Help with balancing wheels

GoldenMotor.com

HoopteeRider

New Member
Jun 16, 2010
18
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Florida
I have two Schwinn Skyliners all dusted off and waiting for my kits to arrive. Could use a little help at how to balance the wheels. I already removed the reflectors but when i put the bike on the rack and spin wheels fast the bike shakes bad. How are wheels balanced? (where do i put the weight) any tips would be most appreciated..wee..wee.

"I cut it twice and it's still to short"!
 

HoopteeRider

New Member
Jun 16, 2010
18
0
0
Florida
Thanks for the tip on using solder around the spoke but what i really need is how to find the light side of the rim to place the weight in the correct place.
 

Kevlarr

New Member
Jul 22, 2009
1,628
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Mi
Are you sure someone didn't put tire slime in the tubes?
With static balancing the light side should always be up when the wheel comes to a stop after spinning.
 

GearNut

Active Member
Aug 19, 2009
5,104
11
38
San Diego, Kaliforgnia
Before you even start to balance a wheel, be very sure that the wheel bearings are in good condition, well greased, and the end play is set properly. If anything is not correct, you will play **** trying to balance a wheel with quirky bearings.
Start by spinning the wheel at least fast enough to make it spin around once or twice. Any faster is a waste of your time. After the wheel stops spinning, the lightest spot will be at the 12 o'clock position.
Wrap your solder on that spoke, and spin again. If the same spot comes up again, you need more solder on that spoke or the one next to it. If the wheel stops with the solder at the bottom, 6 o'clock position, you added too much solder the first time.
Keep going at it until the wheel does not favor any particular direction when it stops spinning. If you end up with solder wrapped around 10 or so spokes all over the wheel, something has gone wrong. 1 to 3 areas of added weight are normal.
Note: Cheap tires are in no way balanced in and of themselves. Using them may cause you to use more solder that you first thought you would need. Also, as the tire tread wears down it will affect the state of balance on the wheel. If you like to go fast often, plan on re-balancing your wheels a few times before the tread is completely worn out.
REMBER! whenever you remove the tire to change or patch an innertube, always mark the tire where the valve stem is and re align the stem to the mark upon re-assembly.
If you change out the tube or patch the tube you will need to re-ballance the wheel.
 
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retromike3

New Member
Jan 9, 2009
148
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Beaverton OR
I have worked on or with bicycles now for about thirty years now and I have never heard of "balancing" wheels. Truing them yes, but balancing No. The only weight offset you might have is the stem or the weld in the rim itself. If your wheel is true don't worry about it.

My top speed I used to do every morning on the way to school was over sixty(I would peg my electronic speedometer every morning) and that was with old school steel wheels. I go down that same hill on my motorbicycle and I never worry about the "balance"

Most important thing is weather your wheels are true and your bearings are properly lubricated and adjusted. I currently own about six bikes (including my motorbicycle) and part of my hobby is building wheels (I have about thirty in my little shop).

So like they say on the Sopranos "FOGETABOUTIT".

Mike
 

xen

New Member
Jun 15, 2010
7
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Salt Lake City
I have worked on or with bicycles now for about thirty years now and I have never heard of "balancing" wheels. Truing them yes, but balancing No. The only weight offset you might have is the stem or the weld in the rim itself. If your wheel is true don't worry about it.

My top speed I used to do every morning on the way to school was over sixty(I would peg my electronic speedometer every morning) and that was with old school steel wheels. I go down that same hill on my motorbicycle and I never worry about the "balance"

Most important thing is weather your wheels are true and your bearings are properly lubricated and adjusted. I currently own about six bikes (including my motorbicycle) and part of my hobby is building wheels (I have about thirty in my little shop).

So like they say on the Sopranos "FOGETABOUTIT".

Mike




Hi, I second this. I am a bike mechanic and I can tell you there is no such thing as balancing a bike wheel. There is simply not enough mass in the rim and the spokes to make balancing neccessary. If a wheel is unbalanced , it is mostly due to uneveness in the tire/tube or the bearings/race in the hub. Get the wheel trued and the hub lubed and adjusted and by someone who knows what they are doing, buy a decent tire and the right size tube and you will be fine. The solder on the spokes is a good idea but will create more hassle than its worth because every time you change the tire or tube you will have to do it over again.
 

Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
6,237
20
38
N.M.
Slime tire sealer has always balanced my wheels just fine. A way to popular misconception about slime is the preslimed paper thin tubes one can buy. For one they have very little slime in them [I use a lot more] . Two they are paper thin tubes which lack in reliability on a bike in my opinion.

I have never had balance issues. I got a Morini engine that I have had up to 55 mph. Smooth as Silk. Just not gonna run a paper thin tube on that one. The slime disperses at speed and does perfectly. The principle way it works is like this link. Also some of those spoke reflectors can effect balance as well more than one might think.

Sick Bike Parts LLC - Performance parts for your motorized bicycle
 

bairdco

a guy who makes cool bikes
Aug 18, 2009
6,537
264
63
living the dream in southern california
i third the anti-balance.

professional road racer's don't need it, neither do we.

i used to work in a hi-pro tire shop (for cars) and spent a lot of time figuring out the physics of tire balancing, matching, etc.

the harmonics that cause an out of balance wheel, be it a car, truck, motorcycle, or bicycle, are most prevelant around 33mph (to about 40) and 66 mph (to about 70) and about 120mph, but we don't need to be concerned about those type of speeds. ask anyone with a shaky car what speeds it starts and stops at and they'll tell you.

most people's bikes don't go much over thirty, and if they do, the vibrations from the engine, tires and bike itself will cancel out any effect wheel balancing could have.

the best thing is to build a solid bike, keep your wheels true and greased, tires inflated where they're comfortable for you.

BUT, one thing you can do with your wheels and tires, is match them. this involves finding the heavy spot on your rim and the heavy spot on your tire and putting them opposite of each other.

also, a lot of bicycle tires aren't truly round. if you have a high spot in the tire and your rim's got a high spot too,put those opposite of each other.

or, if you wanna get really into it, you can true the wheel to the tire, by intentionally putting a "hop" in the wheel where the low spot of the tire is.

and finally, if you do waste, i mean, spend your time to balance your wheels, don't do a big skid, run over mud or gum, or patch your tubes.
 

Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
6,237
20
38
N.M.
I also cannot recall ever in my life time having any wheel balance issues on a good true tire and wheel . Just not enough mass there. If I get a warped wheel or bad tire than yes it is horrible:)
 

HoopteeRider

New Member
Jun 16, 2010
18
0
0
Florida
Thanks for the advice, after matching the wheels to the tires my problem was solved. And IMHO matching wheels is a way of balancing and it fixed my problem with the shake. To even think of going 60 mph on a MB is..."wow" insane and not for me. Xen I tried too use the solder in the spokes but it kept tearing my playing cards at the clothespin.