[Healeys] Brake Drum balance -- was Wire Wheel Balancer

Bob Spidell bspidell at comcast.net
Mon May 22 08:41:41 MDT 2023


Here's a shot of removed metal on one of my BN2's drums (cut at about 9 
o'clock). This was done so cleanly I've always assumed it was done at 
the 'factory.'


On 5/19/2023 9:54 AM, Perry Small via Healeys wrote:
> Listers
> If you look at the drums you will see areas that were ground off to 
> balance the drums.
> I have given away all my spare parts so I do not have a good example 
> to photograph.
> Perry
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On May 19, 2023, at 2:19 AM, josef-eckert--- via Healeys 
>> <healeys at autox.team.net> wrote:
>>
>> 
>>
>> Good question Bob! I doubt they have done it and the cars were 
>> running anyway.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Josef
>>
>> -----Original-Nachricht-----
>>
>> Betreff: Re: [Healeys] Brake Drum balance -- was Wire Wheel Balancer
>>
>> Datum: 2023-05-19T07:56:40+0200
>>
>> Von: "Robert Parker via Healeys" <healeys at autox.team.net>
>>
>> An: "Michael Salter" <michaelsalter at gmail.com>
>>
>> Has anyone bothered to check whether the factory ever balanced the 
>> drums or even worried about it? It’s not that I don’t care, it’s just 
>> I’d like to know if anyone has heard of that happening at the 
>> factory. Bob, 61BT7.
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>     On May 17, 2023, at 8:32 PM, Michael Salter via Healeys
>>     <healeys at autox.team.net> wrote:
>>
>>     With all this noise about balancing brake drums I thought I had
>>     better take a look at the ones on my BN2.
>>     I'm in the process if machining them back to  balance now.
>>     Bit of a task on my 12" lathe but it's happening.
>>
>>     On Wed., May 17, 2023, 8:46 p.m. Michael MacLean via Healeys,
>>     <healeys at autox.team.net> wrote:
>>
>>         Don't grind it. Have it machined off.
>>         Mike MacLean
>>
>>         On Wed, May 17, 2023, 6:58 AM Richard Kahn
>>         <tahoehealey at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>             Hendrix welded more material to my drums as needed and it
>>             seems to have worked fine. I would not like grinding off
>>             material as it might affect the integrity of the drum by
>>             making it thinner, effecting the heat distribution and
>>             strength.  Just some rambling from someone who doesn't
>>             know what he is talking about.
>>             ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>             *From:* Healeys <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> on
>>             behalf of alfuller194 at gmail.com <alfuller194 at gmail.com>
>>             *Sent:* Wednesday, May 17, 2023 12:23 AM
>>             *To:* 'Michael MacLean' <springer.mike51 at gmail.com>
>>             *Cc:* 'Healey List' <healeys at autox.team.net>
>>             *Subject:* Re: [Healeys] Brake Drum balance -- was Wire
>>             Wheel Balancer
>>
>>             Mike – I would think that would be the likely explanation
>>             for having sections of the drum rim machined off.
>>
>>             ----------------
>>
>>             All the best,
>>
>>             Al Fuller
>>
>>             *From:* Michael MacLean <springer.mike51 at gmail.com>
>>             *Sent:* Tuesday, May 16, 2023 2:47 PM
>>             *To:* alfuller194 at gmail.com
>>             *Subject:* Re: [Healeys] Brake Drum balance -- was Wire
>>             Wheel Balancer
>>
>>             Al, list,
>>
>>                  The drums for my BN2 has sections of the raised rim
>>             machined off. Does this mean my drums were balanced in
>>             the past?
>>
>>             Mike MacLean
>>
>>             On Tue, May 16, 2023, 2:30 PM <alfuller194 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>                 Bob:  If you are wondering about brake drum balancing
>>                 methods, you may be interested in the two methods
>>                 used on my Healeys.
>>
>>                 One shop trimmed off the fins as needed to balance
>>                 the drums, one needing more trimming than the other –
>>                 but they both came out well.
>>
>>                 A different shop welded rod material onto my current
>>                 BJ-8’s drums to balance them. I think these drums
>>                 were more out of balance than on prior cars. They
>>                 were careful to call me ahead of the operation to ask
>>                 how much clearance I had between the wheel and drum,
>>                 and I was able to take them a wheel and hub so they
>>                 could see how it all fit together.  The results are
>>                 just fine, also.
>>
>>                 ----------------
>>
>>                 All the best,
>>
>>                 Al Fuller
>>
>>                 *From:* Healeys <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> *On
>>                 Behalf Of *Bob Haskell via Healeys
>>                 *Sent:* Monday, May 15, 2023 2:36 PM
>>                 *To:* Harold Manifold <manifold at telus.net>; Healey
>>                 List <healeys at autox.team.net>
>>                 *Subject:* Re: [Healeys] Wire Wheel Balancer
>>
>>                 Harold,
>>
>>                 How did you balance the drums - add or remove
>>                 material? Care to provide any details?
>>
>>                 Bob Haskell
>>
>>                 Austin-Healey 3000 roadster registrar
>>
>>                 On 5/15/23 11:32, Harold Manifold wrote:
>>
>>                     Another consideration for balancing the rear
>>                     tires is the brake drums. I have the original BMC
>>                     brake drums and was surprised at how out of
>>                     balance they were. I static balanced the brake
>>                     drums to go with the separately balanced wheels
>>                     and tires. No vibrations, shimmies or skuttle
>>                     shakes so far.
>>
>>                     Harold
>>
>>                     On Mon, May 15, 2023 at 12:34 AM
>>                     <greylinn at ozemail.com.au> wrote:
>>
>>                         Here in Brisbane there’s at least one place
>>                         (near me) that does on-car balancing. The
>>                         wheels on my 100 don’t have a central hole,
>>                         so can’t be balanced on a regular machine.
>>                         That said, the last set of Khumo Ecowing
>>                         ES31s I bought are fine with no balancing!
>>
>>                         Peter Linn
>>
>>                         Brisbane
>>
>>                         BN1 Holden V6
>>
>>                         MG TC special
>>
>>                         *From:* Healeys
>>                         <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> *On Behalf
>>                         Of *m.g.sharp--- via Healeys
>>                         *Sent:* Monday, May 15, 2023 1:07 PM
>>                         *To:* 'Harold Manifold' <manifold at telus.net>;
>>                         'HealeyRick' <healeyrik at gmail.com>
>>                         *Cc:* 'Healeys' <healeys at autox.team.net>
>>                         *Subject:* Re: [Healeys] Wire Wheel Balancer
>>
>>                         I made up my own adaptor using a used hub and
>>                         knock-off (spinner).  I had a machinist mount
>>                         the hub on the lathe and ensure that it was
>>                         true on the inside edges (where the bearings
>>                         fit) and had him put a slight chamfer on the
>>                         edges to provide better registration for the
>>                         standard cones on a modern balancer. Then we
>>                         machined the centre out of the spinner so 
>>                         that when the wheel is mounted on the hub and
>>                         the spinner is tightened, the outer cone on
>>                         the balancer fits through it and registers on
>>                         the hub.  That part is a little tricky as if
>>                         you machine the hole too big, the spinner
>>                         will end up in two pieces – measure
>>                         carefully! Hub and spinner was $25 at a swap
>>                         meet and machining was $50.  I believe this
>>                         adaptor will work on any post-war wire wheels
>>                         except the Jags, which had different hubs. 
>>                         Worked a treat on my TC wheels. Healey is
>>                         running vibration-free- so leaving it alone
>>                         for now.
>>
>>                         I too liked on-wheel balancing and in my
>>                         simple thinking it balanced the drum or disk
>>                         at the same time – as long as you remembered
>>                         to mark the position of the wheels when you
>>                         took them off and did not rotate them (to a
>>                         different position on the car)! That is
>>                         likely one reason  they are not used anymore,
>>                         because if your drums were out of balance and
>>                         you added weights to the wheel that balanced
>>                         them out, then every time you removed the
>>                         wheel, you’d loose the balance, unless it
>>                         went back in exactly the same position.
>>                           Anyhow it’s a moot point as I have not seen
>>                         an on-wheel balancer for decades.   I imagine
>>                         that disks run very true anyhow, but when I
>>                         balanced the drums on the TC  they were
>>                         significantly off.  I hear balancing Healey
>>                         drums brings good results, but never felt the
>>                         need as my BT7 has always run pretty smooth. 
>>                         If anyone in Ontario (Canada) wants drums
>>                         balanced, Garland and Sons in Scarborough did
>>                         great work for me.
>>
>>                         Mirek
>>
>>                         *From:* Healeys
>>                         <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> *On Behalf
>>                         Of *Harold Manifold
>>                         *Sent:* Thursday, May 11, 2023 11:35 AM
>>                         *To:* HealeyRick <healeyrik at gmail.com>
>>                         *Cc:* Healeys <healeys at autox.team.net>
>>                         *Subject:* Re: [Healeys] Wire Wheel Balancer
>>
>>                         It looks like the kit is designed to
>>                         follow the Dunlop/MWS recommendations for
>>                         balancing. See attached. It should be a good
>>                         piece of kit.
>>
>>                         Harold
>>
>>                         On Thu, May 11, 2023 at 8:28 AM HealeyRick
>>                         via Healeys <healeys at autox.team.net> wrote:
>>
>>                             AH Spares just sent out this email about
>>                             a wire wheel balancer kit to mount the
>>                             wheels on a modern balancing machine. 
>>                             What are your thoughts?
>>                             https://www.ahspares.co.uk/austin-healey/big-healey/wheels/wire-wheel-balancing-kit.aspx?utm_medium=email-1st&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
>>                             <https://www.ahspares.co.uk/austin-healey/big-healey/wheels/wire-wheel-balancing-kit.aspx?utm_medium=email-1st&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email>
>>
>>                             Rick Neville aka "HealeyRick"
>>
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