VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 Wheel balance weights

Not sure where to post search for period correct wheel balance weights
Don't know the right combination to get into tech talk
Thanks

Wes

I am having new tires installed on my wheels as I get them powder coated and one person tells me I don't even need to balance them. Another says yes but would just install new wheel weights on the inside.

Hope someone out there has an answer

Balancing wheels on old cars can be a problem. Often the wheels have a lot of run-out and the tires also out of rond.
There are two types of balance th modern hi-tech balancers do. Static and dynnnamic.
Static is balance wheen wheel is not rotating ad weight is even around all points of the tire. IN OTHER WORDS THE TRE/WHEEL WILL NOT ROTATE when lifted off the groun with the heavyiest part rotating to the bottom.
Dynamic is check with tire/wheel rotating at speed and also checks if weight is even on both side of the tire.
What the tire guys told me is that it is almost impossible to do good dynamic balance on old car wheels and tires and static balance is sufficent for the speed most old cars are driven. With static balance the weights can be put just on the inside.
I have a bubble balancer that does static oly and has worked OK for me.

Thanks Gene
I ask them to balance them anyway and all the weights have been on the inside so I am guessing they are using static balance. The tire shop I use are good people but dealing with vintage car tires is not routine. The first one I took in to be mounted and balance they did not put the band on the rim . This employee said “ you don’t need it”. I had them take it off, put the band on and remount and balance. They don’t charge to take the old tires off and charge $15.00 to mount and balance them when I take them back after powder coating.

Kim Bowers

I have used these ceramic balancing beads in my truck and also two motorcycles. It works great. You put them inside the tube or tubeless tires.

https://www.amazon.com/E-Z-Tire-Bea...;keywords=tire+balancing+beads&psc=1

Dennis

Gene
The reason it is hard to dynamic balance the early wheels is due to width. Under 5 inch wide rims the slight off centre line weight is hard to detect and if it is noticeable I would nearly reject the tire. Over 6" wide the side inbalance becomes very noticeable.
Tony

I never saw the reason to balance the tires on the 1933 5 Window I have owned for over 45 years.

I don't drive the car over 50 MPH and have never felt any of the effects like steering wheel shake or the likes of an out of balanced tire. All the tires I have had on this car have worn perfectly even across the tread with none of the wear patterns caused by out of balanced tires.

Later 1930s cars may be driven at slightly higher speeds and balancing may be needed, but I see no reason on the early 1930 cars.

I have two 1936. Both do not have balance weights. Both have been driven 55 and 60. Both do not need balancing. They do drive just fine.

I decided not to try to balance them either. I don't expect to be doing 70 on the interstate very often.
Kim

That's interesting information about not balancing narrow with tires. I've never heard that before now. It makes sense though.
Thanks for sharing.