 My Wheel Balancer
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Hey Boy's & Girls, After having to pull my rear wheel off for the second time last year to get it rebalanced after I took the front and rear tire and wheel to a local shop and paid 15.00 ea to have them balanced the whole ordeal once again it proved that no one will spend the time like I will for myself to get it right! Since I install my own tires I just couldn't complete the job cause I had no way to balance them. So I started hunting for a way to balance my own wheels........... Here's what I found.... http://www.webbikeworld.com/Reviewed-motorcycle-products/balancer/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBzviKTPMrgI had some of the materials on hand and purchased the other needed supplies like the bearings and some good bolts and the stainless .625 shaft A buddy of mine machined the cones out for me during his lunch break at the machine shop that he works at for nothing Well minus the Beer he's got coming! So all told I have about 30 bucks in it. I welded the frame and assembled the unit and tested it on my new Bridgestone Tires I just got from Fasteddy! It worked perfect and was simple to use! I took the bike out later and run her up to 90 and she was as smooth as glass! Now go get busy and make one you'll have a blast and wont have to pay anyone to screw your tire balance up! Take a look at the pics.......   
Last edited by tmax; 03/30/2009 8:14 PM.
"Will Ride or Fly for food"
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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Terry,
I bought the balancer shaft, cones and bearings for $30 on ebay. I built a stand out of wood (looks pretty) but I'll get some square tubing and do it right later. I have a tire mounting stand from Harbor Freight (~$110) So after mounting a new Michelin on the rear, I used my new balancer to add my weights. First ride, I could tell the rear tire ran smoother than any I'd ever had. Maybe the Michelin tire is just that much better, but I know I saved a little money toward my purchase of tire changing tools. If I take a wheel off and take it to the shop, I have to pay $30- $35 around here. So, about 4 more mounts and balances at home should pay for my investment.
Ride Safe,
Dennis
Triumph, it's how I live and what I ride.
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Very Cool Dennis! Ya know money is one issue and then there's the I did it myself...It was done right part! Hey question....What do you use the tire stand for? does it have a bead breaker? I have a stand alone bead breaker and just use some quality tire irons with rim protectors......Balance then ride! 
"Will Ride or Fly for food"
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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I use a Hoffman rim clamp tire machine with plastic head to change my tires. I don't expect most to have one but that machine pulls the head away from the rim about 1/4" so as the tire comes off nothing touches the rim except the tire. Same going back on. I need to make a balancer, I just line the little mark on the tire up with the valve stem. I see those balancer/truing stands on Ebay a lot for a reasonable price for those who don't have the skills to make a cool balancer like the one pictured above. I may have to make one now too!  
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Check Pants
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Great timing on this posting...I was looking into this.
So question for you do it yourself balancers...shouldnt you balance with the wheel hub on? I mean the cush drive rubber, hub and sprocket could throw you off balance coudnt it?
SOLD: 07 Black BA, 39mm FCRs, TPUSA stage 1 head, TPUSA 813 cams, TPUSA 10.8:1 pistons, TTP #3 igniter, Specialty Spares Long Cannons, Tsukayu Hard Bags. 82HP/55tq
NEW: 19 Goldwing Tour DCT
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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I would have done it with it off too but cush drive in place. The hub and sprocket in place the wheel could be a little off center since the axle on the balancer doesn't fit the bearings, the tapered pieces do. The hub having such a small diameter wouldn't effect balance very much unless it was WAY off. Now if you made a wheel specific balancing tool with the correct size axle or even one that used the stock axle it might be better with it in place. Just like I doubt the cone shaped parts are balanced but that won't really effect the end result.
EDIT: If the cush drive was loose I wouldn't leave it in but if it was tight I would.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Hey Z, I'm no engineer but have been accused of trying to think like one  I thought of that very thing and played with it quite a few times before I stuck the weights for good...... The closer to the center shaft/axle that the weight was placed it took more weight to effect the balance. I placed a huge bolt in the cush drive hub and it barely moved it. But it detected 3.5 grams with no problem when placed on the rim. I placed the weight then on the tire where it runs on the surface of the road and it seemed to much for the same amount. My personal findings are less weight needed father from center more weight needed closer to center......This leads me to think that you would really have to have a real bad cush drive to ever effect the over all balance. I test rode it again today and she is smooth as glass.......Not boasting but probably the best balance job I've ever had.
"Will Ride or Fly for food"
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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Oh come on... boast a little! Maybe even a little blather! 
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Quote:
Oh come on... boast a little! Maybe even a little blather!
Hey T dog 1-4 2+1, Now let's see.... "Blathering" is something I'm good at! (just ask my wife) Boasting well Don't like to but shamefully do so sometimes
"Will Ride or Fly for food"
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Joined: Mar 2007
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Check Pants
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Check Pants
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Quote:
Hey Z, I'm no engineer but have been accused of trying to think like one I thought of that very thing and played with it quite a few times before I stuck the weights for good...... The closer to the center shaft/axle that the weight was placed it took more weight to effect the balance. I placed a huge bolt in the cush drive hub and it barely moved it. But it detected 3.5 grams with no problem when placed on the rim. I placed the weight then on the tire where it runs on the surface of the road and it seemed to much for the same amount. My personal findings are less weight needed father from center more weight needed closer to center......This leads me to think that you would really have to have a real bad cush drive to ever effect the over all balance. I test rode it again today and she is smooth as glass.......Not boasting but probably the best balance job I've ever had.
Hmmm....dang basic physics...I shoulda known that. I dont know why but once I read it I remembered something from school that clicked. God knows what made it click cause I never got past Algebra...LOL
Thanks! 
SOLD: 07 Black BA, 39mm FCRs, TPUSA stage 1 head, TPUSA 813 cams, TPUSA 10.8:1 pistons, TTP #3 igniter, Specialty Spares Long Cannons, Tsukayu Hard Bags. 82HP/55tq
NEW: 19 Goldwing Tour DCT
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Very cool. There is one major problem with your balancer. It's at the wrong house. Great job. Also, cool tires. I just got a set of the Bridgestone Spitfire S11's today and hope to get them mounted soon. I have 11,000 and change on the Michelin Commanders and they are pretty well used up.
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
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can't have the carrier in place to balance. nono
Blowing gravel off rural roads
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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That's what I said. but I didn't call it a carrier.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Quote:
cool tires. I just got a set of the Bridgestone Spitfire S11's today and hope to get them mounted soon.
I hope you got your Bridgestones from FES! You can't beat eddy's customer service anywhere on the planet! These tires are said to be in the same rating class as the D404 and ME880's...... I was impressed with the look and feel of the tire before mounting but has nothing to do with the business end...."where the rubber meets the road!" If you will. When I first rode the bike after mount and balance I was really impressed...... My findings so far is the grip in cornering seems higher than other similar tires in the same class...... There's a smoothness/quietness/calmness detected that's seems to have been missing with the last couple of tire changes. The handling so far is superb! I look forward to seeing how their longevity holds up..... which takes time..... When you get your tires on let us know how they hold up to your "first impression" critique.
"Will Ride or Fly for food"
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Loquacious
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Terry, The stand is for removing and installing the tire on the rim. There is a bead breaker, it is pictured on the lower left of photo in the first link: Portable tire mount.. The adapter for motorcycle tires is in the second link: Motorcycle wheel adapter. It works good, even though mine is attached to a piece of 3/4" plywood 3ft x 4ft. I wish I could anchor it to the floor, but....... I could build the balancer stand to allow balancing the rear tire with the sprocket and cush drive attached, but the diameter of those parts is so small that it would have to be obviously deformed to cause an imbalance condition. If the tire and rim are balanced, then when installed appears out of balance, replace rear sprocket & carrier assembly. What did I just say?  Oh, Harbor Freight has very low shipping rates if you don't have a store in your area. $110.00 USD + shipping.
Ride Safe,
Dennis
Triumph, it's how I live and what I ride.
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
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hey Terry this is mine. I made it the slow fashioned way, ordered one...  Marc Parnes Products chy dramatization  Nice job on yours! What I really like is your triple tree. 
Blowing gravel off rural roads
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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Hey that's a great looking wheel balancer.
I have replaced my tires twice and didn't need to re-balance either time. The wheels from the factory were balanced when I went to change the tires the first time. Since the weights were not disturbed, and the new tire was correctly aligned with the valve stem a re-balance was not needed. If done this way a re-balance should rarely be needed.
Today's tires are manufacturer so well balanced, that they even compensate for where the valve stem is located. If you look at a new tire you will notice a small yellow or red circle stamped on the side of the tire. When installing make sure this stamp is located at the same place the valve stem comes out of the rim. If it isn't then your wheel will be out of balance, and you will need to re-balance every time you replace your tire.
If you do align the stamp correctly each time, and the weights have not been changed then all you will need to do is check the balance, but a re-balance will very rarely be necessary.
Tom
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin, US author, diplomat, inventor, physicist, politician, & printer (1706 - 1790)
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Very Cool Moe! Let us know how it works for you! I see the Chy'ster already has one......wonder if he's had any problems with getting a good balance? I would like some feed back....do's and dont's from other folks that use this method. Ps. I'm to big a cheapskate to buy one! 
"Will Ride or Fly for food"
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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Quote:
Hey that's a great looking wheel balancer.
I have replaced my tires twice and didn't need to re-balance either time. The wheels from the factory were balanced when I went to change the tires the first time. Since the weights were not disturbed, and the new tire was correctly aligned with the valve stem a re-balance was not needed. If done this way a re-balance should rarely be needed.
Today's tires are manufacturer so well balanced, that they even compensate for where the valve stem is located. If you look at a new tire you will notice a small yellow or red circle stamped on the side of the tire. When installing make sure this stamp is located at the same place the valve stem comes out of the rim. If it isn't then your wheel will be out of balance, and you will need to re-balance every time you replace your tire.
If you do align the stamp correctly each time, and the weights have not been changed then all you will need to do is check the balance, but a re-balance will very rarely be necessary.
Tom
I've been doing the same thing for several years now and have yet to need to change anything as far as balance goes.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
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can't speak for Chy or about experience, yet. But Chy did say he positions the cones 180 degrees on the shaft vis-a-vis their thumb setscrews. Why would you buy one being as you have friends you barter with? Who do beautiful machining work  here are the Setup and the balancing destructions per Marc Parnes.
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Hey Tom, Im certainly not going to dispute what works for you and probably others..... I read this article once... [Traditionally, the valve stem is thought of as the heaviest point on the rim. So tire manufacturers mark the lightest point of each tire (usually with a paint spot on the sidewall), and you're supposed to line the paint spot up with the valve stem. Except that the valve stem isn't always the heaviest spot on the wheel. So it behooves you to put the wheel on some balance stands and find its true heavy spot. Once you do, you line the marked light spot of the new tire up with the heavy spot on the rim. By lining the light spot of the tire up with the actual heavy point on the rim, you often need less taped-on weight to balance the wheel -- and sometimes none at all.] found here.... http://www.clarity.net/~adam/tire-changing-doc.html and decided to ballance all new tires that I install. Sure enough the heavy part of my wheel without the tire is about 90 degree's from the stem, Also with the tire on and "dot" lined up with the stem the wieght needed stayed true to the "wheels" out of ballance. That is simular to what you was stating above. So the tire may not be the culprit but rather the wheel. Thanks T
"Will Ride or Fly for food"
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
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Quote:
Very Cool Moe! Let us know how it works for you! I see the Chy'ster already has one......wonder if he's had any problems with getting a good balance? I would like some feed back....do's and dont's from other folks that use this method.
Ps. I'm to big a cheapskate to buy one!
Well I changed out my front tire yesterday. After removing the old 880, I cleaned up the rim which had lots of rust. I then used the balancer to find the heaviest part of the wheel which was not where the valve was at. I used my heavy mark as the mark to put the tire's light mark. After installing the new Spitfire, I balanced it using 1 and 1/8 ounces of weight. The wheel had 1 and 3/4 ounces before, of which 1/2 had fallen off. Even after installing the tube and tire on the wheel, the heaviest spot was my original mark...
This morning I took her up to 80mph and experienced no wobble or other signs of imbalance. Spot on so to say. Can't really say anything about the spitfire as I still have to scuff it up before I can lean her over. Can you say WIDE chicken strips?
Blowing gravel off rural roads
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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what does an unbalanced MC wheel feel like?
Wobble like a car? Any other symptoms?
Sounds like a dumb question but if you dont know you dont know.
SOLD: 07 Black BA, 39mm FCRs, TPUSA stage 1 head, TPUSA 813 cams, TPUSA 10.8:1 pistons, TTP #3 igniter, Specialty Spares Long Cannons, Tsukayu Hard Bags. 82HP/55tq
NEW: 19 Goldwing Tour DCT
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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And, part two, what kind of balance weights are used on the alloy wheels, '09 America...
University of Da Nang
Class of '68
In the End, the Captain stands alone...
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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they make lead weights with a sticky backing on them.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,126 Likes: 13
Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
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Quote:
what does an unbalanced MC wheel feel like?
Wobble like a car? Any other symptoms?
Sounds like a dumb question but if you dont know you dont know.
It feels like your tires are cupped. Induces a headshake. Or a pistoning feeling when at speed. a slight to wicked vibration as you crank up the gyros.
Don't know about alloy wheels, but for the oem spoke wheels, I used the weight strips that come with peel off tape.
Blowing gravel off rural roads
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,126 Likes: 13
Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
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Posts: 11,126 Likes: 13 |
Quote:
Very Cool Moe! Let us know how it works for you! I see the Chy'ster already has one......wonder if he's had any problems with getting a good balance? I would like some feed back....do's and dont's from other folks that use this method.
Ps. I'm to big a cheapskate to buy one!
Replaced the new FastEddy Spitfire rear tire last night. Balanced it using 1/2 ounce of weight. Rides smooth as glass. Really nice having round tire profiles again.
Blowing gravel off rural roads
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Loquacious
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My chum has the Marc Parnes balancer like the one Moe has above. Just used it to balance my new Metzlers and cast wheels. Front was out 1/8 ounce. The rear needed 2 3/4 ounces which seams like a lot. The balancer worked flawlessly.
We then took his brand new Goldwing rear tire assembly which he picked up from a dealer who makes Goldwing trikes(Datona tire and cast wheel was quite cheap). The assembly came prebalance from the dealership and was never used. There was over 2 ounces of weight on the wheel from the factory and it still needed more.
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Dont you guys over there get FREE fitting on your rubber? Here we go to the shop, buy a tyre, they then fit it AND balance it and get rid of the old one. Seems like a lot of hassle doing it yourself, takes me 20 minutes to drive there and get back with it all done. 
TrOjAn
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Re: My Wheel Balancer
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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I would rather do it myself, then I know some monkey isn't scratching my wheel and it's on right so it doesn't blow on me at 90 mph.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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