[Healeys] Wire Wheel Balancing

[Mark Goodman]

About two months ago it was time to replace my tires due to their age of 8
years, even though there was plenty of tread

on them.  

 

I have a friend that lets me come to his shop and change the tires and
balance them on the weekends, as I would not get

in the way of his people.  I mounted the tires with new tubes and used his
13 year old balancing machine to balance them.

When I took a test drive the front shook badly at 55 to 60 MPH.

 

There is a High Performance Porsche shop near my office and they have an
expensive "Dynamic Road Force" balancer which runs a

drum against the tire to duplicate it actually being on the road.  It also
determines the heavier portions of the tire and wheel

and marks them.  The operator then removes the air from the tube and rotates
the tire until the mark on it matches the one 

on the wheel.  Then the amount of weight used to balance the wheel is
minimal.  Upon having all 4 wheels balanced this way,

I had no shaking at any speed and the ride was very smooth.  To say the
least, I HIGHLY recommend that if anyone has shaking

in the front end, find someone with a Dynamic Road Force Balancer and get
all 4 wheels balanced.  You will not be disappointed.

 

Mark Goodman

66BJ8 35503

www.austinhealeyessence.com