Wheel Balancing

[Paul B]

This may be of interest. I have just had the wheels balanced on my tin top by Black Boots of Chesham. It has made a huge difference to the vibration through the steering wheel.

According to the staff, most high street tyre shops balance against the centre hole of the wheel. This is not necessarily the true centre of rotational mass of the wheel. Black Boots use the wheel stud mounting points. They can also do the balancing to the nearest 1 gramme rather 5 grammes if the set up is particularly sensitive as mine seemed to be.

 

PS of the senior managers has a lovely red Lotus Esprit.

 

[Bricol]

Although, as most cars will use a centre spicot to locate the wheel on the hub, that would most likely be the place to balance from - and I think the Caterham does - been a while since I removed a wheel. I know my integrale certainly has.

 

Wheel stud holes will have quite large clearances for the studs - so I would guess there is quite a good chance you could end up with the wheel sat off-centre compared to theoretical PCD centres - ie when the wheel is sat on the studs, it simply drops to the top of the clearances - the studs are at the top of the holes due to the weight of the wheel.

 

Bri

[Grim Reaper]

But most wheel nuts have a conical seating surface that will centre the bolt in the hole as they are tightened up. Still better to have the wheel centered by the spigot and just held onto the hub by the action of tightening the bolts rather than them taking all the forces through the material around the holes.

[Garth]

Just had my relatively new CR500 (1000 miles on the clock - CC supplied and 'balanced') balanced by a good local tyre shop - they were all out of balance, the worst by 50 grammes! Much more comfortable at speed now. Machine had a central spigot.