Balancing and Stems

[Ganglin]

OK - went through the process of reading/asking questions about tires and wheels here. Made the decision on tires and then ponied up for new wheels like Inland Andy recommended. Spent hours putting 7 coats of black enamel on the new white wheels. Should be good to go. Oh... but there's more.

Thought I'd save a few bucks by putting in my own stems. Found out that the regular stems you get at the auto parts store are only rated to 60 psi - the tires are 65 psi cold. Ahh... now we need special speed rated valves with 120 psi rating and a metal lip on the inside to prevent them from blowing out of the rim.

Now we're good to go. Oops.. read the insert that came with the wheels and in the small print it says "these wheels require lug-centric balancing". What the heck is that...! Same thing several tire dealers said also - along with we don't do that. One said - we use a very expensive machine called "variable road force balancing" it'll be close. CLOSE..! after all this I really just want to be close...

Long story short Discount Tire does lug centric balancing - of course its $10 more.

[2airishuman]

hi ganglin...

there's always somethin'...

or one more thing...

lug centric isn't complicated,
a plate/flange is attached at the lug holes and used as the centering attachment for the balancer

the guys using the 'road force balancing machine' would have used this...

just as the discount tire folks should have...

many aftermarket car/truck wheels and some stock ones (some toyotas) are 'lug centric'...

u have drum brakes?
so no doubt you've read the many threads on balancing the entire assembly?

fewer shops can/will do this than lug centric or hub centric balancing...

given you are trying to achieve full balance and harmony...

consider a set of centramatics....

Onboard Tire & Wheel Balance Systems, Tire Rotation, Tire Balance, Tire Balancing - Centramatic

smooth

2air'

and a quick 'google' will yield many reviews of this product, for example...

PRODUCT REVIEW: Centramatic Wheel Balancers

[LI Pets]

Or put Dyna Beads in for < $5 a wheel and your done!

[Ganglin]

Yes it is always one more thing. I've read almost everything here about tires (my brain hurts). Thought about balancing the full assembly but can't find anyone to do that. Also, I read a note here where someone went to Jackson Center for work and Airstream told them it wasn't necessary. It sounds logical to me and I haven't given up finding someone to do that.

It took several calls just to find someone (Discount Tire) that could do lug centric balancing. I even called a Toyota dealer and they said they never heard of it. Discount Tire called a few hours ago to make sure they could put weights on both sides of the wheels. Since I'm restoring a vintage set of Airstream wheel covers the outer weights aren't an issue. Threatened them with bodily harm unless these wheels are dead on when they are done. Since they promised them today - and are now closed - guess they took me seriously and decided to take their time.

2Air/LI thank you both for the links - didn't know these existed - will look into both.

I'd hate to admit how much I've got into these tires and wheels - plus the new shocks - and none of it's even installed yet.

It took 9 months of Airstream ownership to come to a conclusion. Calculate your parts and material carefully to know what a project should cost. Then add 50% more to it and you'll be close....