Wheel balance method

[Zombie Master]

Saw this searching for some info.

Makes sense to me....you?

I always mount my new tires at my friend's house, he's got a Coates 220 with a NoMar setup on it and a Marc Parnes balancer (suspended from 2 concrete blocks). Mounting the tires is physical labor but the most time consuming part has been balancing the tires. We're both engineers and sometimes, it just seems like logic on where the weights should go doesn't apply. Or it does and we can't figure it out.

Anyhoo, this is the method we arrived at the other night. Our goal is the least amount of weight on a perfectly balanced tire in the minimal amount of time. Tell me what you think. You need weights and a paint pen is nice.

1) Remove the wheel from the bike, the tire from the rim and also all the weights from the rim

2) Balance the rim by itself and mark the heavy spot (record weight it takes to balance the rim for the next time you mount tires, this weight amount should never change?)

3) Mount the tire (don't air it up, leave it loose) and put on balancer. to determine heavy spot on tire. Because the rim is balanced, the heaviest spot (lowest when it stops moving) will be the heavy spot of the tire. Mark heavy spot on tire with paint dot.

4) Remove weight from rim

5) Rotate heavy spot of tire to the light spot of rim (where the weight was on rim). Another way of saying this is to make the heavy spot of the rim 180 degrees opposite of the heavy spot of the tire.

6) Balance the assembly.

[lrz]

What about molecular decay of the rim itself over time?

The method, as described, makes sense to me. I would think the rim would remain static unless it sustained damage.

Did it work, & how long did it take?

[vanzen]

Since I bought a Parnes balancer some time ago and now balance tires myself – I use this method exclusively.
The amount of weight needed to balance a wheel assembly can be reduced, sometimes dramatically.

An employee of an MC shop that is paid based upon the job performed
will not be inclined to spend the extra time required to use this efficient method.

[Major Softie]

The only problem I see is whether the tire actually is centered when not aired up. I would think you would at least want to put some pressure in it, even if not seating the bead - especially if it's a tube tire where you can easily do that.

[ME 109]

The importance of having the tyre seated on the rim for balancing was mentioned by fh as well.
I can't see how it makes any difference to balancing the tyre.

[Duane Ausherman]

1) Remove the wheel from the bike, the tire from the rim and also all the weights from the rim

2) Balance the rim by itself and mark the heavy spot (record weight it takes to balance the rim for the next time you mount tires, this weight amount should never change?)

3) Mount the tire (don't air it up, leave it loose) and put on balancer. to determine heavy spot on tire. Because the rim is balanced, the heaviest spot (lowest when it stops moving) will be the heavy spot of the tire. Mark heavy spot on tire with paint dot.

4) Remove weight from rim

5) Rotate heavy spot of tire to the light spot of rim (where the weight was on rim). Another way of saying this is to make the heavy spot of the rim 180 degrees opposite of the heavy spot of the tire.

6) Balance the assembly.

That is the basic method described on my website. Here are my comments by number.

2) Make the mark on the rim permanent with paint. You will need it again and again.

3) If you use a tube, be sure to include it with the tire. Tubes can be awfully out of balance. I always seat the tire on the rim with air.

I use the Marc Parnes balancer too and love it. A balanced wheel can be to the point where it is stable at any place that you put the wheel. To get more sensitivity, I like to put my vibrating tool marker against the axle. Sometimes bearings can be perfectly spaced and still provide too much resistance. Apply the vibration and the wheel really takes off if it is still out.

With the vibration, a gram or two makes a huge difference. I try not to obsess and call it good enough at 2 grams.