels (is there such a thing?) so some dealers just throw in the beads before mounting the bead completely
     
  17. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    I am sure I read right here on VFRW several years ago, last time I participated in this debate, that someone was able to find a way to have their wheels highspeed spun balanced. Don't remember how. I did not have an experienced opinion back then on beads vs weights. I do now. I will use either with same confidence today.

    However if you do not have the same confidence in beads as I do and many others, by all means, stick to weights. They are not wrong by any stretch of the imagination. If you are concerned about the aesthetics, paint the weights to match your wheels.

    Regardless...get out and ride the guddam bike! That is good for the soul.
     
  18. FJ12rydertoo

    FJ12rydertoo Member

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    There are rotary spin balancers for motorcycle wheels just like cars. I used it when I worked in a bike shop back in the 80's.
    I dunno how high speed they are.
     
  19. bk94si

    bk94si Member

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    I told you beads were controversial. lol
     
  20. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    Chevy vs Ford I guess. Kawasaki vs Suzuki. Now Honda...well we all know where we stand on that one.
     
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