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

Mon May 22 10:22:52 MDT 2023

Hello,

It seems like there is some interest in balancing brake drums and I can add
a little more from my experience. My two original 1960 brake drums looked
identical and had no signs of factory balancing. One drum needed 34 grams
of weight but the other drum needed 94 grams despite both looking identical.

The 34 gram drum was easily balanced by adding a length of 1/4" dia lead
behind the rib with JB Weld. The 94 gram drum was a problem as it required
too much lead positioned too far away from the light spot. I ended up
adding lead to one side and removing part of the rib from the opposite
side. Based on my experience I will suggest if the weight needed is greater
than 50 grams then it is best to both add weight and remove part of the rib.

My tires were balanced off the car and I have no shakes or vibrations.

Harold

On Mon, May 22, 2023 at 8:29 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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