Wheel Balance

Tony-Bones · April 30, 2005

The physics of wheel balance is a "stand alone" topic but the method of correction needs to be open to explantation, there is a massive misunderstanding in the tyre industry about the way the wheel is mounted on the balancer this is:

99.9% use the wheels centre hole as a location for the "dye" that holds the wheel on the balancer, this centre "hole" is not always central and infact is only "cosmetic" so if used as a guide for balance the readings will be "fictitious" so will the results. The actual way to mount the wheel is on a "studed" plate, this " plate has five studs that you bolt the wheel to this mimics the way the wheel is mounted on the car and the readings are "exact", AD77 today was a perfect example, once on the plate one front wheel was measured over 70gm out of balance! reason for this "gray" area is any tyre company will need a

3 stud plate

4 stud plate

5 stud plate

6 stud plete

and they cost £400 each.

Adie · April 30, 2005

And what a difference it makes when done correctly :D

MartinC · May 2, 2005

I have been LED to believe that the hub spigot should fit snugly into the wheel centre bore giving you a concentrically mounted wheel and not rely on the studs/bolts to centre the wheel , hence the importance of those plastic spigot rings.

Does a wheel balancing machine locate onto the oposite face of the wheel to a cars hub??

It took the guys at my mates tyre fitting bay 3 attempts to balance the wheels on my last car, with a dynamic balance giving the best reults, was never perfect, so perhaps I now know why :)

Tony-Bones · May 2, 2005

I have been led to believe that the hub spigot should fit snugly into the wheel centre bore giving you a concentrically mounted wheel and not rely on the studs/bolts to centre the wheel , hence the importance of those plastic spigot rings.
Does a wheel balancing machine locate onto the oposite face of the wheel to a cars hub??

It took the guys at my mates tyre fitting bay 3 attempts to balance the wheels on my last car, with a dynamic balance giving the best reults, was never perfect, so perhaps I now know why :)

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Yes the "inner" spigot must fit snug, if the wheel is after market then a locating ring may be needed, the reason for this is, the wheel centre and the hub have a clinical fit, if not as the wheel nuts are tightend this fit will off-set the wheel and allow it to become lose, the balance area uses the outer hole of the wheel which in most cases is not "clinical" in design so is subject to error, were as the "stud" setting methode is exacting.

MartinC · May 2, 2005

Ahhh OK :) , as I thought, so the wheel mounts up with the outer face towrds the machine, makes sense for applying weights, but as you say that part of the hole is just cast, not accurately machined like the hub face and spigot hole

Tony-Bones · May 2, 2005

so the wheel mounts up with the outer face towrds the machine, makes sense for applying weights,

No the wheel should mount face "out" on a five stud plate, although some places do use an "inner and outer" dye mount in an attempt to mimic the studed plate and keep the wheel central.

MartinC · May 2, 2005

No the wheel should mount face "out" on a five stud plate, although some places do use an "inner and outer" dye mount in an attempt to mimic the studed plate and keep the wheel central.

Ah right, sorry I actually meant for when they use a dye rather than a plate, don't even think I've seen the bigger places like Elite use a studded plate when balancing.

Been having bit of a read on your website mate, a lot of good info on there :)

Tony-Bones · May 2, 2005

No the wheel should mount face "out" on a five stud plate, although some places do use an "inner and outer" dye mount in an attempt to mimic the studed plate and keep the wheel central.

Ah right, sorry I actually meant for when they use a dye rather than a plate, don't even think I've seen the bigger places like Elite use a studded plate when balancing.

Been having bit of a read on your website mate, a lot of good info on there :)

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Thanks: and its all "free" even if i write personal geometry set-up after mods :D back to that balance issue: To be true i dont know of any other centre that uses studed plates? reason.... todays cars are ( most ) times so well built that this form of correction is not needed, untill it is.. so now the customer goes from piller to post trying to resolve the problem, most times the plate will deliver after that its "on car" balance, anyone heard of that?

ColinBarber · May 2, 2005

very difficult to find somewhere where you can get wheels balanced 'on car' in this country.

Tony-Bones · May 2, 2005

very difficult to find somewhere where you can get wheels balanced 'on car' in this country.

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Very true, I have an on car balancer and not used it for five years or so, from new it was only used three or four times.. cars have moved on, the need to balance "drums" drive shafts and centre caps has died, now if there is distress within balance the "plate" should be sufficient, still its somwhat sad people like Adrian suffer from this misunderstanding every day...