[Shop-talk] Successfully using the HF Tire Changer

[Eric J Russell]

Simply put - rest the wheel/tire assembly on a support that will allow it to 
rotate freely about its axle, find the heavy area & use small weights to 
balance it.

A full description with photos here: 
http://www.clarity.net/~adam/tire-changing.html
Commercial balancers are also available: 
http://www.marcparnes.com/Universal_Motorcycle_Wheel_Balancer.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBzviKTPMrg&feature=related

The first time I did it it seemed too easy. I took the wheel/tire I had 
balanced to a motorcycle shop and asked them to check it. They let me watch 
as it was put on their spin balancer. The guy told me it was practically 
perfect. The amount of weight his machine calculated as needing to improve 
it was too small to bother with.

An interesting factoid. If one first locates the heavy area of the wheel & 
then installs the tire with its light area aligned (they come with a small 
paint dot to indicate it), often little to no weight is needed.

Eric Russell
Mebane, NC
http://home.mebtel.net/~ejrussell
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron Schmittou"

> So how do you guys handle the balancing?
>
>
>> I use the HF tire changer with their motorcycle adapter. Bike shops 
>> charge
>> full retail prices for new tires and ridiculous fees to change/balance
>> tires. It only take 1-2 MC tires (~ 10-15K miles/tires...) to have the HF
>> unit become 'free'.