'04 EV Tubless Wheel Balance and Weights Questions.

[Tom H]

I put a new tire on my EVT. It has the tubeless wheels that the spokes are not center line, but on the edges of the rim. There is a question down below that I really need an answer to.

I have one of the balancing and truing stands. You put a rod through the bearings and some tapered bits to make the wheel turn on the bearings of the stand instead of the wheel bearings.

I first checked to see if I needed to move the weights that were already on the rim. Close, but not close enough. Removed the weights with the help of a heat gun and a plastic door trim removal tool.

Taped the 4 1/4ox weights to about where I thought they needed to be, Taped, because they would not stick again.  Moved the 1os total weight around a bit and still was heavy in one spot.

I have some brass weights designed to be attached to the spokes of at least center line spoked wheels. I used the four taped on weights and one of the spoke weights. Found a perfect balance. The wheel would stay where I put it.

So I replaced the taped on weights with another spoke weight. I put one on a spoke on the right side of the rim and one on the left at about the same point. A few adjustments and perfect balance.

SOOOO.....Finally the questions.....

Is there any reason to NOT use the spoke weights with one on each side of the rim to make the correct weight Like 50/50 or close????

OR...Do II NEED to use the stick on weights that you put in the center of the rime????

Sorry for the long post, just wanted to give some background.

Thank you!!!!
Tom

[n3303j]

On the olden days of steel wheels on cars often all the weights were clipped on one lip of the rim.

Is the light spot on the tire centered on the tread or is it off to one sidewall?

So hanging half the weight on a each of a pair of opposing spokes sounds quite a logical way to achieve balance in multiple axis.

[Wayne Orwig]

On my 2004, it came from the factory with a butt load of chrome plated wheel weights on one side. For my first tire change, to get it balanced, I ended up pulling them all off and adding a few new stick on weights to a different spot. No idea why the factory had so many weights on there and why it was so far off. I ordered some new chrome plated ones to replace the lead stick ons but never did.

As for the spoke weights, if they aren't going to move, use them. Or go to an auto parts/Amazon and get some stick ons. Or clean off the old ones and put some new sticky tape on them.

[Tom H]

I can't tell if the balance is off left or right. I have it balanced so it stays where ever I turn then stop at.

Maybe I will just use the spoke weights since it seems there is no reason not to.

Thank you,
Tom

[n3303j]

I can't tell if the balance is off left or right. I have it balanced so it stays where ever I turn then stop at.

Maybe I will just use the spoke weights since it seems there is no reason not to.

Thank you,
Tom

No one knows if the balance is off left to right. That's why I made the comment.

So distributing the weights somewhat evenly left to right shouldn't make anything worse, only better.

From the FWIW Department of my age addled brain:
I remember tires have dots to mark the light (heavy?) side. What would be interesting would be to check bare rim balance. Then mate the heavy side of the wheel to the light side of the tire. Might take a lot less additional lead to achieve total unit balance.

I remember one fellow from the BMW chat group who used to move tires around on a rim until he found the orientation that required the least added weight to achieve static balance. Took a fair amount of time and labor. But it took him multiple years to wear out a set of tires so I guess that's how he justified the long process.

[RinkRat II]

            "Is there any reason to NOT use the spoke weights with one on each side of the rim to make the correct weight Like 50/50 or close????"

     What you have done is perfectly acceptable, Tom. Unless you have access to an electronic dual plane balancer, plan on riding the high banks of Daytona or on the Autobahn a real good static balance will work just fine.  My $.02

    Paul B 

[Moparnut72]

I know back in the day service station guys would balance tires by putting the weights on the rims but not hammering them home until they were satisfied. Usually the weights would be divided from each other by about 30 degrees. Then they would divide them and place half on one side and the other half on the other side. The hammer them home and recheck. Of course car wheels were a lot wider than our bike wheels. I swear that tires on wife's car are never in perfect balance when we get them replaced but the shop got a brand new balancer a couple of years ago. Then again the roads where I live aren't all that good. It is only when we go into Nevada with their smooth roads that it becomes noticeable. I have been tempted to steal a sign at a construction zone that says "Rough Road Ahead" and place it at the California border. ROF
kk

[Vagrant]

I am 100% positive that the car balancers of today are made for speed of balancing and using the least weight possible. It's all about the $$$

[Tom H]

Well it sounds like I'm not going to break a spoke or something weird so I think I'll just run the spoke weights. I will triple check that they will lock properly to the spoke. They worked fine when I did my HD.

There is a small red circle on the tire. I have read to line that up with the valve stem. That is what I did. Not thrilled with 1.75oz for balance. Maybe I should have broke the bead and rotated the tire to see if I could get a better balance?? I think I'll be fine, it originally had 1oz with the previous tire.

Thanks again for the help on this!!!!!
Tom

[Caffeineo]

I would remove all the weights and use Ride-on. I use this on all my tubeless wheels and it works great. 

[Clifton]

...There is a small red circle on the tire. I have read to line that up with the valve stem. That is what I did. Not thrilled with 1.75oz for balance. Maybe I should have broke the bead and rotated the tire to see if I could get a better balance?? I think I'll be fine, it originally had 1oz with the previous tire.

I'd leave it with the 1.75 oz. Next time I would suggest balancing the wheel itself and leaving those weights as permanent. Then while it's still on the balance stand let it stop again and mark the inside of the wheel at the bottom (heaviest point) to position the tires dot or circle. Subsequent balancing of tires should require less weights after doing this.

[Tom H]

I'd leave it with the 1.75 oz. Next time I would suggest balancing the wheel itself and leaving those weights as permanent. Then while it's still on the balance stand let it stop again and mark the inside of the wheel at the bottom (heaviest point) to position the tires dot or circle. Subsequent balancing of tires should require less weights after doing this.

Now that is an interesting thought?? Next time I might just do that??

Ride On.... Might just be an option?? I do like the idea, just not sure about cleanup when you change a tire filled with it. My MC tire guy that I used to use hated the liquid stuff in the tires.

Tom