Hi Carl,
That makes things even more complicated...first we require some
definitions.
Let's call balancing done on a bubble balancer "static" balancing and
that done on a balancing machine "dynamic" balancing. As explained in my
previous message on the subject; a "dynamically" balanced wheel is also
"statically" balanced but a "statically" balanced wheel is not
necessarily "dynamically" balanced.
Although it may cause some rather minor additional stresses, a
"statically" balanced, "dynamically" imbalanced wheel will work
perfectly well on the rear of a Healey. But if the same wheel is fitted
to the front it will cause steering vibration as the wheel will want to
wobble its axis as it spins.
The only on car balancer that I have had experience with worked by
sensing movement of the suspension to activate a strobe light. Used in
this way it was capable of correcting "static" imbalance but not
"dynamic" imbalance, so it cold be used to get a satisfactory balance of
a wheel and brake drum combination on the rear. BUT the wheel would have
to be refitted in the same position relative to the brake drum for this
combination to remain balanced and that wheel could not be used in any
other position on the car.
It would be conceivable that the sensor could be setup to detect
movement of the steering then the balancer be used on the front wheels
to correct "dynamic" imbalance, but that would be fairly difficult and
the same limitations on moving the wheel around would apply.
A much more preferable procedure is to balance the individual
components, hubs, drums, discs, and wheels, and then any component would
be balanced wherever it was fitted on the car.
BTW I'm not implying here that everyone should race out and get their
hubs and discs balanced...any imbalance on these items would be very
slight.
Michael Salter
www.precisionsportscar.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Dr. Carl Rubino [mailto:ruvino@ripnet.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2004 9:24 AM
To: Michael Salter
Subject: Re: bubble balancer
Mike-what are your thoughts about balancing on the car to compensate for
brake drums?
Carl
BN-4(L)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Salter" <msalter@precisionsportscar.com>
To: <NPaul72464@aol.com>; <healeys@autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2004 8:27 AM
Subject: RE: bubble balancer
> Hi Ned,
> Over the years I have tried both a bubble balancer and a Snap On
static
> balancer. Unfortunately neither produced satisfactory results
> consistently. I believe that the difficulty stems from the fact that
> these are single plane balancers and do not correct for imbalance
which
> is not positioned in the center of the tire.
> Put another way if you put a heavy wheel weight on the outside of the
> wheel at the valve position then put an identical weight on the inside
> of the wheel opposite the valve position a bubble balancer would still
> consider that wheel to be balanced.
> We now use a Hoffman balancer with a special adaptor made from a wheel
> spinner with a big hole cut through the center and a rear spline.
>
> Michael Salter
> www.precisionsportscar.com
|