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

Mon May 22 09:32:38 MDT 2023

Yes the rears of my BN2 are done the same way and when I checked them they
were each within 1 oz.
Not so much the fronts which were out by more than 2 oz which was
attributable to an inconsistency in the cross section of that inner rib.
I tried machining it to correct this but it is extremely hard so I used a
grinder to remove material from the inside of the rib which has worked well
and is not visible when the drum and wheel are installed.

M

On Mon, May 22, 2023 at 11:26 AM Bob Spidell <bspidell at comcast.net> wrote:

> 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> <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>
> <healeys at autox.team.net>
>
> An: "Michael Salter" <michaelsalter at gmail.com> <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> <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
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Rick Neville aka "HealeyRick"
>>>
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